By Rick Barrett

New signing Josh Tinker's forty eighth minute equaliser was enough for Prestwich Heys to secure a 1-1 draw with newly promoted Euxton Villa at the Jim Fowler Memorial Ground on Saturday, the opening day of the 2025-26 North West Counties Premier Division season.

Heys came into the new campaign having retained the majority of the squad that kept them in this division along with new signings Tinker, Rob Worrall and Joe Camozzi all starting alongside goalkeeper Alex Brown, on loan from Chester.

After a tight start it was Bryson Appleton who was first to show for the visitors, beating his man down the right, but firing wide and shortly after it was Takura Sambizi down the left crossing to find Camozzi who brought a great save from Villa keeper Oliver Lombard.

Prestwich were enjoying a great spell of play and on twelve minutes Appleton found Michael Burke who fired wide before Alfie Belcher brought another save from Lombard shortly after.

Euxton's first chance was firing over the bar on fifteen minutes after Heys gave away possession in the middle of the park and the hosts had a free kick from the right cleared soon after.

Indeed, this little spell for Euxton brought them reward on twenty-two minutes. From a corner the ball was headed on at the far post by Jack Wyers-Roebuck and although it looked like the ball went in off Heys defender David Badrock, for an own goal, the Villa player was credited with the goal.

Worse was to follow for Heys on the half hour mark as Belcher limped off injured and was replaced by Dre Taylor, but rally they did, Lombard making another save from Camozzi on thirty seven minutes and striker Burke did have the ball in the net for the visitors shortly before half time but was ruled offside.

So the hosts went into the break 1-0 up in what had been a fairly even first half but Prestwich set to the task quickly after the interval and were rewarded with an equaliser on forty-eight minutes when a corner on the left was flicked onto the bar and Josh Tinker was on hand to stab home the rebound.

Back came Euxton on fifty-seven minutes through Ethan Darr who brought a great double save from Heys keeper Alex Brown.

However, it was Heys in the ascendancy and Lombard made a great save from a Tinker header three minutes later. Burke again had the ball in the net on sixty-five minutes but was again ruled offside before being replaced shortly after by fellow striker Connor Martin.

The referee waved a penalty shout away for handball on seventy minutes and from the same move Sambizi was brought down but the Heys wide man was given a yellow card for diving with said referee unimpressed.

Sambizi was replaced by Mo Doro shortly after who got straight into the action firing over and then putting in a great cross from the left that Appleton was unlucky not to get on the end of.

Appleton himself went down with cramp after a huge shift on eighty minutes and was replaced by Max Bardsley Rowe.

As the game drew to a close the hosts went close with a twenty-yard free kick from Joe Darley which went just over the bar.

The clearest chance however came in the dying embers for Heys when in the ninety sixth minute Bardsley-Rowe broke clean through, after latching onto a great ball through the middle, but with the goal beckoning he seemed to fire straight at keeper Lombard to save. It was a huge moment as the referee blew the final whistle straight after.

So, a positive start to the season for Heys with the new signings all performing well and they did more than enough to win this, but their finishing let them down at key moments. A hard-earned point it was though against an Euxton Villa side many teams will find hard to beat this season and Heys will go into Tuesday's game at home to Padiham with confidence for this season.

TEAM: Alex Brown, Joe Camozzi, David Badrock, James Badrock (Capt.), Jack Taylor, Josh Tinker, Bryson Appleton, Robert Worrall, Michael Burke, Alfie Belcher, Takura Sambizi
Subs: Alistair Bracken, Mworina Doro (for Sambizi 70 mins), Connor Martin (for Burke 65 mins), Nicholas Dre Taylor (for Belcher 31 mins), Max Bardsley-Rowe (for Appleton 83 mins)