Prestwich were denied a perfectly good late equaliser for offside in this 3-2 defeat away at Horwich Victoria on a awful, uncut and boggy pitch at Newhouse Farm in Bolton.
A Shaun Jackson penalty levelled Vic’s opener before Richard Steadman’s powerful header put the visitors in front. But Horwich pegged Prestwich back before half time and then went on to take the lead immediately from the restart capitalising on sloppy play from Craig Howarth’s team.
Originally scheduled to be played at Horwich’s pitch at Bolton Arena, continued problems with their landlord calling off game after game prompted a late change of venue to Newhouse Farm Playing Fields in Darcy Lever, Bolton.
Unfortunately the pitch wasn’t the best and the boggy and uncut surface didn’t provide much hope for flowing football from either side.
Resorting to a more direct style of play, Prestwich were first to try their luck but Jackson’s scuffed shot with just the ‘keeper to beat bobbled back in to play off the far post.
Anthony Roberts sent a header over the bar from Martin Hill’s centre before the home side took the lead with a good header from an 18th minute corner kick.
But Prestwich got back on terms just four minutes later when an innocuous looking tussle in the box was punished with a point to the penalty spot. Jackson slammed the resulting kick down the middle with the ball just about squirming under the diving ‘keeper.
A low curling cross from the left by Roberts evaded everybody before thumping the foot of the far post as Prestwich looked to take full advantage of their first half dominance.
And the turnaround was completed just after the half hour when skipper Richard Steadman ghosted in at the back stick to firmly head in Hill’s right-sided corner.
Unfortunately the lead wasn’t to last long as the home side went route one when a goal kick was headed on to a forward who lobbed the ball over the on-rushing Alex Blake and in to the net.
With honours even at the break, Prestwich were masters of their own demise immediately after the restart. Playing in to defence from the kick-off, a difficult back-pass to the ‘keeper wasn’t successfully dealt with leaving a Horwich forward a simple tap-in to restore their lead.
The home side enjoyed the lion’s share of the play in the second half as they looked to turn the screw but it wasn’t until the introduction of sub and leading scorer Ashley Hoolighan that Prestwich threatened an equaliser.
And that equaliser should have come in the 70th minute when Hoolighan’s strike was wrongly ruled out for offside. Collecting the ball out on the right, Roberts ventured in to the box before pulling the ball back to the on-rushing Hoolighan who slotted the ball past the Vic’s ‘keeper.
As the defenders desperately appealed for offside, the pulled back ball should have seen Prestwich safe but much to the dismay of the men in blue, the Assistant Referee thought otherwise and raised his flag in the air.
With the game entering the final moments, Prestwich continued to search for the goal that would give them a deserved point. Hoolighan’s header flew too high before his acrobatic volley, with what turned out to be the last kick of the game, was sent just inches wide.
PRESTWICH: Blake, Kosub, Bushell, Walsh, Steadman (1), Taylor, Hill, Buckley (O’Donnell), Haslam (Hoolighan), Jackson (1 pen), Roberts
• Prestwich will look to bounce straight back as they entertain Howe Bridge Mills at Heys Road next Saturday, kick-off 2pm.
• Prestwich RESERVES home game against Howrich Victoria Reserves was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. The A TEAM game away against Lymm Reserves was called off due to a frozen pitch and the home SUNDAY TEAM cup game away Unsworth was also called off.
Match Photo’s – Horwich Victoria 3, Prestwich 2
