Prestwich 3, Hesketh Casuals 1
Lancs Amateur League Division Two at Heys Road, Prestwich
Saturday 12th December 2009
Sean Haslam’s brace and a late goal from John Blezard sealed a hard fought win over Hesketh Casuals at Heys Road on Saturday. The team’s seventh straight league win has seen Lee Metcalfe’s men hit top spot in Division Two for the first time this season.
Prestwich again sprang out of the blocks against a Hesketh side that, like Prestwich, had only lost once in the league this season.
On just nine minutes, Chris Hopkins fed Shaun Jackson who’s low cross picked out Sean Haslam at the back post to tap in to the net.
With the game barely 15 minutes old, the home side increased their lead as Curtis Ward’s free-kick was headed back across by Paul Taylor leaving Haslam again an easy tap in from close range.
On 43 minutes, Casuals found a way back in to the game as they halved the deficit from the penalty spot.
But Prestwich hit straight back, first as Ward found an upright and then through a penalty of their own as Woodcock burst through but was hacked down by the ‘keeper just inside the box.
Lady lucky was looking down on the Hesketh stopper as first he only received a yellow card and then saved Haslam’s resulting penalty.
Ten minutes in to the second half, Haslam was flattened by a robust challenge from the substantial frame of the Hesketh number 2.
Losing a tooth and suffering from concussion, the Prestwich striker spent the next couple of hours in A&E while the doctors checked there was no further serious damage.
Last week’s hat-trick hero John Blezard replaced Haslam and made another claim for a starting place as he sealed the points for Prestwich with an 80th minute strike from six yards.
This hugely impressive seventh straight league win puts Lee Metcalfe’s men one point clear of the chasing pack in Division Two but with also between two and four games in hand on their nearest rivals.
All the lads have battled hard and have now grasped that top spot their play this season has deserved.
The challenge now is to stay there.
• The Sunday Team battled back from 2-0 down to overcome AFC United at Heys Road on Sunday. Five goals by the home side in the last 17 minutes turned the match on it’s head as Pete Lorenzini’s side continue their march up the table. Shaun Jackson’s penalty got Prestwich back in the game before Chris Hudson marked a return to action with a close range effort to level things up. Joe Kosub poked home to get our noses in front before Jackson struck again and finally a wonder cross goal from sub Joe Walmsley wrapped up the points.
