A sixty third minute goal from Yasir Salim was enough to give bottom placed Skelmersdale United a shock win against fifth placed Prestwich Heys at a wind swept Community Ground Burscough on Saturday.
Heys came into this one in confident mood after a 3-1 win against Longridge Town last Tuesday while the hosts were looking for an improvement after a 7-0 loss to Padiham last time out .
The opening quarter was quiet as both teams battled with the wind on the 3G surface with just the one chance for Heys in the seventh minute from Gabriel Mooney -Munoz firing in at the far post comfortably saved by Skem keeper Joe Langford.
Prestwich were having the better of it and on twenty one minutes Dylan Fitzgerald on the left hit a great ball over to Matt Davies who's twelve yard shot brought another save from Longford.
Fitzgerald found Davies again on thirty two minutes testing the Skem keeper and shortly again after Nathan Emery who had been dangerous down the left found Fitzgerald who fired narrowly wide from twelve yards at the near post.
So it was Heys looking much more
likely to break the deadlock as the half time whistle blew and eye brows were raised from the travelling contingent of Heys fans as the teams re-emerged for the second half with three substitutions and two of the replaced were Emery and Fitzgerald who had created quite a lot for the visitors in the first period.
Heys showed no let up though dominating, Davies shooting wide from twelve yards on fifty five minutes and shortly after it was one of the replacements Connor Martin putting Davies clean through but keeper Longford came out to block the shot and Martin put the rebound wide.
It was Martin again on the hour who couldn't connect in to a ball in deep from the left and Brad Sullivan couldn't follow up.
Kieran Molloy was next up for the visitors having a free kick saved by Longford from eighteen yards, it looked a matter of time before Heys would make the pressure pay so it was a surprise on sixty three minutes when Yasir Salim broke through and fired from six yards past Heys keeper Russ Saunders to put Skelmersdale 1-0 up after Prestwich failed to clear the ball. This was the hosts first shot on target of the afternoon.
Back came Heys on seventy minutes Molloy on the left again knocking a great ball over to Martin who just couldn't get his head on it to steer it home as the visitors frustration continued.
This gave the home side some confidence and got into the game more in its final quarter but Heys rallied Sullivan was put through two minutes from time saved by Longford with his feet and Jack McConnell fired over shortly after in the final chance of the day.
So a frustrating day for Prestwich Heys in a game they dominated for long periods but could not convert good chances to win the game and this ultimately cost them, however they are still in a strong position to finish in the play offs come mid April with games in hand on the teams around them.