Heys extend unbeaten run with draw at Longridge

By Rick Barrett

A seventy fifth minute strike by Dean Ing was enough to secure a 2-2 draw for Longridge Town against Prestwich Heys in an enthralling and incident packed contest at the Recycling Lives ground on Saturday.

This was a tale of two in form sides, the hosts with only one defeat in the last six and Heys were undefeated in the last eight league games and buoyed by two new signings in the week of defender Matty Willams, arriving from Bury and midfielder Ryley Smith, arriving after a spell in the USA.

It was the home side first to show in the third minute with Morgan Homson-Smith bringing an early save from Heys keeper Jordan Hadlow, but Heys were quickly down the other end with Connor Berry shooting wide. In the eleventh minute full back Nathan Emery had the ball in the net but referee Sam Oldfield controversially ruled offside and it would not be the last time he would be at the centre of the action during the course of the day.

Heys pressed and it was Matt Davies down the right on seventeen minutes knocking a dangerous cross to the six-yard box, but no one could reach out to steer it home.

It was skipper Aaron Chalmers next to show with an adventurous effort from forty yards easily saved by keeper Kier Barry but as Heys pressed it was Longridge who broke the deadlock on thirty two minutes when Mitchell Marshall was put through and fired past Hadlow from twelve yards to put the hosts in front. In the aftermath Heys midfielder Brad Sixsmith was sin binned for ten minutes for something said to the referee and Heys manager Lee O'Brien was shown a red card in the dugout for the second game in a row.

Prestwich rallied and Davies it was again, knocking a great ball over to Berry who brought a save from the home keeper Barry and shortly before half time Town's Paul Turner and Heys Emery tangled, both getting a yellow card and a sin bin for the Heys man.

Longridge could have gone further ahead on the stroke of half time when a deep cross came in, but no one could get on the end of it.

So, 1-0 to the hosts at the break and the teams came out for the second half to see the weather had turned and in a torrential downpour Heys put the hosts to task with a devastating spell of play to turn this game around.

It started on fifty-two minutes when a ball looped over the top found Connor Berry twenty yards out and with keeper Barry running out to close down Berry picked his moment and smashed it home for the equaliser.

The visitors’ tails were up now and they were in front just two minutes later. It was great work by the debutant Matty Williams who charged down the right and looked to have run out of room, but he managed to cross to the on running Matt Davies who clipped it past Barry from an awkward angle to but Prestwich in front, much to the joy of the large away following in the crowd.

The next twenty minutes were a tight tussle as Rio Clegg replaced Jack Coop and Greg Daniels replaced Kyle Jacobs to freshen it up for Heys and they were on the wrong end of a couple of offside decisions, much to the frustration of players and fans alike. And this frustration got worse with fifteen minutes to go as a poor back pass put Heys keeper Hadlow in trouble and in nipped Dean Ing to make it all square again at 2-2 only moments after Matt Davies had just rattled the post for Prestwich.

The game was put on hold for a lengthy stoppage for Heys Chalmers who got up gripping his chest and he was replaced by Darcy O'Connor shortly after, while Ryley Smith made his Heys debut replacing Connor Berry.

The end of the game was a tight affair and late on it was Smith who put Clegg through, but he was thwarted by the two home centre halves who kicked the ball to safety. As the game was reaching its conclusion it was sub O'Connor next in the sin bin for something said and as the final whistle blew words were said between players and referee Oldfield and substitute Clegg was shown a red card.

So, a frustrating day for Heys as they had worked so hard to turn this game around but a lapse in concentration at a key moment in the game meant a share of the spoils instead of all three points. Having said this, they are now nine games unbeaten in the league and are very handily placed in the table with games in hand on all around them.

Team: Jordan Hadlow, Matty Williams, Nathan Emery, Regan Brown, Jacob Ngoy, Aaron Chalmers (Capt.), Connor Berry, Kyle Jacobs, Jack Coop, Brad Sixsmith, Matt Davies Subs: Russ Saunders, Darcy O’Connor (for Chalmers 88 mins), Rio Clegg (for Coop 61 mins), Greg Daniels (for Jacobs 70 mins), Ryley Snith (for Berry 86 mins)