Prestwich Heys picked up a valuable point with a batting 2-2 draw with West Didsbury & Chorlton at Adie Moran Park on Tuesday night.

Against one of the form teams in the League and arguably the best side to have visited Adie Moran Park this season, Heys led two nil early in the second half through two Max Bardsley-Rowe goals before being pegged back by the visitors, but it could not detract from a performance brimming with positives.

Heys new Manager Ryan Hutchinson had moved quickly to start making the changes to resurrect his sides fortunes following Saturday’s loss to Padiham and there were five new signings in the starting line up in Ethan Kershaw, Alfie Belcher, Luke Byron, Mike Burke & Bardsley-Rowe.

The opening exchanges proved lively as both sides tested each other out and it was Heys who had the first chance in the 15th minute as they worked the ball into the box for Kershaw to find space, but Wests keeper Ollie Martin was out quickly to smother his shot.

The visitors then seized the initiative and looked set to take the lead five minutes later only to be denied by the brilliance of Heys keeper Brad Sullivan as he firstly denied Lewis Billingsley at point blank range and then as the ball ballooned up in the air he tipped Jordan Lazenbury's header onto the bar before gathering.

In a thrilling contest Heys responded with Bardsley-Rowe shooting just wide and then in the 25th minute it was Sullivan again to the fore as he tipped a close range Billingsley header over the bar.

Both sides continued to test each other and whilst the balance of play favoured the visitors, the hosts remained a threat on the counter as they went in goalless at the interval.

The break did nothing to slow the unrelenting pace of the game and five minutes into the second half Heys took the lead.

Again, it was an incisive counter attack that opened up the visitors that ended with Burke breaking into the box before his angled shot was blocked by a hand to give the home side a penalty from which Bardsley-Rowe fired home.

Didsbury almost responded straight away as a slick move ended with a scramble in the box but Heys somehow kept the ball out to preserve a lead they were to extend on the hour.

As Wests conceded possession, Heys quickly broke creating a three on one situation with the ball being worked to Burke whose shot was blocked by the keeper only for the ball to fall to Bardsley-Rowe, who took a touch to steady himself, before drilling the ball home.

Thoughts of a first League win since August however were soon put to the test as within four minutes Didsbury pulled a goal back. A high ball into the box was only half cleared and the ball broke to Connor Hughes to steer home from twelve yards.

With the game in the balance both teams continued to ask questions of each other’s defence as the game switched from one end to the other and each other’s defences continued to scramble to keep the ball out.

However, with seven minutes remaining it was to be Didsbury who would find the net. A cross into the box broke to Hughes , twelve yards out and his shot took a wicked deflection to find the bottom corner and level matters.

Heys were now looking a little leggy and two minutes later it looked like all their endeavour would go unrewarded when Wests found the net again but the effort was ruled out for a foul on Sullivan which prompted a furious reaction from the visitors that resulted in Jimmy Moore being dismissed.

In a frantic and nerve shredding finale it was Heys who so nearly snatched all three points in the 90th minute when Luke Jackson burst into the box only to see his angled shot go just wide.

In the end both sides had to settle for a point a piece but whilst the visitors were disappointed, Heys could take many positives and great encouragement from a performance that suggests better days ahead.

Heys are back at Adie Moran Park on Saturday when they host Barnoldswick Town (3pm)
Team: Bradley A Sullivan, Elijah Hearn, Regan Jarrett, Ethan Kershaw, Nathan Bartram-Conway (Capt.), Finley Stanyer, Max Bardsley-Rowe, Luke Mann, Michael Burke, Alfie Belcher, Luke Byron, Subs: Adam Dahou, Adam Hampshire (for Mann 85 mins), Noah Inneh (for Jarrett (45 mins), Luke Jackson (for Byron 76 mins), Finlay Stafford