Report by Rick Barrett
Pictures by Bethany Lee

It was seventh heaven for Prestwich Heys on Tuesday night as an injury time goal from winger Bryson Appleton completed a 7-0 rout against struggling City of Liverpool at the Community Stadium in Burscough.

Heys came into this one after a 1-1 draw at fellow mid table side Longridge town on Saturday, while Liverpool was on a sixteen-game losing streak and sat second bottom of the table after a narrow 3-2 defeat to relegation rivals Abbey Hey.

The visitors were straight out of the blocks in the second minute with Dre Taylor firing past the far post and they continued to press and on seventeen minutes a Luke Findlow free kick from the edge of the box was cleared.

Heys were camped in the Liverpool half, and it was no surprise on twenty-four minutes when they took the lead. A lovely cross field ball from Jace Osborne found Appleton on the right whose deflected shot found the back of the net past Liverpool keeper Bayleigh Passant for 1-0.

Winger Takura Sambizi had a shot blocked and cleared shortly after, before Heys went further ahead on thirty-two minutes in bizarre fashion. When a corner, on the left, into a crowded goalmouth found recent signing Matt Smyth whose shot looped over everyone and in off the far post for his first goal for the club.

Heys onslaught showed no signs of letting up and two minutes later they were further in front. A Dre Taylor shot was blocked and found Luke Byron, eight yards out, who fired past Passant into the top right corner for the visitors third.

Appleton and Sambizi were lightning down the flanks, and both saw chances cleared in the closing stages of a half in which the hosts could not cope with this hungry Prestwich side, and they were glad to hear the half time whistle with the score at 3-0.

City of Liverpool came out for the second half and tried to make in roads, their first chance of the game came on fifty minutes with a shot over the bar, but four minutes later Heys added their fourth goal. Great work on the right from Appleton ended with his cross finding striker Kamoy McNair who made no mistake from six yards to score his first goal for the club, following his recent arrival from Wythenshawe.

McNair almost added to his tally shortly after firing back in a cleared shot from Sambizi and bringing a save from Passant.

Heys manager Ryan Hutchinson started to bring on substitutions with the game seemingly won.
It was one of those substitutions, Louis Holt who increased the visitors lead on seventy-three minutes, running onto a lovely through ball in the middle to slot home number five.

Prestwich continued to play with determination, looking confident, retaining the ball well and on eighty-four minutes it was Holt again, with a clear spring in his step, heading home Heys sixth after great work down the right by Joe Camozzi.

Holt missed the chance of a hat-trick a minute from time when a poor back pass came his way eight yards out, but he put his shot wide of the post.

Prestwich completed the misery for Liverpool on ninety-three minutes, and it was Appleton again six yards out, firing past Passant for the seventh goal and the final action of the evening.

So, a great win for Heys, that was every bit as emphatic as it sounds, against a City of Liverpool side who had no answer to this attacking performance. What was most impressive was the determination to win and at no point did Heys ever ease off or let the hosts get back into the game and they will go into Saturday’s game at home to Stockport Town brimming with confidence.

TEAM: Kyle Haslam, Joe Camozzi, Luke Findlow, Matt Smyth, Jace Osborne, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Bryson Appleton, Luke Byron, Kamoy McNair, Luke Mann, Takura Sambizi, Subs: Josh Tinker (for Byron 63 mins) , Louis Holt (for McNair 63 mins), Louie Hutchinson (for Osborne 58 mins), Mworina Doro (for Sambizi 58 mins), Lucas Bancroft (for Mann 68 mins)