A goal from Abbey Hey's Omogbolahan Solarin just before half-time was enough to secure a point against Prestwich Heys in a 1-1 draw at Goredale Avenue on Saturday.
Both teams came into this one looking for their first league win of the season, although Heys were victorious in the FA Cup last week with an impressive 2-0 win at Handsworth FC.
Manager Ryan Hutchinson brought back winger Bryson Appleton and striker Louis Holt into the starting line-up for this one.
It was a confident start from the visitors, pressing high from the kick-off and they were nearly in front in the tenth minute when a ball over from the left found the head of captain James Badrock, but he was unlucky to see his header hit the far post and rebound to safety.
Prestwich continued to attack and were ahead two minutes later.
It was a lovely ball over from Abdul Djalo that picked out Holt who made no mistake with a bullet header from three yards past Abbey Hey keeper Jake Watson-Roddy.
Holt was at it again shortly after dragging a shot wide of the near post as the visitors enjoyed a great spell of play with Nicholas Dre Taylor and Rob Worrall pulling all the strings in the middle.
A big moment for Prestwich came on thirty-two minutes when Holt was put clean through the middle, but his shot was saved by Watson-Roddy, and the ball was cleared after a scramble in trying to convert the rebound.
This missed chance seemed to be a turning point in the first half as the home side started to get back into it, enjoying more possession, but without any shots on target though that changed shortly before half-time as Abbey Hey drew level.
Initially it started with a Heys attack down the right, a foul on Heys full-back Harry Cannon-Noren was not given by referee James Gornall and the hosts broke clear, the ball finding its way to Solarin who fired past Prestwich keeper Kyle Haslam from six yards.
Level at the break then and all to play for in the second half but the game was to turn into a scrappy affair in the opening quarter with no chances to speak of but with Abbey Hey looking the more likely, notably through midfielder Riley Nixon who caused problems as Heys struggled to find the same rhythm they had enjoyed for large parts of the first half.
The first effort on goal went to the hosts on fifty-eight minutes Khalil Abdirazak bringing a save from Haslam.
Heys responded when Holt broke through, on the hour, but the assistant referee flagged for offside.
Shortly after the flag was up again when Worrall broke through, decisions that were not popular with either the Heys bench or the visiting supporters in line with them.
Ryan Hutchinson made some substitutions to try and revitalise the visitors and one of them, Josh Tinker, fired over on sixty-six minutes and as the half wore on, Heys gradually got back into it, springing into life in the last ten minutes.
Appleton was put through on eighty-four minutes but was thwarted by keeper Watson-Roddy and shortly after there was some great work by Taylor, who after winning the ball back in midfield, drove through down the left, but his cross was cleared by a now frantic home defence.
Heys were now in the ascendancy and referee Gornall had to be on alert with some tough challenges coming in from the home side.
Moving into four minutes of injury time, a big chance for Heys to win it came two minutes in, when substitute Ellis Richardson was put clean through, but again Watson-Roddy did really well to run out and block the shot to keep the scores level.
A minute later Heys were awarded a free kick on the left, twenty yards out, the ball was floated dangerously into the box and flicked on to Richardson, with his back to goal, who tried in vain to turn and get a shot in but the ball was cleared to safety.
The full-time whistle blew shortly after, and both teams had to settle for a point.
So, Heys remain winless in the league after three games and after a great opening period in the first half they struggled to play with any consistency in this one, though they had chances to win, especially in the latter stages.
TEAM: Kyle Haslam, Harry Cannon–Noren, Luke Findlow, James Badrock (Capt.), Alistair Bracken, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Bryson Appleton, Rob Worrall, Louis Holt, Abdul Djalo, Lewis Ayres, Subs: Matt Smyth (for Bracken 65 mins), Josh Tinker (for Djalo 65 mins), Louie Hutchinson (for Cannon-Noren 87 mins), Reece Lascelles-Higgins (for Appleton 87 mins), Ellis Richardson (for Ayres 65 mins)
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