Heys held at home by Irlam

By Stephen Howard

Library pic by Nic Gerrard

Prestwich Heys promotion push took a knock as they were held to a draw by Irlam at Adie Moran Park on Saturday.

In a hard-fought game Heys looked set for three points when Aaron Chalmers gave them the lead in the 81st minute but with two minutes remaining former Heys player Kaiden Barlow headed home an equaliser for the visitors. With most of the other teams in the promotion race winning, the outcome here felt like a defeat for the home side, who in truth never really got into their stride on a disappointing afternoon that also saw top scorer Greg Daniels replaced with a worrying looking knee injury in the 29th minute.

The striker has been at the forefront of Heys challenge, but this was a tough afternoon for him as he also saw a penalty saved in the ninth minute. This came after an opening phase in which both sides set off at a frantic pace with four players, two from each side, booked in the first twenty minutes. The spot kick came when Jacob Ngoy set off on a trademark run and when he cut back into the box he was upended. Daniels struck his spot kick well enough but not quite high enough and Lee White, in the Irlam goal, got a hand to it to tip the ball over.

White was too thwart Heys again in the 16th minute, this time denying Pa Jenkins whose curling shot from the edge of the area looked to be dipping under the bar before the keeper clawed it away.

Heys were looking the more dangerous side but Irlam themselves were not without threat with the strong running of Mason Everton and the pace of Mwiya Malumo keeping the home defence on their toes.

On the half hour White again came to the visitors rescue as this time he pulled off a great save to push a Connor Brotherton half volley onto the bar.

The first clear opening for Irlam came in the 35th minute when Malumo broke the offside trap to go clear but Heys ‘keeper Russell Saunders was quick to react and gathered before the striker could get a shot off.

As play swung to the to the other end a scramble in the box ended with a Ryley Smith shot being cleared off the line to again thwart Heys. However, they went into the half time break breathing a sigh of relief as a corner found Irlam Captain Andrew Langford unmarked but, from six yards out, he hoisted the ball over the bar.

On the restart Heys did all the early pressing before a break in play in the 55th minute saw the referee receive treatment for what appeared to be cramp. The pause allowed the visitors to regroup and on the resumption the game became scrappy with both teams showing plenty of endeavour but with no end product. Joe Wainwright tested the keeper from distance for Heys and Ethan Cartwright fired wide at the other end for the visitors.

A great run by Jenkins created an opening for Nathan Emery but as he shaped to shoot, he lost his footing and sliced wide and it seemed the game was set for a goalless draw.

However, in the 81st minute Heys found the breakthrough. From a corner the ball wasn’t cleared and is it bounced around the box Chalmers was first to react and fired a cracking shot into the far corner to the delight of the home crowd.

The goal prompted a strong response from the visitors and four minutes later Saunders had to drop sharply to keep out a Barlow shot.

However, having started the season at Heys, Barlow was not to be denied on his return. With two minutes remaining Langford swung in a free kick and the striker rose to send a looping header goalwards over Saunders, who got a hand on it, but not enough to prevent the leveller and leave his former teammates deflated.

Team: Russell Saunders, Jacob Ngoy, Nathan Emery, Pa Jenkins, Nathan Bartram-Conway, Aaron Chalmers, Gabriel Mooney-Munoz, Greg Daniels, Matt Davies, Ryley Smith Subs; Nathan Emery (for Mooney-Munoz70 mins), Daniel White (for Brotherton 76 mins), Regan Brown (for Ngoy (80 mins), Saidkhon Khamidov, Joe Wainwright (for Daniels 29 mins)