Two goals from Captain Thomas Moore were enough for Bury to see off Prestwich Heys at Gigg Lane on Boxing Day in an eye-catching fixture in front of a crowd of 4833, the highest ever attendance for a North West Counties game.

Heys came into this one fresh after beating Lower Breck 2-1 ten days ago while Bury had drawn 2-2 at Burscough on Saturday and the visitors included new signing winger Gabriel Mooney-Munoz, who arrived from 1874 Northwich earlier in the week.

Bury were quickest out of the blocks in the ninth minute when Andy Briggs ran in on goal and tried to square the ball to on running Andy Scarisbrick but Heys managed to clear to safety.

Prestwich, while defending well were struggling to get forward while the hosts pressed on, and on twenty-six minutes they went in front when a corner on the left found the head of Thomas Moore, six yards out, who made no mistake in putting it past Jordan Hadlow to put his side 1-0 up.

Heys Captain Aaron Chalmers was on duty on thirty minutes making a terrific tackle as Briggs was running in on goal as the home side looked to add to the scoreline whilst at the same time defending resolutely, keeping Heys dangerous forwards of ex Bury player Greg Daniels and Matt Davies in check. Winger Ryley Smith did try to break Bury down with a couple of runs and crosses which resulted in corners but Heys ended the half without any shots on goal as the home side led at half time.

Heys needed to find something after the break and started it with the attacking mindset that has worked so well for them all season and gained an early corner finding Connor Brotherton whose shot from 18 yards went just wide.

The visitors were now starting to find some rhythm with Matt Davies, shooting from 20 yards on fifty three minutes, bringing a save from Bury keeper Harry Wright and then there was confusion in the Bury box on fifty eight minutes which nearly ended up in an own goal before the ball was cleared only as far as Heys midfielder Pa Jenkins who fired a shot just wide from twenty yards.

Bury went back down the other and hit the cross bar as the temperature was rising and the game was now turning into the spectacle the large crowd deserved.

Proceedings were halted in the sixty second minute when Heys Brotherton headed for a ten-minute sin bin for a challenge on Gaz Peet which had the home crowd incensed, they wanted a red.

Heys continued to press, Jenkins at the heart of it all pushing his team forward and on seventy-three minutes came a key moment in the game as substitute Brad Sullivan, who had just come on, was upended in the box. The large contingent of over 250 Heys fans were screaming for a penalty but the referee, who was right on the spot, waved play on.

Just three minutes later Bury were controversially awarded a free kick, as arguably a foul should have been given to Prestwich in the same passage of play, but it was Moore again who bent the ball around the Heys, wall catching out keeper Hadlow, as the ball headed into the bottom right-hand corner for 2-0.

Things got even more frustrating for Prestwich on seventy-eight minutes as another big penalty shout for hand ball not given, incensing the travelling support, but Heys kept pressing as Jenkins fired was denied by a fine fingertip save on eighty-three minutes as they kept up the fight.

Bury rallied as substitute Sam Burns dragged a shot wide of the far post late on and they managed to see out the eight minutes of injury time to claim victory.

So, a difficult day for Prestwich Heys who showed the team that they can be in the second half, and were on the wrong end of some controversial refereeing decisions but with just three league defeats in eighteen games they will quickly forget about this one as they are still well in the play off mix and move on to the next fixture at home to Colne on Saturday 30th December.

TEAM: Jordan Hadlow, Jacob Ngoy, Jack McConnell, Pa Jenkins, Nathan Bartram-Conway, Aaron Chalmers (Capt.), Gabriel Mooney-Munoz, Connor Brotherton, Greg Daniels, Matt Davies, Ryley Smith SUBS: Regan Brown, Nathan Emery, Danny White (for Brotherton 78 mins), Brad Sullivan (for Smith 64 mins), Rio Wilson-Heyes (for Mooney-Munoz 64 mins)