Report by Paul Thomasson

It took two spectacular goals from Barlick to defeat this new Prestwich Heys team as despite a strong first half performance, the visitors took all the points from Adie Moran Park.

It took just two minutes for Barnoldswick to go in front. Gareth Hill laid the ball off for Lewis Farmer at the edge of the area, who struck the ball on the turn, straight into the ‘keepers bottom left corner, giving Sullivan no chance. It wasn’t the start Prestwich expected after such a positive performance in mid-week.

Heys heads didn’t go down though and a couple of minutes later, Michael Burke went through on goal, but the ball was too close to Callum Jakovlevs in the visitor’s goal, after a heavy touch and was well saved when he got his shot away. Prestwich stayed on the attack and an impressive Luke Jackson delivered a low cross on the left which found its way to Burke who stabbed it towards goal, but it was cleared away off the six-yard line.

Despite the scoreline, Prestwich were well in control of the game, and it felt like it was a matter of time before they scored the equalizer and an effort from Max Bardsley-Rowe on twenty-two minutes was well parried by the goalie before it was cleared away.

Heys kept coming forward, enjoying a lot of possession with Luke Jackson running rings around the Barlick defence on the left side.

There was some nice work from Heys in the thirty-fifth minute, as they worked the ball into the box to set up a chance for Burke, however his shot was deflected wide and the striker tried again a few minutes later with an effort from outside the box but his shot went over the bar.

It stayed 1-0 at half time but Heys had been much the better side. Despite the score you still would have felt the home side would still get something from this game.

The second half felt like a completely different game. Both sides struggled to keep possession at the start of the half and neither had any chances of note. The first real chance of the second half was on sixty-two minutes when a Luke Jackson cross met the head of Max Bardsley-Rowe, to the bottom-right of the ‘keeper, but it was palmed away.

Five minutes later, Barnoldswick got their second which in hindsight killed the game off. A free kick on the right side of the penalty area was beautifully struck by Oliver Roberts into the top corner giving Sullivan no chance in goal. It was a goal definitely worthy of winning a game.

Barlick now started having the better of the game and nearly added a third on seventy-two minutes as a Bradley Ditch header hit the side netting from a corner and they managed the game well from here on as the optimism from the home fans from the first half fell flat.

Heys did manage one more chance before the end. Finley Stafford had an effort from around twenty yards out in stoppage time, but it went harmlessly wide.

There were definitely a lot of positives from this new look Heys side, and it took two special goals so on another day this could have been a different result. Max Bardsley-Rowe and Luke Jackson on each wing were impressive but it will take some time for the new players to gel together and there are reasons why Heys should be optimistic for the rest of the season.

TEAM: Bradley A Sullivan, Noah Inneh, Elijah Hearn, Gabriel Mooney-Munoz, Nathan Bartram-Conway, Finley Stanyer, Max Bardsley-Rowe, Luke Byron, Michael Burke, Abet Zazai, Luke Jackson Subs :Lewis Ayres (for Jackson 74 mins) Regan Brown (for Hearn 55), Tyrese Beaumont-Ndienguila (for Mooney-Munoz 74 mins) Hermann Daha (for Zazai 60 mins) Finlay Stafford (for Inneh 78 mins)