PRESTWICH HEYS 0 ATHERTON LR
SATURDAY 17TH JANUARY 2026 NW COUNTIES PREMIER DIVISION ATT:209
Report by Paul Thomason

It was a frustrating afternoon at Adie Moran Park as Prestwich Heys’ first home fixture for four weeks ended goalless against Atherton LR.

The teams came into the game separated by a point in the table with the visitors on forty points and Heys on thirty-nine, both from twenty-five games. It was a closeness that was reflected throughout a hard-fought game. In the first half, the teams could not be separated as they went toe to toe. After the break Heys upped the ante and applied real pressure late on after LR were reduced to ten men but despite their best efforts they could not force a winner.

Clear-cut chances were at a premium in a tight first half, with both defences on top and neither side able to find any real rhythm going forward.
The first opening came after six minutes when a Prestwich free kick from the left was met by Louis Holt, but his header drifted over the bar.

The visitors’ first meaningful effort arrived on twenty-one minutes when Daniel Lenehan struck a shot just over the bar from the edge of the area after Heys failed to fully clear their lines.

At the other end, some neat interplay between Rob Worrall and Takura Sambizi on the half-hour mark ended with a cross onto the head of James Badrock, though his effort was straight at the goalkeeper.

In the 40th minute, a little spell from LR ended with a low shot from the edge of the area from Joe Bacon, but Heys keeper Lee White gathered comfortably. Although there was plenty of endeavour on show from both teams and the battle for supremacy absorbing, it was proving a half low on thrills for the 209 crowd.

With little to separate the sides at the break, Heys once again showed signs of life after half-time, continuing a familiar trend from this season. Just two minutes into the second half, Holt saw a shot blocked before David Badrock was unable to make contact at the far post from the resulting corner.

As the half wore on, Heys began to enjoy more possession and looked the side increasingly likely to find a breakthrough.

A Luke-for-Luke substitution saw Byron replace Mann, and the former was quickly involved, cutting inside on seventy minutes, before firing a comfortable effort at Atherton goalkeeper Joe Bickerstaff.

Then, a minute later, a superb cross from Bryson Appleton picked out Holt, whose diving header from just inside the penalty area, was saved at the second attempt.

The momentum swung further in Heys’ favour two minutes later when Atherton were reduced to ten men. Joshua Eccles was shown a second yellow card after hauling down Sambizi as he threatened to break away, giving the hosts a golden opportunity to push for a winner.

Alfie Belcher was introduced with six minutes remaining and almost made an instant impact, striking from just outside the area but alas narrowly wide.

Urged on by the home support Heys continued to press and the best chance of the match arrived in the final minute of normal time when Louis Hutchinson’s corner found the head of James Badrock, only for Bickerstaff to produce a brilliant save, leaping high to claw the ball from under the bar and deny what looked a certain winner.

Seven minutes of added time followed, but despite sustained pressure, including another couple of corners, Heys were unable to fashion a decisive moment, and both sides ultimately had to settle for a point.

So, the one-point gap between the sides remained as before the game, and with so little to choose between them it will be interesting to see how things pan out when the teams meet again at Atherton on Tuesday night.

TEAM: Lee White, Joe Camozzi, Louie Hutchinson, James Badrock, David Badrock, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Bryson Appleton, Robert Worrall, Louis Holt, Luke Mann, Takura Sambizi, Subs; Alistair Bracken (for D. Badrock 60 mins), Joshua Tinker, Luke Byron (for Mann 60 mins), Alfie Carmichael, Alfie Belcher (for Camozzi 84 mins)