Heys play off hopes hit for six

By Stephen Howard

Heys hopes of a place in the NW Counties Premier Division promotion play offs were left hanging by a thread as they crashed to a 6-0 home defeat against Charnock Richard.

On a night that started with anticipation and high hopes, Heys ambitions were swept away by a clinical Charnock side who capitalised on arguably their hosts worst performance of the season. It was one of those nights when absolutely nothing went right for them, when the easiest of passes proved difficult and if a mistake was there to be made, they found it.

Heys started brightly forcing a couple of early corners and the first chance of the night fell their way in the 8th minute when a loose clearance broke on the edge of the area to Rio Wilson-Heyes, but his shot was held comfortably by Charnock keeper Harry Moss.

Charnock responded and Rustam Stepans curled in a shot that James Coates gathered at the second attempt before Heys returned to the attack with three chances in quick succession as Matt Davies, Dylan Fitzgerald and Wilson-Heyes saw shots blocked as the visitors scrambled to clear their lines.

However, in the fourteenth minute Charnock took the lead. A long ball forward opened Heys up and as Coates raced out to clear the danger, he found himself in no man’s land. As he scrambled back and Heys looked to cover Samuel Olawumi was then adjudged to have stopped Nathan Nickeas’ cross with his hand and a penalty was given from which Stepans rifled home.

Heys almost hit straight back, when Wilson-Heyes played a ball in behind for Fitzgerald, whose shot was pushed around the post by Moss and from the corner Aaron Chalmers header looped onto the roof of the net.

In the 26th minute, however Heys were rocked as the visitors quickly turned defence into attack as Stepans broke down the right before crossing for Brad Carsley to flick home past Coates with a fine finish.

As the rain and wind intensified Heys continued to enjoy the greater possession but found it hard going in trying to break down a well drilled Charnock defence. The closest they came to scoring was two minutes before the break when captain Aaron Chalmers, who was once again outstanding, struck the bar from 25 yards out.

With it all to do, Heys looked to start the second half in positive fashion but within two minutes of the restart they were left facing an uphill battle as Charnock added a third goal. A long ball into the box found Carsley, in a huge space ten yards out, and he headed home.

Heys rang the changes with three substitutions, one enforced as the inspirational Chalmers (pictured) succumbed to a knock, before suffering another blow on the hour when they were reduced to ten men as Pa Jenkins was dismissed for a poor challenge.

However, shortly after Heys missed a great chance to gain a foothold back in the game as Davies put Fitzgerald in the clear but with only the keeper to beat, he pulled his shot wide of the far post.

A minute later Charnock increased their lead. A scramble in the box saw, Coates unable to hold a close-range flick with and Nickeas pounced on the loose ball to slot home.

Heys looked shell shocked and all at sea and Charnock duly capitalised. Fenton Davies saw a shot come off the post, and Jacob Ridings saw his follow up blocked on the line, but it was only a temporary respite as Nickeas slotted home from close range for his second of the night.

A minute later Coates thwarted Charles Duke but from the ensuing corner Duke ghosted in unmarked, at the back post, to head home.

It threatened to get messy for Heys, but they regrouped to try and minimise the damage, but it wasn’t to be their night. Jack Coop fired wide with a chance that nine times out of ten he would have gobbled up and in the closing moment perhaps the hosts night was summed up when Wilson-Heyes spooned a shot over the bar from six yards.

Never has the phrase “A bad day ay the office” been more apt, unfortunately Heys chose one of their most crucial matches in which to have theirs. There is still hope, they must win at Pilkington in their final game and hope results elsewhere go in their favour, but this had the feel of a damaging, lasting defeat.

TEAM: James Coates, Sam Olawumi, Saidkhon Khamidov, Pa Jenkins, Kyle Jacobs, Aaron Chalmers (Capt.), Rio Wilson-Heyes, Gabriel Mooney Munoz, Dylan Fitzgerald, Matt Davies, Kieran Molloy Subs: Connor Brotherton, Nathan Emery (for Chalmers 56 mins), Dan Silver-Adigun, Harvey Roberts (for Khamidov 56 mins), Jack Coop (for Molloy 53 mins)