One of the great things about Heys away days is going to new grounds and places you would never normally think about going to for a day or night out and planning the trip the week before is half the fun. So, when planning the Ashton Athletic trip, you soon realise it is going to be a little bit of more of a challenge due to the fact the ground is absolutely nowhere near Ashton in Makerfield and you have a choice of either Bryn or Garswood stations both a good 20 or so minutes' walk from the ground.
The view on approach to the ground, Are we in Leeds?
We choose Garswood due to the fact a pub called The Railway is located right next to the station (who'd have thought?), with another pub called the Blue Bell a short taxi ride away. So off we set at 1055 getting a little nostalgic looking out of the window when we go past Daisy Hill scenes of same great away days and nights when we were in Division One, a change of trains at Wigan North Western and noticing our train to Garswood was very busy with a lot of people also boarding at Bryn I'm thinking I wonder if they know the mighty Heys are in town and are coming to the game, but off we get at our stop and soon realise they are all going to the trains final destination, Liverpool!, oh well...
Sure enough the Railway pub was literally a stone throw from the station and in we went, thinking ahead we decided to order a taxi ready for our next hostelry, or so we hoped, the landlord tries not to burst out laughing when I ask for the local firm's number saying they gave up years ago and no local firm exists. Fine then Uber it is but myself and Nick soon discover we can't get a phone signal either and Nick disappears for some time wandering the streets to get any contact with outside life but to no avail, this really is the back of beyond.
After a couple of enjoyable pints we decide to walk up a rather steep hill to the next pub and after being told the next pub was open from 2pm we arrive five minutes later to find it shut with curtains drawn, in fact it looked like it had been closed for decades but to our shock a woman of dishevelled appearance suddenly appears upstairs drawing the curtains opening the window and shouts out that she will be open in 10 minutes. After seeing the state of this establishment, we decide to walk the remaining 10 minutes to the ground and have a few beers in the clubhouse and so after a pub crawl of...one bar! that's what we did.
We chat to the bar man in the clubhouse who informed us that walking past the previous pub was by far and away the best thing to do after some previous experiences of his own and soon it's time to watch the game noticing that we have a large contingent of Heys fans in a small crowd, our flag is up and it's time to crack on.
The game itself (official report below) was a total roller-coaster 3-1 up at half time another class goal from Coop and coasting, to near despair as with 8 minutes left Ashton pull it back to 3-3 and could have gone ahead but with the heart rate going overload and a long stoppage for an injured home player win it at the death, Shenton crosses and Coop buries it and queue 33 Heys fans in a crowd of 75 going mental, what football is all about, especially when it goes your way and our support was magnificent.
The beer tasted that little bit sweeter and we stayed in the clubhouse after the game mainly because of our excellent hosts who chatted with us and offered us the food that was left over As we left one of the back-room team called Duggie gave the three of us a lift back to a pub this time near Bryn station. It is so sad to see a club like Ashton Athletic struggle to get supporters when they have hosts who are a credit to the Premier League.
So, a very quick pitstop in Bryn and its onto Wigan alighting at North Western Station and walking up the main street via various pubs including a hilarious Karaoke bar we always have a pint in, not to sing but to just stand in amazement at watching folk who think they can sing!.
Karaoke in Wigan anyone?, nar us neither!
As always on a Heys away day (or not in some cases) we just about make the 11pm train back to Victoria with Conrad deciding to turn song writer quickly writing lyrics into his phone for a new potential Heys chant and so ends another great day and three points on the road.
OFFICIAL MATCH REPORT
A SCOOP FOR COOP AS HEYS WIN SEVEN GOAL THRILLER AT ASHTON ATHLETIC
A 93rd minute strike by Jack Coop completed a four-goal clean sweep for himself and saved Prestwich Heys blushes in a 4-3 win against Ashton Athletic at Brocstedes Park on Saturday.
After a disappointing 4-1 defeat in midweek at Wythenshawe Town Matt Barnes team were eager to bounce back in this one and wasted no time here pressing forward and were rewarded as early as the 11tth minute when Jack Coop jinked past the Ashton centre half and shot bottom right past keeper Martin Pearson putting the visitors in front.
It was Coop again at the heart of it on 18 minutes shooting wide from outside of the box after great work by Max White as Prestwich were winning the midfield battle but Ashton gave a reminder that they would not be going down without a fight an Heys keeper Ryan Livesey made a great save on 25 minutes turning a shot from winger Lewis Boyd round for a corner.
It was Ashton busy again a couple of minutes later when Boyd beat a rushing out Livesey to the ball but saw his shot come back off the post and the pressure told on 29 minutes this time Boyd converted a free kick from the edge of the box past Livesey for 1-1.
This equaliser angered Prestwich who just two minutes later were back in front and it was again Jack Coop on the right shot from 12 yards bringing a save from keeper Pearson but the ball rebounded back out to the Heys striker who somehow managed to steer the ball into the top left corner of the net despite being on the floor at the time.
Heys continued and played with confidence for the rest of the half and had chances from captain Brad Sixsmith and Coop missing a couple clearly on a mission to get his hat trick and sure enough he did on the stroke of half time in emphatic fashion from 30 yards out after a great ball by full back Nathan Emery Coop seeing the keeper off his line lobbed the ball over him with the ball bouncing on off the underside of the crossbar for 3-1 deserving the half time lead.
Ashton got back into it after the break on 51 minutes being gifted a goal by Heys keeper Livesey rushing out to clear the ball but it was Joshua Nicholson who beat him to the ball and kicking it into an empty net.
Heys suddenly looked ragged and out of shape and the home side pressed forward starting to gain more from the 50/50 challenges but Coop was still knocking on the door shooting wide on 65 minutes and substitute Danny White nearly made a dream start to his Heys comeback on 70 minutes firing at the Ashton keeper from 30 yards.
Ashton's efforts were rewarded with an equaliser on 82 minutes when poor defending from the visitors enabled Ethan Beckford to run into the box un marked and shot bottom right past Livesey from 12 yards and undoing all the hard work from Prestwich in the first half.
Indeed, it was Beckford again just after missing a great chance to put Ashton in front and you could sense the tension in the Heys contingent of the crowd worried the visitors may come away with nothing.
Back came Prestwich though who found another gear in the closing moments and substitute Ryan Shenton was put clean through but shot straight at the advancing keeper Pearson and one sensed that was that, but in the 93rd minute it was Shenton again on the right who crossed to the man of the day Jack Coop who made no mistake from the edge of the box smashing home the winner to the adulation of the away support.
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So, a big three points for Heys in dramatic fashion and whilst playing some great football at times manager Matt Barnes will be conscious of his team focussing for 90 minutes as this could have been a much different story and result.