Heys held by Kendal in four goal thriller

By Stephen Howard

Prestwich Heys extended their unbeaten League run to eight games with a 2-2 draw at home to third placed Kendal Town on Tuesday night.

In a game played at a terrific tempo both sides tested each other to the full with the draw probably a fair result after an entertaining encounter. In a game of ebbs and flows, Heys enjoyed the better of the opening and final quarters with the visitors the periods in between. However, even in those periods both these evenly matched sides carried a threat that ensured the outcome was in doubt right up to the final whistle.

Heys, who knew victory would move them up to fourth in the NW Counties Premier Division table, were quick out of the blocks and created a chance in the opening minute as Jack Coop seized possession on the edge of the area and fired in a shot that Kendal keeper Christopher Cheetham pushed to safety.

However, it was not long before Heys keeper Jordan Hadlow was in action as the visitors responded in the 5th minute with Josh Winder bringing a smart save from September’s Goalkeeper of the Month, who palmed the shot away at full stretch.

The early impetus however remained with Heys and they took the lead in the tenth minute. From a free kick Aaron Chalmers headed goal wards and amidst a cluster of bodies Matt Davies bravely forced the ball home at the far post, colliding with it at the same time.

The hosts continued to be the more enterprising and Connor Berry saw a goal bound effort cleared to safety but in the 24th minute Kendal sprang onto the attack to equalise. The lively Stephen Yawson saw a shot blocked, after a mazy run, but the ball was quickly worked to the right and Jacob Gregory curled a low shot past Hadlow into the far corner.

The goal seemed to shake Heys and signalled a change in momentum and five minutes later the Mintcakes took the lead. A free kick into the box was headed across goal where Martin Grundy found himself unmarked to poke home from close range.

To compound matters for the home side, they were forced into two substitutions as Davies succumbed to his earlier collision with the post and midfielder Sullivan picked up a knock. Kayle Power and Rio Clegg replaced the duo.

However, the home side dug in and regrouped and towards the end of the half showed some encouraging signs of regaining their earlier momentum. Shortly before the break, after a Berry free kick had been blocked, Nathan Emery seized on the loose ball to test Cheetham, the stopper gathering his shot at the second attempt.

Honours even at the break, but behind on the scoreboard, Heys knew they had more to do in the second period if they were to turn things around.

It was the visitors though who made the better start to the second half, as if looking to head off the threat of any home fightback at the earliest opportunity. After Aaron Chalmers and Jacob Ngoy had blocked shots, Ryan Winder went close with a rasping drive past the post. Kendal then forced three successive corners during which a great close range save by Hadlow thwarted Brandon Croskill-Robinson, denying what might have proved a decisive goal.

This high tempo roller coaster of a game though had another twist as Heys responded by going straight down the other end to equalise. As the clock ticked just past the hour mark, a lightning break culminated in a superb cross field pass by Kyle Jacobs finding Rio Clegg, just out to the left of the penalty area. The young Heys striker then cut into the box to fire home, his shot possibly taking a slight deflection on its way into the top corner.

The strike signalled another swing in momentum, with the home crowd behind them Heys upped the ante. Coop and Greg Daniels worked an opening between them, but Cheetham was equal to the former’s low driven shot.

In the 70th minute Jacobs and Clegg combined again, this time the latter turning provider with Cheetham dropping to his knees to hold the incoming shot. It then looked like Berry might be the match winner as the ball broke to him, in space, on the edge of the area but his effort cleared the bar.

The pace showed no signs of slacking as the game reached a tense finale and it was the visitors who came closest to taking the points. Winder fired in a corner, that was flicked on but fortunately for Heys no one was on hand to apply the final touch. Then in added time, after four successive corners, Hadlow pulled off a great save at close range to deny Jacob Davis.

It was to be the final chance of a pulsating game. Ultimately both teams could be happy with the point. The visitors remain in third, three points behind leaders Bury with a game in hand. From a home perspective, the point takes Heys up to sixth, a point off a top five on whom they have between two and three games in hand, ahead of a trip to Longridge on Saturday (3pm).

TEAM: Jordan Hadlow, Brad Sixsmith, Nathan Emery, Kyle Jacobs, Jacob Ngoy, Aaron Chalmers, Connor Berry, Greg Daniels, Jack Coop, Bradley Sullivan, Matt Davies, Subs: Kai Haigh, Regan Brown, Rio Clegg (for Davies 30 mins), Kayle Power (for Sullivan 30 mins), Connor Martin (for Coop 73 mins)