Prestwich put in another excellent first half performance in this game against a Wardle outfit that were relegated from the Premier Division in the last campaign. But whereas the previous weeks efforts brought a four goal lead at the interval an obdurate defensive display by the hosts saw it goal less at the same point.
How it came to be was puzzling as Prestwich had carved out a raft of chances with a combination of neat passing football from back to front and strong penetrative running from the likes of Martin Hill, Sean Haslam and Mike Neary, but Wardle were throwing bodies in front of shots and defending desperately at times but effectively.
Sam Holden too came ever so close to breaking the deadlock with one of many surging runs from deep in midfield but always seemed to be blocked just before getting a shot in.
Defensively Prestwich looked solid with a back line of Paul Taylor, Pete Gallagher, Richard Steadman and Liam burke seeing to it that keeper Mike Hudson was rarely called upon to make anything other than a routine stop or collection.
But whilst the score remained 0-0 one couldn’t relax as Wardle did possess enough quality in their ranks to suggest that they were capable of nicking something out of the game the longer the game went with their goal intact.
With vital points at stake patience remained key and Prestwich picked up in the second half where they left the first but building up even greater momentum in their attacks.
Having come close on several occasions the breakthrough finally came on 55 mins when Haslam latched on to the ball some 10 yards out to the left of goal after a scramble and steered it past the keeper.
This was followed by a second 5 mins later when Neary applied enough pressure on the keeper and a retreating defender to force an error which saw the ball canon round between all three and end up in the back of the net for an own goal.
Wardle to their credit didn’t capitulate and actually forced their way back into the game, for the first time they were actually in the ascendency in terms of possession and goal threat, having forced a string of corners they pulled a goal back on 65 mins to leave Prestwich nerves jangling.
Whilst Wardle had struggled from the start to contain the threat of Neary, Haslam and Hill, Steve Murty who’d had a quiet first period also burst alive to add even more threat so whilst Wardle pressed in search of an equaliser they always looked like conceding a third at any time.
There was a major scare for Prestwich in the 78th minute when only a tremendous save by Mike Hudson from the centre half who’d pushed up front denied an equaliser, but the game was finally sealed when another great run down the middle by Martin Hill saw him feed Murty who’s neat flick put in Halsam one on one, he kept his composure to slot home neatly.
There was still time for Murty to slalom past several players and with just the keeper to beat and unselfishly lay the ball into Nearys path, Neary inexplicably fired wide from some 3 feet out claiming the ball had flicked up off a divot.
