Struggling Heys are on the slide (From Bury Times)

Struggling Heys are on the slide

3:27pm Thursday 28th February 2008

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Prestwich Heys 1 Wigan Robin Park 5

Manchester League Premier Divsion PRESTWICH Heys slumped to their lowest league position in recent years, slipping down to tenth after a thumping home defeat at the hands of Wigan Robin Park.

Manager Peter Freakes had been busy in the transfer market and brought four new faces in to the squad to face Robin Park. Son Sam Freakes, Paul Leonard and Dave Leach made the bench while Paul McMahon started the match on the right of midfield.

Skipper Andy Roberts was moved to right back to cover for injuries and almost put Heys in front after only nine minutes.

A clearance upfield was met by Roberts 40 yards out and his long ball forward looped over the keeper but bounced back in to his arms off the inside of a post.

Heys' bad luck with decisions continued as Wigan took the lead on 16 minutes. Following their two disallowed goals the week before, a cross field pass was headed back across goal from a player yards offside. But, with the assistant referee 10 yards behind the play, the flag stayed down as the ball was turned home from six yards.

Freakes' men got back on level terms through Love when he latched on to a precise Damion Keegan pass to lift the ball over the advancing keeper.

But that was to be as good as it got for Heys as the visitors then took control of the game.

Wigan regained their lead just before the break as Heys defender Marvin Walters powered a low cross from the right in to the roof of his own net.

The second period developed a strange pattern of Heys going close with a chance at one end before Wigan broke up field to further stretch their lead.

A McMahon cross on the hour was met by Smithies inside the six-yard box, only to find the keeper's legs. Wigan broke up the pitch, ran through midfield before netting with a low strike from the edge of the box.

Keegan saw a point blank header well saved only for Wigan to then send in a cross from the right which was eventually turned home at the back post despite Bernstein's best efforts.

Bernstein was in good form and was the only thing stopping Wigan rattling up a cricket score as he dealt as best he could with the constant wave of attacks from the visitors. The fifth nail in the Heys coffin came moments before full time as another right-wing cross was met by a diving header that left Bernstein no chance.

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