Curzon Ashton 0 Prescot Cables 2

PRESCOT bounced from a midweek defeat at Skelmersdale to get back on track with this hard-earned success.

The first half of a game played on a pitch that was part glue-pot and part ice rink, produced little in the way of goalmouth excitement as the two sides cancelled each other out.

First effort on target came after 10 minutes when Cables' O'Callaghan did well to pull down a long ball from Riley and turn his marker but he fired his shot straight at home keeper White.

After 22 minutes, a slip by Riley nearly let Carty in but Prescot keeper Dahl was alert to the danger and was quickly off his line to block the effort.

Then, just before the interval, White punched a corner ball away as far as Baker, whose volley back skimmed the Curzon bar.

Prescot started the second half looking much sharper. Jensen took advantage of a high bounce that deceived a defender to hit a lob that just cleared the bar with White back peddling, and Hayes and O'Callaghan both had shots that were only just wide in the opening five minutes.

Two quick breaks by Curzon resulted in first Williams shooting over and then Carty firing in a shot from a very tight angle that Dahl was required to save.

Prescot got the breakthrough on 65 minutes when O'Callaghan drifted out to the right and hit a pin-point cross that Jensen headed home unchallenged from close range.

Shortly after the goal, a rash tackle by Carty resulted in him being dismissed, followed by Humphreys for protesting too vigorously about the referee's decision.

But Curzon's nine men were not prepared to roll over and Williams brought a good save from Dahl.

Prescot, though, eventually regained the ascendancy and Hayes hit a shot from 20 yards that White did well to hold. They finally added to their tally when Garforth and Hayes pulled the defence apart to leave O'Neill with a tap-in.

In the closing stages, however, Prescot were unable to make their numerical advantage tell with White producing two more fine saves from Jensen and then Taylor.