An entertaining game saw Prestwich eventually overcome a fractious Farnworth outfit, but having created a raft of chances throughout and hitting the woodwork three times it wasn’t until they managed to achieve a three goal cushion that one could relax and say the points were secure.
Having survived an early scare when Farnworth struck an upright, Prestwich took the lead on 8 mins when Steve Murty made an excellent run down the left, leaving several players in his wake before cutting in from a tight angle to unleash a wicked shot that the keeper could only parry to Sean Haslam who reacted first to nod home.
Whilst Farnworth clearly had a strong goal threat in their attack and skilful left winger they were struggling to deal with Prestwich’s high tempo passing game and five minutes later they added a second, this time in a move down the right.
Chris Hopkins made an overlapping run and fed in Haslam on the right hand edge of the area, he in turn squared to Murty who finished smartly from some 10 yards out.
But as seemed to be the pattern of the game the lads just couldn’t kill off a tenacious Farnworth side whose keeper made string of brilliant saves mainly to deny Haslam.
He couldn’t however do anything about an amazing piece of skill from Prestwich’s exciting Spaniard David Prieto who jinked his way round three players in a packed box to smash a shot against the bar, and Prestwich were made to pay when a momentary lapse of concentration in the defence let a striker in to put Farnworth back in the game leaving it 2-1 at half time.
The two goal advantage was restored early in the second half when another typical run from Murty down the left saw the ball whipped across goal low to the back post where it was met by Aldair Victorano who showed great technique to smash it home from a very acute angle.
Yet again though the result remained uncertain, when another momentary lapse by Sam Holden and Tom Gibson, who both otherwise had excellent games at the heart of the defence let Farnworth in for a second.
Again Prestwich bounced back to a two goal cushion with Murty once again the provider, this time speeding past players down the right wing to put in a superb cross that Haslam headed home at the pack post.
There was to be no reply by a Farnworth side that were by now down to 10 men due to some senseless barracking of the referee, and Prieto killed the game off with calmly taken goal from 8 yards out.
It was another strong exciting performance by the side that on this form and at full strength are a joy to watch, the trio of Murty, Haslam and Prieto in particular make it hard to imagine any team at this level keeping them out for a full 90 minutes, let’s just hope it continues.
