A strike from George Kattah on the stroke of half time prevented Prestwich Heys registering a first league win of the season at Stockport Town on Monday night.

Heys were looking for a response after a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to Burscough last Friday night and gave a debut to keeper Lee White, who has previously been at Irlam where he clocked up over 300 appearances, whilst midfielder Alfie Belcher returned from injury.

It was Stockport first out of the blocks in the sixth minute with Tobias Green, who cut inside and brought an early save, low down, from White.

Prestwich were soon into it though and it was Takura Sambizi soon after, looking lively down the left, knocking a cross in that evaded everyone. Shortly after the wide man fired over the bar as the visitors made the early running.

This pressure soon told and when Heys pressed, midfielder Rob Worrall dispossessed the Stockport defence and fired past Town keeper Joshua Schofield from twelve yards to give the visitors a tenth minute lead.

This started a good spell for Prestwich and on twenty-five minutes they came mightily close to a second goal as a ball over from the right found Sambizi, whose shot hit the outside of the post.

Shortly after Bryson Appleton was dangerous down the right, having a cross cleared.

Back came Stockport however with a big chance on the half hour, Josh Fowles lobbing Heys keeper White, but he just managed to get a touch on it to clear the danger.

With the tempo increasing, scorer Worrall fired a twenty-yard free kick just wide for Heys and it was them looking the more likely.

However. as the half progressed the home side began to press and just as it looked like Heys would hold out to the break the hosts equalised. A ball dinked in behind the defence found Kattah breaking into the box and he fired past White for 1-1 on the stroke of half time.

All to play for then and as quickly as Prestwich started the first half it was Town who were the much quicker out of the blocks in the second.

Kattah again on fifty-two minutes brought another save from White, having an impressive debut, and he made his presence felt again on sixty-two minutes foiling a one-on-one which Fowles fired wide.

It was Stockport doing all the running and Heys made several substitutions in an attempt to freshen things up.

Having been largely on the back foot their first chance of the second half came in the 74th minute with Dre Taylor smashing a 25-yard shot against the crossbar.

This seemed to revive the visitors who started to press a higher line. Worrall knocked a dangerous ball in that was cleared and Prestwich also had a couple of free kicks in and around the box which couldn't be converted.

The referee signalled four minutes of injury time, extended to double that following a head injury to a Town player, but neither team could force a way through with honours ending even, in keeping with the game.

So, it was a good point in the end for Heys, in this game of two halves. Though similar to Friday’s game against Burscough they will be disappointed with their sluggish start to the second half. However, they are now currently unbeaten on the road in all competitions and travel again on Friday night to Atherton Collieries in the Preliminary round of the Emirates FA Cup (7.45pm).

TEAM: Lee White, Luke Byron, Louie Hutchinson, James Badrock, Jack Taylor, Dre Taylor, Bryson Appleton, Robert Worrall, Michael Burke, Alfie Belcher, Takura Sambizi, Subs: Max Bardsley-Rowe (for Byron 90 mins), David Badrock (for Hutchinson 60 mins), Mworina Doro (for Sambizi 79 mins), Jacob Ramplin (for Burke 72 mins), Owen Percival (for Belcher 77 mins)

Rick Barrett has his own Heys website "View from a Sandgate Bridge" here: https://rickbarrett753.wixsite.com/website-2