HEYS RUN RIOT IN COLNE CUP SHOCKER
It was ten days since Prestwich Heys last fixture but this was still fresh in the memory after the manor of the disappointing league defeat at home to Daisy Hill.Fans travelled to this Lancashire League Cup quarter final against Nothern Premier Division 1 side Colne FC in hope more than expectation and were the underdogs in this one.
After a 15 minute delay to the kick off the teams took to the pitch on a cold misty Tuesday night and the first noticeable thing was a change in formation as the teams lined up Heys were to start with a refreshing 3-5-2 formation
Heys started brightly especially Jamie Sinnott who was playing in a new roll as right wing back and was getting some early joy pressing forward with striker Francesco Frangillo looking lively in the box.Heys first chance was a shot from Rio Wilson Heyes on eleven minutes who's eighteen yard shot from the left flew just wide of the right hand post.
It was clear to see though Colne would be a tough test and were playing at a fantastic pace and took the lead on seventeen minutes with the simplest of goals a corner from the left found the head of Hazeldine unmarked eight yards out and the ball flew into the bottom right past Heys Keeper Russ Saunders.
The away side were unperturbed by this and had a shout for a penalty turned down by the referee on 21 minutes for a handball on the edge of the box.
Back came Colne on twenty three minutes when a lovely ball over from the left resulted in a header with Saunders saving from close range and signs at this point that this game was turning into a cracking ent to end game.
So with Heys pressing, the equaliser came on twenty five minutes and a quality goal it was. Sinnott who was winning almost every challenge down the flank at this point intercepted and floated the ball over to the left finding Francesco Frangillo who ran eighteen yards cutting inside and made no mistake shooting bottom right for his first goal for the club.
Both teams battling for the upper hand now with Dom Slaven a welcome return for Heys showing his class in the middle of the park and more joy was to come just before half time when a quick thinking free kick by Max White found Mark Ayres who put a dangerous cross right across the goal line enabling Jacob Holt to stab the ball home for 2-1 to the visitors and no more than they deserved in this excellent cup tie.
So after a half time Bovril on this cold night the teams fought a close first opening 15 minutes of the second half Wilson Heys having a shot saved by the keeper from 20 yards.
It was a moment in the 62nd minute that was to be the game changer when Colne fired in a fierce shot from eighteen yards brilliantly saved by Heys keeper Russ Saunders. From this point Heys raised the bar and when Jordan Pendlebury was brought down in the box referee made no mistake in pointing to the spot and Max White hammered home the penalty bottom left for 3-1 to the visitors.
Colne were not done though making it 3-2 on 69 minutes with a looping header into the left corner of Saunders goal Coveney the scorer and the hosts were now looking for a grandstand finish.
But Heys were now in full flow with substitute Zack Dale on for Frangillo to freshen up the forward line and were assisted by a big error at the back when confusion between the Colne keeper and the centre half enabled Rio Wilson Heyes to nip between them and slot the ball home from eighteen yards sending the travelling twenty one Heys fans into dreamland on 85 minutes.
Heys never looked back and with Colne pushing forward Dale got the ball on the right wing in the dying moments and crossed the ball to Wilson Heyes again at the far post to tap in for an impressive final scoreline of 5-2.
Managers John Lyons and Matt Barnes will be pleased with how this refreshing 3-5-2 change in formation made a difference but it was also very much about the massive response from the players who worked tirelessly throughout after two disappointing league defeats and confidence low.
The one game I wished I’d gone to.