PRESTWICH HEYS 2 PILKINGTON 0
TUESDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2025 NW COUNTIES PREMIER DIVISION ATT:165
Report by Stephen Howard
Pictures by Bethany Lee

Prestwich Heys impressive League form continued with this 2-0 victory over Pilkington at Adie Moran Park on Tuesday night.

After Saturdays last gasp Macron Cup knockout at Ramsbottom, there was no sign of any hangover from Ryan Hutchinson’s side as they dominated the game throughout with some impressive football and the margin of victory could have been greater as they hit the post and bar on three separate occasions.

Both sides spent last season in a relegation battle, but they have made starts to the current campaign that suggest there will be no such threat this time around. Indeed, the opening exchanges were tight as both sides tested each other out, having sights of goal but without troubling the goalkeepers.

The first chance of note came in the 14th minute as a great move by Heys involving Bryson Appleton, Louis Holt and Dre Taylor ended with the latter’s shot being pushed round the post by Pilkington keeper Jack McGovern.

Heys went even closer a minute later when after a bout of head tennis in the penalty area the ball fell to Holt whose flick shot came off the post.

As the home side upped the ante, McGovern was called into action again in the 20th minute when Takura Sambizi found space on the edge of the area but saw his shot pushed to safety.

Pilkington, who had arrived sitting eighth in the table and joint second highest scorers showed their threat in the 24th minute when top scorer Ryan Beigan broke into the box but a great last-ditch challenge by Heys Captain James Badrock saw his shot deflected wide.

On the back of Rob Worrall and Josh Tinker’s midfield promptings Heys began to turn the screw. In the space of three minutes Holt was denied by McGovern and then saw two shots flash wide.

The visitors went close themselves in the 39th minute with a shot into the side netting but it proved only a brief respite.

In the 40th minute, from a corner, Appleton saw a header come off the bar and moments later, after a Luke Byron shot had been parred, Holt’s follow up came off the post.

When McGovern then denied Luke Findlow at the foot of the post on the stroke of half time the home crowd were left to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights, particularly as Pilkington had carried a threat on the counter attack.

However, within seven minutes of the restart Heys began to allay any such fears as they took the lead. Some patient play around the box culminated in Sambizi pulling the ball back from the left and Taylor finished superbly with a low shot from 12 yards into the bottom corner.

The goal ironically signalled the visitors best spell of the match as they pushed for an equaliser to give Heys some nervous moments. Worrall looked to ease any anxiety in the 70th minute as he whipped a great ball into the penalty area, but it eluded any of his teammates and the far post.

Nonetheless, it signalled a fresh assault on the Pilkington goal and Heys doubled their advantage in the 74th minute. A fantastic surging run by Taylor, who had been superb throughout, culminated in him squaring for Sambizi to fire home from twelve yards.

With a two-goal cushion Heys rang the changes, using all five substitutes, and one of those Alfie Belcher was soon in the mix with a great dribble ending with a shot McGovern saved with his legs before he then saw a shot blocked.

Another of the substitutes, Mworina Doro then carved the visitors defence open to tee up Appleton, but his shot was blocked on the line.

The final whistle sounded shortly after to bring to an end a find performance from Heys who could have scored several more on the back of some great football but make no mistake this was a commanding & comprehensive victory as they made it sixteen points from their last six games.

TEAM: Lee White, Luke Byron, Luke Findlow, James Badrock (Capt.), David Badrock, Joshua Tinker, Bryson Appleton, Robert Worrall, Louis Holt, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Takura Sambizi Subs: Joseph Camozzi (for Byron 65 mins), Alfie Belcher (for Taylor 75 mins), Mworina Doro (for Sambizi 75 mins), Jace Osborne (for Findlow 83 mins), Lucas Bancroft (for Worrall 77 mins)