It was an early start for the five of us setting off to Barnoldswick for our first league away day of the season, we boarded the reliable witch way in Prestwich at 950am for a journey over the 'tops' into Burnley (thank you Conrad for saving the day killing that wasp with your newspaper!) and a connecting bus onto Barnoldswick ,we find the Cross Keys pub and catch the Man United v Leeds game.
We decide to walk to the ground and used the tried and tested method of 'asking for directions', none of this google maps for us! and it was a good job we weren't playing on a Tuesday night because if it had we wouldn't have found this place in a million years as it involved walking down a couple of secluded dirt tracks running parallel to peoples back gardens where some of the locals kept....chickens yes lots of chickens, I'm thinking...exactly what is this place we are heading to?.
Barnoldswick Town is a lovely ground and on entry head straight for the clubhouse food section and can honestly say the meat and potato pies are to die for. We grab a beer and although the game didn't go our way (see report below) I stood watching thinking how good it was to be back at it.
One of the reasons for this is the folk you meet at non-league games and an example of this was in the second half with Simon who got chatting to this old guy who claimed he supported Sheffield Wednesday then Deby County and was thinking of going to start watching Barnsley!, basically he had more clubs than Tiger Woods!, a real character he was.
Beers in the clubhouse after the game catching up with the days scores and raising a smile that despite our third league defeat in a row Heys actually moved up a place in the league on goal difference thanks to Charnock Richard walloping Ashton Athletic 9-1!.. and therefore, move off the bottom of the table, cheers guys!.
After visiting a pub called The Pigeon (I think!) we get what is called the 'Wizz Bus' back into Burnley and make the fatal mistake of sitting on the top deck as we soon discover we are on the bus with totally knackered suspension and whilst also going a cracking pace this resembled being on 'the big one' at Blackpool we were thrown around like skittles in a ten pin bowling alley prompting Conrad to say ' I knew Heys were in for a bumpy ride this season but this is ridiculous!'
We got off the bus feeling quite ill and not knowing whether to thank the bus driver or throttle him!, so when you feel ill what do you do?, that's right grab another pint and we headed into the quality establishment called 'The Big Window' in Burnley, basically with this place its party central from the minute it opens at 10am to the minute it close...oh and its cheap!, it's like going back to the 90's in fact, if you know this place, you know it.
The lads are happy as its two bottles of Peroni for a fiver and soon after our table is strewn with empty ones and we were very relaxed after our day's exploits, so relaxed in fact we forgot to check the bus times!, in previous away trips out in Burnley after away days at Nelson we had staggered on to buses at 1130 back to Prestwich without any problem, not any more as the last bus out is 930pm.
(The famous five, Lloyd, Nick, Conrad, Simon and my good self in the Big Window Burnley)
We discover this at 925 after just getting a round and quickly instructed each other to 'neck it' and dart across the road which we did faster than the Wizz Bus I earlier mentioned just making the last departure.
So, an early departure from Burnley meant only one thing, lets pile in the coach and horses for the last hour when we get back, which we did and thus ending another day on the road with the mighty Prestwich Heys, roll on Macclesfield Tuesday night.
MATCH REPORT
Barnoldswick Town 3-1 Prestwich Heys
A 74th minute strike from debutant Oscar Campbell wasn't enough to save Prestwich Heys from a third successive league defeat at against Barnoldswick Town at Greenberfield Lane on Saturday in this latest North West Counties Premier League fixture.
Heys came into this one looking to get the first points on board of the new season after defeat in the previous two league outings and intrigue was around new signing midfielder Oscar Campbell who started on the bench.
The visitors started the brighter and were straight into it on 6 minutes when winger Jamie Hill ran down the left and shot to the right-hand post bringing an early save from Barnoldswick keeper Jordan Gidley.
More pressure on 20 minutes saw Heys full back Nathan Emery shoot over the bar after great work by Jack Coop and so it was with surprise a couple of minutes later when a mistake down the right found Town found recent signing from Longridge Town, striker Paul Turner whose shot from 12 yards flew past Heys keeper Russ Saunders into the net.
The home side pressed forward and got control of the midfield and were soon 2-0 up when on 29 minutes when Paul Turner hit a hopeful shot from the edge of the 18 yard box took a huge deflection of Heys centre half Anthony Potts and looped over Saunders into the net and unfortunately for Potts this was credited as an own goal after the game.
Heys struggling to get possession for any length of time for the remainder of the first half but had a bright moment just before the break when the lively Jamie Hill was flying down the left and crossed into the box but Town keeper Gidley.
So 2-0 to the home side at the break and Heys manager Matt Barnes made changes which saw the new signing Campbell replace Ryan Shenton and Prestwich were straight into the action and on 51 minutes a wonderful defence splitting pass on the left from Nathan Emery found Anthony Hall on the right but he fumbled his shot with the home keeper running out to claim the ball.
Emery having a lively afternoon was at the heart of it again on 59 minutes finding striker Jack Coop who's shot from 18 yards was saved by Gidley and with Heys in the ascendancy Jamie Hill was again in the action a couple of minutes later bringing another save from the home keeper.
Heys at this point were playing some good football but in a mirror image of the first half when on top ended up with them going further behind on the hour when recent defensive frailties resurfaced and a high ball down the middle wasn't cut out and again finding Paul Turner who hammered the ball past Russ Saunders from 18 yards.
The visitors tried hard to get back into it and were rewarded on 74 minutes when Oscar Campbell seized the ball in the middle and blasted a great shot past Jordan Gidley for 3-1 and Heys continued to battle with Coop and midfielder Brad Sixsmith both missing chances.
Barnoldswick nearly made it four late on when striker Ben Ashton was put clean through down the left with a lovely ball from midfield but Heys keeper Saunders came out to make a great save and with that the referee blew the final whistle with Prestwich Heys still searching for the first league win but did show signs that things will soon improve if defensive mistakes are reduced.