Heys Great Escape complete despite defeat at Longridge

The Great Escape was complete for Prestwich Heys despite falling to a sixty first minute goal from Liam Atkinson at Longridge Town On Saturday who had keeper Kier Barry to thank keeping the visitors at bay in an superb display.

Heys came into this one all but safe, three points in front of second bottom Colne with a plus thirteen goal difference while the hosts were on a poor run of seven defeats and a draw in the last eight games and hadn't scored a goal since 1st March.

It was a tight opening exchange in which Heys winger Takura Sambizi was first to show on the left  crossing in the eighth minute but he couldn't find a red shirt to latch on to it.

Back came Longridge on nineteen minutes Matt Van Wyk with a lobbed shot from the edge of the box that hit the bar and bounced to safety but it was the visitors increasing the pressure, mainly midfielder Alfie Belcher testing Ridge keeper Kier Barry with a shot from outside of the box on twenty two minutes and again two minutes later with a shot cleared for a corner.

Max Bardsley-Rowe was in the action on twenty seven minutes crossing on the right but Sambizi could not get on the end of it and Ben Trafford headed wide for the hosts shortly after.

It was a huge moment in the game on thirty four minutes and a superb double save from Barry denying a Connor Martin header from six yards and again point blank for the follow up, and from the resulting corner another save from a header by Alistair Bracken.

As the half drew to a close Bardsley-Rowe brought yet another save from Barry firing in on the left and the visitors could not break this wall of steel in the Longridge goal.

So it was goalless at the break and both teams struggled to get a grip in the second half, the first chance came to  the hosts Liam Atkinson firing over a Ryan Mclean cross  on fifty six minutes and shortly after Sambizi crossed for Bardsley-Rowe to fire and bring yet another save from Barry and one started to

Sense this may not be Prestwich Heys day as on sixty one minutes Longridge went in front.

It was an Atkinson shot that hit the post but he headed in the rebound past Heys keeper Harry Allen to the despair of the large contingent of Heys fans behind the opposite goal.

Heys made several substitutions and pushed forward, and had a great chance on eighty minutes Connor Martin clean through down the middle but Barry was at hand again to save his shot from six yards.

Bardsley-Rowe who had a busy afternoon fired over shortly after and substitute Lee Grimshaw brought another save from Barry from six yards out and as the game drew to a close fellow sub Bryson Appleton saw a cross blocked by the Longridge keeper which was the last action of the day.

So, a frustrating day for Heys chances were created but they could not find a way past the home keeper who was the undoubted star of the day.

With Colne winning 2-1 at home to Abbey Hey it meant Prestwich only stayed up on goal difference finishing level on points,but the job was done.

At the turn of the year Heys were bottom eight points behind Colne and ten behind Squires Gate, it has been a massive achievement By Ryan Hutchinson, his coaching team,players and everyone behind the scenes to turn that around and complete the great escape something which the the players and fans celebrated long into the night knowing they will go again in the North West Counties Premier League next season.