Photographs by kind permission of Paul Moran
A late strike from substitute Tyler James completed an impressive four goal second half burst in a 5-2 win for Prestwich Heys against Lower Breck at the Anfield Community Sports Centre on Saturday.
Heys were looking to bounce back from a surprise defeat by Parkgate FC in the FA vase the previous week while the hosts were looking for a response after a 3-2 defeat at West Didsbury &Chorlton in the week.
Prestwich welcomed back Regan Brown and Matt Davies to the starting line up but it was Jack Coop first to show having a shot blocked in the ninth minute and Brad Sullivan who had the ball in the net with a header a minute later after a lovely cross by Saidkhon Khamidov but the linesman flagged for offside.
Breck responded on sixteen minutes with a cross on the left just eluding Daniel Mckenna and going across the face of the goal as the opening exchanges were end to end and a sign this was going to be an entertaining game.
It was the hosts coming close again on twenty minutes and a shot bringing a great save from Heys keeper Jordan Hadlow and soon after Coop had a great chance for Heys with a header wide of the far post.
The visitors were now upping a gear and on thirty one minutes a shot from eight yards from Greg Daniels brought a terrific save from Breck keeper Theo Roberts down at the far post turning it out to safety.
Heys pressure told and the deadlock was broken on thirty seven minutes a ball finding the in form Matt Davies who made no mistake firing bottom right past a despairing Roberts to put Prestwich one up.
Keeper Roberts nearly had the home side in big trouble shortly before the break mis cueing a clearance straight to Daniels thirty yards out but his lobbed shot went over the bar to safety, shortly after Connor Berry headed over the bar as the referee blew for half time.
So, 1-0 to Heys at the break who were looking more dangerous as the half went on but the pace of the Lower Breck attack had to be monitored closely and the home side were first to show for the second half bringing another save from Hadlow at the far post.
Heys soon replied though and went further in front on fifty one minutes when great work on the left from Connor Berry found striker Coop eight yards out who blasted his shot bottom right past Roberts for 2-0.
Coop had another great chance on the hour at the far post but the flag was up again for offside and back came the hosts shooting wide shortly after as they struggled to cope with this Heys side visibly growing in confidence by the minute and it was soon 3-0 on 65 minutes Davies again turning and shooting bottom left to the joy of the visiting support.
Worse was to follow for Breck five minutes later as substitute Anthony Walsh went in with Heys Brad Sullivan for a challenge with the Heys man coming off worse and the referee decided he had seen enough to give Walsh his marching orders with a straight red card putting the hosts down to ten men.
Heys management team decided to make some changes Brad Sixsmith, Kayle Power and Tyler James all entering the fray for Sullivan, Daniels and Coop and on seventy Six minutes the lively Connor Berry brought another save from Breck keeper Roberts .
Heys were now in total control and were rewarded again on eighty five minutes, Berry again on the right knocking a peach of a ball onto the glancing head of Sixsmith who made no mistake connecting into the bottom left of the net for 4-0 much to the delight of the player and his team mates.
This was the cue for a frantic final few minutes as we entered into seven minutes of injury time Breck pulled one back, an absolute corker of a strike from Thomas Mcnamara on the right firing pinpoint from twenty five yards top left giving Hadlow no chance for 4-1.
Back came Heys though and it was a lovely three man move starting with Sixsmith then Berry who put Tyler James through firing past Roberts for 5-1 and just as you thought that was it, the home side grabbed another in the dying embers of the ninety sixth minute a shot on the left from substitute Aaqil Campbell ending the scoring for the day as the referee blew for full time.
So, this latest win made it five league wins in a row and also ended a poor run of results on Merseyside in recent times which on this display is now long forgotten because make no mistake, this was an impressive ninety minutes, and with games in hand on all of the teams above them in the league if they keep this up they will be right in the mix very soon, it is very exciting times for Prestwich Heys under the leadership of Lee O'Brien and James Hampson.