A strike by on the stroke of half time from Callum Nicholas was enough to secure victory for an impressive Prestwich Heys at the Neuven Stadium Radcliffe against Bury AFC in the local Derby on Wednesday night.
Heys who came into this one in confident mood after beating Charnock Richard 4-1 at the weekend and with the home side unbeaten this season this was always going to be a mouth-watering clash.
The nights proceedings started with a minute's applause to ex Bury player Lenny Johnrose who sadly passed away earlier in the week.
The hosts started brightly, with winger Lewis Gilboy on the right who cut inside but couldn't get a shot on goal then went down in the box but the referee waved play on and it was soon Heys in the driving seat when a corner from the left was floated in the box finding winger Dylan Fitzgerald who rose above everyone to head home at the far post past Bury keeper Jack Atkinson to put them one up.
Prestwich started to press and take control of the midfield with Connor Berry, Vincent Howell and Callum Nicholas driving them forward and eyebrows were raised on twenty minutes when Bury number nine Ben Wharton went of injured to be replaced Jack Coop the former Heys striker who bagged 34 goals last season.
Chances on goal were limited as both teams battled hard and Heys were dealt a blow on thirty-five minutes when midfielder Darcy O'Connor limped off replaced by Kai Haigh.
Haigh was straight into the action just after, floating a corner over from the left but this time no one could get on the end of it but Heys were now looking strong and on forty-four minutes danger man Connor Berry got the ball on the right and blasted a shot just wide of Atkinson's post from eighteen yards.
Due to injuries the referee signalled five minutes of added time and it was Heys in full flow Berry again got the ball on the right beating two Bury defenders before finding Callum Nicholas in the middle who shot low from 12 yards which went in off the left-hand post to put Prestwich 2-0 up and send the travelling fans into dreamland.
So, the half time whistle as blown with Heys in a deserved lead and Bury with it all to do in the second half and true enough the home side were quickly out of the blocks after the interval with Heys captain Aaron Chalmers clearing a chance off the line.
Ten minutes later Nicholas fired high over the bar for Heys which was a breakaway chance as Bury pressed but without making many threats on goal and you sensed the visitors were comfortable especially at the back with centre halves Chalmers and Misambo in commanding form supported by full backs Emery and Ngoy.
With twenty minutes to go Fitzgerald hit a twenty-yard kick which Bury keeper Atkinson saved to his left and back came Bury on eighty minutes with a dipping shot from thirty yards caught by Heys keeper Russ Saunders, but as the hosts piled forward Heys broke with two minutes to go and it was Berry on the left who launched a shot from twenty five yards saved brilliantly by Atkinson tipping the ball round the post for a corner.
Image by Andy Murray
As Bury's challenge faded the referee blew for full time and the Heys players quickly ran over to the large visiting contingent in the crowd to celebrate a fully deserved win, derby day glory and make no mistake this was a massive statement to the rest of the league that Prestwich Heys can be a force to be reckoned with in this long campaign and joint managers Lee O'Brien and James Hampson will be keen to make sure this current form continues because if it does who knows what the season may bring for this team?.