PRESTWICH HEYS...3 IRLAM MS...2: THERE are times when playing with a strong following wind can be a disadvantage, but on this occasion Heys made full use of it in the first period.

Early pressure was put on the Irlam defence and Heys were rewarded when John Garrick was in space 25 yards out. He unleashed a right foot shot, admittedly helped by the wind, that gave the Irlam keeper no chance, with the ball flying into the top corner of the net.

The pressure on the Irlam rearguard was intense and only desperate defending prevented any further scoring. That was until Abbid Uddin scored one of his trademark goals.

Her swivelled to meet a low cross from the left and volleyed home with his left foot, with a 2-0 lead at the halfway stage a fair reflection of Heys' first half dominance.

The question was though, could they hold onto it, or would Irlam make full use of the wind themselves?

The answer was not long in coming, as the visitors reduced the arrears 10 minutes after the re-start through Smith.

Heys were having difficulty making forward progress, due in no small part to the wind, and it was no surprise when Snelgrove equalised for Irlam to set up a nailbiting final 15 minutes.

Heys fought their way back into the game, with substitutions freshening up their attacking options.

And it was one of those replacements who was responsible for grabbing the winning goal.

Brandon Jolly's persistence was rewarded when he fed Derek Watson, and Heys' leading scorer ensured his side ended the game with a win, when it could have easily have slipped from their grasp.

Victory tasted even sweeter with the news that Royton had lost to Stockport, a result that sees Heys regain top spot and a two point lead, although Royton do have a game in hand.