Prescot Cables 5 Castleton Gabriels 0

THE Prescot groundstaff defied the odds to get this Worthington Challenge Trophy clash played but the incessant rain over the past few weeks meant that the pitch was very heavy and there was an inconsistent run and bounce on the ball.

Despite these difficulties, the match provided some excellent cup football with second division Castleton battling to counter Prescot's edge in pace and skill. There was to be no giant-killing act though, as the homesters went about their business in a thoroughly professional manner.

The first 25 minutes saw most of the action centred on midfield although Steve O'Neill did have an early penalty appeal turned down after being bundled over as he shaped to shoot.

The early losses of Simon Hughes and Aiden Warder, who both required stitches for gashes, upset Prescot's rhythm. But they finally broke the deadlock after 29 minutes when Billy O'Callaghan got behind the Castleton defence and calmly fired past keeper Andy Almond.

Eight minutes later Andy Hayes made it 2-0 with a superbly-curled free kick from 20 yards that left Almond clutching at air.

Prescot started the second half as they had finished the first with Baker hitting the top of the bar, Eddie Taylor having a shot blocked and Almond making a superb save from Hayes' shot from the rebound. From the resultant corner Baker had a header cleared off the line and Kevin Garforth fired the ball inches wide.

But Cables were finally rewarded when O'Neill won a ball in the box and his chipped cross was steered into his own goal by defender Paul Loft to give Prescot a 3-0 lead after 66 minutes.

Four minutes later it was 4-0 when O'Callaghan beat Almond to a through ball after it held up in the mud. The Prescot striker slipped past the keeper and ran the ball into the net.

And a minute after that Riley capped a towering performance again showing great skill on the ball to leave Castleton players in his wake on a 30-yard run into the box before shooting past the helpless Almond for number five.

Prescot went from nap to napping though and allowed Castleton four great chances to get some consolation but Danny McVey and keeper Paul Dahl were alert to the danger and both got in superb blocks to keep their goal intact.

In the closing stages Castleton tired and Prescot could have added to their goal tally. Almond managed to get fingertips to a Paul Heavey chip and a defender hacked the ball away, Garforth pulled a shot wide after battling his way past three defenders and in the final minute O'Callaghan ran from half-way and steered the ball past Almond only to be denied his hat-trick by the post.