Goldline Trophy Semi-Final: Prestwich Heys 1 Atherton Collieries 3

DESPITE dominating this semi-final, Heys' hopes of a date at the Reebok Stadium foundered on some lack-lustre first half finishing, and momentary lax defending in the second half as Atherton Collieries booked their Goldline

Trophy Final spot with a 3-1 win.

Enjoying the advantage of the slope in the first half, Heys dominated proceedings to an almost embarrassing degree as Colls struggled to escape from their own half.

It was hard to tell who came from the senior league as Heys bossed both possession and territorial advantage, but there were remarkably few clear-cut chances in the opening minutes.

Brendan O'Shaughnessy floated a free-kick in which Thompson flicked high over the bar on 10 minutes, and then Jon Garrick powered in a long-range effort which was cleanly gathered.

Garrick again tested the Colls 'keeper before Gary Massey put Russell Headley in with a fine ball, but again Heys were thwarted.

On 17 minutes, Heys again pressed and earned a corner, but from the dead ball kick, Thompson scooped over the bar.

Atherton's first real opening came on 25 minutes, a long ball forward beating the offside trap, but Damien Rooney was on his mettle to rush out and clear confidently. A minute later, Steve Denny poached out a good chance as Colls pressed momentarily, but he flashed his effort wide of goal.

Further chances then fell to Heys, a fine Massey ball put Thompson through, but the 'keeper did well to collect, and the Prestwich striker found himself with a gilt-edged chance minutes later, but his shot was palmed wide with

the goal gaping.

With five minutes to go before the break, Thompson again made room for himself, but missed the easiest of his chances, and you had the feeling that this might cost Heys after the break.

In fact, Colls went on to glean the best chance of the half, but Rooney made a superb, reflex save from point-blank range, and the teams trotted off all square.

The second half saw O'Shaughnessy continuing his good work, prompting Heys in midfield, but it was Colls who went close early on when a long-range shot clipped the bar.

Headley caught the ball cleanly to send in a great effort on 55 minutes which was well held, but the respite was to last only a couple of minutes as O'Shaughnessy did well to win the ball back, before a crisp cross was firmly

sidefooted home by Thompson to give Heys the lead.

Alas, hesitancy in the Prestwich defence only a minute later gifted Nick Fisher an easy chance, and he made no mistake to level for Atherton. Colls seemed to rise from this point, and Heys fluency was jarred when O'Shaughnessy was replaced by Jonathon Lyons and Atherton began to assert some authority in midfield.

Just after the hour, Fisher found himself played onside by Harrison, and the Colls' striker made no mistake, despatching a firm shot into the bottom corner to leave Heys with it all to do.

With their hopes hanging in the balance, Atherton hammered home another nail in the coffin when a long punt forward caught the Heys' defence ball-watching, and Fisher completed his hat-trick to put his side 3-1 ahead.

Brandon Jolly and Marvin Walters replaced Gareth Ormes and Mark Leacock, but the NWCFL side were now winning all the 50-50s.

The smooth passing of the first half gave way to some shoddy play, though Jolly saw a shot deflected over the bar with just under 15 minutes to go.

To their credit, Heys never gave up and pressed hard with time running out, but run out it did and Prestwich's Goldline Trophy hopes must now wait for another year.

PRESTWICH HEYS: Rooney, Massey, Ormes, Peters, Harrison, Headley, Leacock, O'Shaughnessy, Trippier, Thompson, Garrick. Substitutes: Lyons, Jolly, Walters.