A thirty eighth minute Penalty from Jamie Walsh was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Stockport Town against Prestwich Heys at the Stockport Sports Village on Monday night.
Heys came into this one on the back of four straight defeats and without a goal the last two while Stockport were in confident mood after putting six past in form AFC Liverpool on Saturday.
As the sun set the game kicked off, it was a tight opening fifteen minutes and Heys suffered an early blow when goalkeeper Louis Hood went down with what we now know to be a fractured cheekbone and left the field of play. As a result, and with no goalkeeper on the bench centre half Nathan Bartram-Conway went in goal with Kian Sharples replacing him at the back.
It was Heys who had the first chance down the left on twenty five minutes with Noah Inneh shooting wide of the near post followed by great work by Gabriel Mooney-Munoz beating two men and finding Jordan Southworth who shot over the bar from twelve yards.
Heys were in control at this point as Inneh again fired wide but back came Stockport with Paul Turnbull headed over as the hosts tried to get back in it and on thirty eight minutes went in front, Ethan Padden was brought down and the referee David Chisnall awarded a penalty which was converted by Jamie Walsh for 1-0 against the run of play.
Back came Heys and Southworth brought a terrific save from Town keeper Cain O'Shea and Heys did have the ball in the net just before half time when Kyle Preece hammered home but the referee blew for offside.
So Stockport in front at the break but it was Prestwich again with the first chance after the interval when Southworth bringing another save from O'Shea who parried out and the ball came back in to Regan Jarrett who fired wide.
It was Stockport's turn to have a spell in the game, Shay Stansfield making a vital clearance on 58 minutes and Turnbull bringing a terrific save from makeshift keeper Bartram-Conway just after.
Heys responded though on sixty one minutes when a free kick was whipped in on the left finding the head of Fitzgerald but the ball just glanced past the far post, it was a big moment in the game.
Prestwich pressed forward again with Mooney finding substitute Dahou on the right who clipped a cross in but no one could get on the end of it.
The home side were keeping Heys alert and it was Turnbull again, this time hitting the post from twenty yards and he completed a busy night on seventy eight minutes when a rash challenge on Heys substitute Luc Ferry resulted in a second yellow card and Town were down to ten men.
Heys were going for the jugular shortly after and a lovely move saw Fitzgerald put Preece clean through but he his shot straight at the keeper when he looked set to score.
Dahou was next to show down the right crosses in, its a goalmouth scramble that Stockport just manage to clear, it was all Heys now and with two minutes to go came the games most controversial moment as Luc Ferry was tripped in the box, referee Chisnall pauses and goes over to his linesman to ask his opinion, and the yellow card is shown to Ferry for a dive. It was a decision that incensed the Heys players and the travelling support who were stood right by the incident.
Five additional minutes were added and Mooney had the last throw of the dice bringing a save from O'Shea from twelve yards but again it wasn't to be for the visitors.
So its four defeats in a row for Prestwich Heys who, as often this season deserved something from this game you cannot fault the effort and determination, creating chances is not a problem but the lack of firepower in front of goal is costing them dear and are now goalless in the last three games, this issue will need a solution if they are to climb the table anytime soon.
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