Report by Paul Thomason
Picture courtesy of Ramsbottom FC

A first half goal blitz from Ramsbottom blew a youthful Heys side away as they crashed out of the Macron Cup at the third-round stage.

The visitors, second in the League placings, were far too strong and from the off showed no mercy on a Heys team missing six players who were cup tied.

Ramsbottom gave a preview of what was to come as they had the first real chance of the match five minutes in as Thomas Hoyle fired in an effort from the left side of the penalty area which Louis Hood, returning to the side after injury, managed to get the faintest touch to tip it over the bar.

It didn’t take long though for Rammy to open the scoring as in the ninth minute Hoyle broke, holding off the challenge of James Badrock, to score hard and low in the bottom corner.

As the game went on, Ramsbottom had the better of the game, but Prestwich tried to push forward but couldn’t find that key ball in the final third.

The visitors increased their lead when they were awarded a penalty on twenty-six minutes which Harvey White powered low to the right of Hood, who had guessed correctly, but the shot was too powerful for him to do anything about it.

Hood did get the better of Whyte four minutes later when Ramsbottom were award a free kick just outside the penalty area, close to the centre, but the latter’s low free kick was well pushed away by the young keeper.

It wasn’t getting any better for Heys however and on thirty-two minutes, their defence was carved apart when a low cross from Rhys Turner was drilled in by Hoyle to make it three without reply.

There was a bit of pinball action in the Heys box with three consecutive efforts from the visitors, the first effort was saved by Hood onto the post, the second effort cleared off the line by Mark Ayres and the final try blocked before going for a corner.

The best chance of the match so far for Heys came on thirty-eight minutes when a cross from Appleton, who had come on earlier in the game for an injured Luke Jackson, found the head of Michael Burke but his effort went wide of the post.

However, as play switched to the other end Ramsbottom eased through the home defence again on forty minutes as Hoyle went through on goal before putting the ball low past Hood to make it four. If it wasn’t game over before, it was now.

Two minutes later, Lewis Ayres had a great chance to get one back for Heys, a long free kick found its way to him on the six-yard line and although he got his shot away it was well blocked by Bradley Rose in goal.

Just before half time though, Rammy added a fifth. As Heys struggled to clear the ball, Oscar Radcliffe played the ball in to Harvey Hayhurst, almost on the line, who had the easiest of finishes.

Ramsbottom had been ruthless and efficient in their attacks in the first half. All Heys could now do was play for pride in the second half and try and avoid a potentially huge defeat.

The second period was to prove a lot quieter as the visitors knew the job was done and took their foot off the pedal. It allowed Heys to come forward more and they created a great chance on sixty-nine minutes as Bryson Appleton had a shot pushed around the post and from the resulting corner, Badrock’s shot was blocked at close range. Minutes later, Appleton was the to the fore again as he cut into the box from the left-hand side, but his shot went over the bar.

There was to be no consolation for Heys. The game was all about the first half as Ramsbottom blew Heys away with their ruthless finishing which the home side had no answer for. With the game won at half-time, the visitors eased off and game managed the second half. Prestwich had a couple of chances to give the home fans something to cheer for but with cup hopes dashed the result leaves them to face a battle against relegation in the remainder of the season.

Team: Louis Hood, Max Bardsley-Rowe, Louie Hutchinson, Hudson Davies, James Badrock, Mark Ayres, Luke Jackson, David Edwards, Michael Burke, Lewis Ayres, Marcus Perry Subs: Bryson Appleton (for Jackson 19 mins), Gabriel Mooney-Munoz (for Edwards 54 mins), Alistair Bracken (for Davies 60 mins), Owen Percival (for Perry 60 mins), Bradley J. Sullivan (for M. Ayres 60 mins)