A seventy-second minute strike from Ezeikel Eme was enough to secure a first home win of the season for West Didsbury and Chorlton at the Step Places Stadium on Tuesday night against Prestwich Heys in front of a bumper crowd of 587.
A few of the Heys away following
Photo by Andy Murray
Heys were in confident mood after Saturday's 3-0 opening day win against Burscough and manager Lee O'Brien made three changes bringing in full back Nathan Emery, midfielder Kai Haigh and striker Mitch Bryant.
It was a very tight opening exchange and the first chance was Prestwich on 17 minutes when midfielder Connor Berry on the right shot low and wide from twelve yards and shortly after the hosts came back with Dontai Gabidon shooting over the bar.
With both teams going toe to toe Kai Haigh saw a free kick going over the bar on the half hour mark from twenty-five yards and the visitors pressed again five minutes later Callum Nicholas with a great strike bringing a terrific save from Didsbury keeper Andrew Jones tipping round the post from twelve yards.
On forty-one minutes another set piece was whipped in by Nathan Emery low across the box which no one could connect on to and a late chance from Gabidon again bringing a save from Heys keeper Jordan Latham in truth, the home side could have had a shout for a penalty as striker Benjamin Elliott was brought down with the follow up, the referee waved play on.
So goalless at half time in a very tight game and one sensed this could go either way in the second half and it was an explosive start some pushing and shoving near the home dug out after a challenge saw Didsbury manager Chris Rowley shown the red card by the referee and before the hosts had time to process it Heys went a goal up in the fifty fifth minute and what a goal it was. Callum Nicholas on the right launched a low drive twenty-five yards out which flew past Jones and into the net to the joy of the travelling Prestwich support
Heys celebrate opener
Photo by Andy Murray
Heys continued to press on sixty-four minutes with full back Damian Skolorzynski knocking a dangerous cross in which couldn't be converted.
Back came Didsbury who were starting to put on the pressure after a substitution by Heys which saw goal scorer Nicholas substituted and this seemed to unsettle the balance a little and were dispossessed in the middle on sixty seven minutes the ball going down the right and into a crowded penalty area and it was left to Elliott to strike home from six yards at the second attempt for the equaliser.
With Didsbury now in full flow they were ahead just five minutes later after great work by the impressive Gabidon down the right who crossed to find Ezeikel Eme unmarked six yards out to put the hosts 2-1 up.
Worse was to follow for Prestwich as defender Scott Cullen limped off as it all started to unravel from what had been a positive first hour of the game.
Heys did rally though and substitute Tyler James had a goal disallowed on eighty three minutes for offside, fellow sub Kaiden Barlow made a great run down the right in the ninety third minute but caught in two minds shooting over when he had team mates in the middle to square it to and in the dying embers Didsbury keeper Jones made a terrific save from a twenty five yard Connor Berry free kick that could have snatched a deserved point for Prestwich.
However, it wasn't to be as the referee blew the final whistle and it was a case of 'what might have been' for Prestwich Heys who battled hard but just came up short and will look back on missed chances here which could have made the result a very different story.