PRESTWICH HEYS 2 TRAFFORD 1
SATURDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER 2026 MACRON CUP 1ST ROUND ATT:254

Report by Rick Barrett
Pictures by Bethany Lee more pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/91307207@N05/albums/72177720335828695/

Two first half goals were enough to see Prestwich Heys through to the second round of the Macron Cup in a 2-1 win against fellow Counties Premier League side Trafford FC at Adie Moran Park on Saturday.

Heys were looking for a response having lost 3-0 at Droylsden last weekend, while Trafford were in confident mood after a 2-1 win at Barnoldswick Town on Tuesday night. Heys manager Ryan Hutchinson gave a debut to goalkeeper Jack Buckley who had signed from Irlam earlier in the week.

Prestwich started brightly and were in front on eleven minutes when Bryson Appleton was brought down in the box and referee Andrew Gater pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Ellis Richardson to fire past Trafford keeper Matt Cooper for 1-0.

The hosts continued to press forward and made added a second goal on twenty-three minutes. It was a great move that started out on the right and switched to the left finding Abdul Djalo, twelve yards out, who fired past Cooper to put Heys in control.

It could have been a third on thirty-three minutes when good work on the left by Lewis Ayres found Richardson six yards out, but Cooper got down to save.

Trafford were struggling to get into this one at this stage and their only chance of the half came on thirty-nine minutes when Hamed Sidibe fired over the bar from eighteen yards.

Heys were in command then at half time, looking confident and they started brightly after the break when David Badrock fired over the bar with a header.

Back came Trafford though with striker Bradley Njine firing wide of the far post, this was followed by a break in play when Heys captain James Badrock received treatment after an elbow collision going for a header but recovered to continue with the game.

On sixty-four minutes Richardson fired over the bar for Prestwich but from here it was mainly Trafford fighting back and they were rewarded on seventy-five minutes when Sidibe fired past Buckley in the Heys goal to make it 2-1 and a potential grandstand finish.

Debutant Buckley was called into action on eighty-five minutes with a terrific double save from Trafford substitute Dillon Edmundson, parrying the first effort and blocking the second.

Shortly after Lewis Jacklin fired wide of the far post for the visitors, and you could feel the tension rising in the Heys support as referee Gater awarded six minutes of injury time.

Heys substitute Jamal Crawford relieved the pressure three minutes into injury time catching Trafford on the break down the left and crossed into the on running fellow sub David Kerrigan, but the striker could not get a touch on it to steer it home.

Back came Trafford in the dying embers and it was former Heys man Finlay Stanyer volleying over the bar from eight yards for the final action of the day.

So, its Heys who progress to the second round of the Macron Cup after this hard fought win, showing a determination to progress when under pressure for large parts of the second half, and the reward is a home tie with Counties Division one side New Mills to be played at Adie Moran Park on Saturday 24th October.

TEAM: Jack Buckley, David Badrock, Louie Hutchinson, James Badrock (Capt.), Matt Smyth, Liam Cuthbert, Bryson Appleton, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Ellis Richardson, Lewis Ayres, Abdul Djalo
Subs: Alistair Bracken (for Ayres 87 mins), Reece Lascelles-Higgins (for Appleton 93 mins), Jamal Crawford (for Djalo 81 mins), Lucas Bancroft (65 mins), David Kerrigan (for Richardson 81 mins)