A sixty sixth minute strike from Tom Croughan was enough to secure AFC Liverpool a 2-0 victory and continue Prestwich Heys dismal record at the Marine Travel Arena on Tuesday night.

Heys came into this one in fine form and were in confident mood after beating Beverley Town 4-1 in the FA Vase on Saturday while AFC Liverpool had shaken off a poor run of recent results by beating Glossop North End 3-1 in the league last time out.

Prestwich managers Lee O'Brien and James Hampson made three changes bringing in Nathan Bartam-Conway, Kayle Power and Kaiden Barlow while Darcy O'Connor took the Captain’s armband for the injured Aaron Chalmers.

Heys started brightly with form man Matt Davies shooting over from twenty yards in the fifth minute and Jack Coop was very unlucky a minute later, just going wide of the far post from eighteen yards.

Back came Liverpool on eleven minutes with Prestwich keeper Jordan Hadlow saving a free kick on the right and again with a shot from the corner that followed as the home side started to get a grip of the midfield.

Bradley Shearwood fired one over the bar for AFC on sixteen minutes and back came Heys with Davies again bringing a great save from Liverpool keeper Harry Deveney from twelve yards.

Liverpool was pressing forward though, and it was Shearwood again on twenty-eight minutes down the right whose shot went wide of the far post with the advancing Hadlow beaten.

The pressure told on forty minutes when Heys were dispossessed on the left and the ball fell to AFC striker Kyle Schorah who drove one past Hadlow from six yards to put the home side in front.

Heys tried to respond on the stroke of half time when great work by Kaiden Barlow put Coop through and brought another great save from Deveney although the flag was up for offside.

So, Liverpool deservedly a goal up at the break but Heys were showing enough signs they could get back into this one.

Jack Coop had the ball in the net soon after the restart but was ruled out for offside and Barlow was unlucky on fifty-two minutes when his twenty-yard free kick went wide of the far post but back came Liverpool shortly after with Tom Croughan smashing a shot against the post from eight yards.

The game at this point was end to end and you felt the next goal would be decisive and this went Liverpool's way on sixty-six minutes when Heys failed to clear a corner on the right and the ball fell dead centre eight yards out to Croughan who rifled it past Hadlow and it would be an uphill battle now for the visitors.

Heys management team made some changes in personnel notably Tyler James who got straight into the action bringing pace down the left and bringing another save from Deveney from eight yards on eighty minutes and then a point blank save again shortly after from the home keeper.

Heys were really going for it in the closing stages, and you felt if they could take chances they may be able to grab a point. James knocked a couple of balls in, but no one could convert and as the visitors pressed Liverpool broke down the left with Schorah bringing another save from Hadlow.

It was Prestwich captain Darcy O'Connor who brought the last save from Deveney deep in injury time and with the referee blowing the whistle shortly after it meant a frustrating defeat here on Merseyside where defensive mistakes and not being clinical enough when needed cost them dear and a chance for points to push them up the league.

TEAM: Jordan Hadlow, Jacob Ngoy, Saidkhon Khamidov, Darcy O’Connor (Capt.), Nathan Bartram-Conway, Regan Brown, Kayle Power, Malachi Slaven, Jack Coop, Matt Davies, Kaiden Barlow Subs: Vincent Howell (for Slaven 45 mins), Tyler James (for Barlow 65 mins), Russ Saunders, Luke Nicholls (for 60 mins), Greg Daniels (for Ngoy 71 mins)