Photo by Beth Lee
An 87th minute strike by captain Brad Sixsmith was enough to secure a point for Prestwich Heys in an entertaining game at the Anfield Sports Community Centre home of Lower Breck on Saturday.
Heys arrived here after a narrow 3-2 defeat to Longridge Town in the week and were looking to continue the hard work endeavour shown in that game against a Breck side currently on a run of poor results not having won in the last 13 games.
Prestwich got off to a poor start in only the third minute when Breck striker Ryan Beigan pounced on hesitant Heys defending launching a shot on the right from 20 yards which flew past Heys keeper Russ Saunders into the top left-hand corner of the net.
Back came Heys on 10 minutes when striker Greg Daniels fired over from 18 yards after good work by Krisel Prifti on the left and shortly after this it was fellow striker Jack Coop shooting from 12 yards bringing a great save from Lower Breck keeper Ellis Litherland-Riding.
The pressure from the visitors was rewarded on 23 minutes when a great run down the left from fit again winger Nial Sultan found Coop on the edge of the box who made no mistake smashing the equaliser into the top right corner of the net past Riding.

Photo by Beth Lee
This goal seemed to spur Lower Breck more than it did the visitors as they started to boss the proceedings in the middle of the park with the excellent Sean Miller and Stephen Milne pulling all the strings and it was Miller who put the home side in front on 29 minutes when a long ball over the top enabled him to launch a rasping 20 yard shot in to the top left of the net past Saunders, the Heys back four were claiming offside but the linesman's flag stayed down.
Breck kept the pressure on looking much more confident than the lowly league place suggested and were further rewarded ten minutes late when Ryan Beigan again got space on the right this time unleashing a 30-yard shot giving Saunders no chance for 3-1 and one sensed Prestwich could be in for a long afternoon as they were being dominated by the hosts in every department at this point.
So 3-1 to Breck at halftime and Heys manager Matt Barnes made changes in the second half which included the impressive Regan Jarrett replacing the injured Scott Cullen and things started to improve as Prestwich pressed forward now retaining possession and were rewarded on 64 minutes when Greg Daniels was brought down just inside the box and Coop made no mistake smashing the penalty bottom right past Litherland-Riding for 3-2.
This was to be a pivotal moment in the game along with Sean Miller going off injured for Lower Breck on 68 minutes who had been instrumental for the hone side all afternoon and you could sense the pendulum swinging in Heys direction with Jack Coop blazing a good chance over the bar on 78 minutes and further woe for Lower Breck just after saw Stephen Milne sin binned for descent as Lower Breck tired in the last 20 minutes.
Heys pressure was finally rewarded in the 87th minute when Brad Sixsmith on the right scrambled past the defender to shoot bottom left going in off the inside of the post and despite the vein attempts of the Breck keeper to scramble the ball clear the referee was happy the whole of the ball was over the line and it was 3-3.
Heys had a chance to win it late on when Jack Coop was clean through but the linesman flagged for offside and Warren Gerrard put a shot wide for Breck in the 90th minute, this was to be the last action of the afternoon.
So, a deserved point in the end for Prestwich Heys and credit for the second half fightback but with some tough games coming up to complete the season improvements will need to be made if they want to achieve a mid-table finish.

Photo by Beth Lee