A goal from Alex Maitland six minutes into injury time rescued a point for the Isle of Man against Prestwich Heys at The Bowl on Sunday leaving Heys in deep trouble at the foot of the North West Counties Premier League table.
Prestwich without a win in six were looking for a response after losing 2-1 at home to Burscough the week before while the hosts had fought out a 3-3 draw with Pilkington just 24 hours earlier as a result of this fixture being canceled in December because of bad weather.
So it was no surprise that Heys started the brighter on four minutes when Alfie Belcher had a shot deflected for a corner and were ahead on fourteen minutes when winger Takura Sambizi darted down the left and his cross found Lee Grimshaw three yards out who slotted past Ravens keeper Adam Killey to put the visitors one up.
Prestwich continued to have the upper hand and it was Grimshaw again on twenty three minutes with a deflected shot out for a corner, and shortly after Gabriel Hughes fired one over from the edge of the box.
Heys were denied again on forty two minutes when Sambizi down the middle put Grimshaw through but his shot was blocked by keeper Killey from six yards and then Bryson Appleton down the left saw a cross deflected into the hands of Killey.
It was a surprise on the stroke of half time when a corner floated in for the hosts was headed home by Sean Doyle after a scramble to pull the home side level with their first effort on goal.
So, all square at the break with Heys frustrated they couldn't hold out to the interval in front and it was all to play for in the second half which started cagey with no chances until Prestwich were back in front on sixty three minutes, when a ball through the middle found the lively Sambizi who rounded keeper Killey and slotted home from six yards to put them 2-1 up to the joy of the travelling support.
It was the last twenty minutes that saw a lot of the major drama with the game turning into a bad tempered affair producing three red cards starting with the Isle of Man on seventy one minutes when substitute Dean Pinnington who had only been on the pitch six minutes did a high footed challenge on Heys David Edwards and the referee had no hesitation in showing a straight red card.
Heys pressed, but were caught on the break on eighty minutes and Bryson Appleton upended Kyle Watson down the left earning a yellow card a melee ensued, the result being substitute Connor Martin and David Edwards both seeing a red card and all of a sudden the visitors were down to nine men.
The Ravens smelt an opportunity with what was now a man advantage and missed a great chance with a header at the far post three minutes from time and continued as the referee awarded eight minutes of injury time.
It was the home side shouting for a penalty on ninety three minutes after a Jack McVey shot was alleged to have hit a Heys hand when going goal bound but the referee waved away appeals, the pressure told though three minutes later though as a crowded penalty area scramble saw Alex Maitland with a shot that went in off the inside of the far post past Heys keeper Harry Allen for the equaliser.
The hosts almost won it at the death when Doyle got onto a cross and his shot was inches wide of the far post from close range.
So, another frustrating day for Prestwich Heys who lost another winning position to end up with a draw, and in this game it was a moment of indiscipline when in a winning position that cost them dear and will go into next Saturdays game with relegation rivals Colne knowing with just five games left they will need to win to have a realistic chance of staying in the league.
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