By Rick Barrett
Premier league side Penistone's Andy Ring was the hero after scoring the winning penalty in a 5-4 shoot out v Prestwich Heys after an action packed 2-2 draw at the Memorial Ground yesterday in the FA Vase first qualifying round.
After a mixed bag of results pre season for Heys everything was geared to this first competitive fixture of the season and the visitors were buoyed earlier in the week with the re signing from Trafford of wing starlet Will Shawcross who started on the bench.
After a frantic start Penistone were first out of the blocks when in the sixth minute a corner over from the right floated into the box to Andy Ring who rose above the Heys defence to fire a header past Russ Saunders from close range.
The visitors came fighting back with Alfie Belcher starting to pull the strings in the middle and saw a shot well saved from 18 yards by Penistone keeper Chris Snaith and three minutes later Snaith was in action again after another save from Belcher.
Sadly for Heys the fifteenth minute saw midfielder Max White limp off but the Heys contingent gave a loud cheer by the return of the earlier mentioned Will Shawcross.
As the half went on Heys were really starting to find a groove using the pace of Shawcross, Nathan Strong and Jamie Hill which the home side were struggling to cope with.
The twenty third minute saw Shawcross fire a rasping shot from twenty yards that rattled the cross bar with keeper Snaith beaten then on the half hour mark Heys had a massive shout for a penalty when Jamie Hill was brought down on the left but the referee waved play on.
More pressure in the 41st minute when Heys were awarded a free kick with Hill again being brought down on the left the resulting kick again came to Will Shawcross who fired over.
So 1-0 to Penistone at the break but Heys had been the better side and one sensed with a bit of luck to go with the hard work they could turn this around.
Into the second half and in the forty seventh minute Heys were awarded a penalty after striker Jack Coop was brought down in the box and duly converted the spot kick to make it all square at 1-1.
Back came Penistone though on the hour and unfortunately for Prestwich it was a carbon copy of the first goal as a corner over from the right this time was met in the box by centre half Brett Lovell who headed past Saunders to put Penistone 2-1 up.
The game now ebbed and flowed and Heys were rewarded another penalty in the 68th minute after a hand ball and Jack Coop again converted the spot kick to the delight of the travelling contingent.
Drama for Penistone soon after as keeper Chris Snaith went off injured after a long delay replaced by Adam Rhodes.
Chances in the last fifteen minutes were few and far between in the closing stages but Heys pace continued with winger Nial Sultan on as a substitute, making a couple of menacing runs to put the home defences nerves on edge.
But Penistone held on for a final score of 2-2 and so with no extra time in the FA Vase this season it was straight to the lottery of a penalty shoot out.
The quality of the first six penalties was of a very high standard from both sides with Shawcross, Rothwell and Coop taking it to 3-3 but unfortunately for the visitors Alfie Belcher's kick was saved by substitute keeper Adam Rhodes to the delight of the home crowd.
James Dwyer's kick made it 4-4 and it was down to Andy Ring to finish it for Penistone and he fired confidently past Heys keeper Russ Saunders to end Heys interest in the competition for this season.
So many positives to take from this game against a higher ranked side and Heys manager Matt Barnes took to social media after the game to say he was 'proud' of his players efforts, and rightly so, on this evidence Prestwich Heys will equip themselves extremely well when the North West Counties Division one North starts away at Daisy Hill on 3rd October.
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