Prestwich Heys v AFC Liverpool, 23rd February 2019

I was picked up by Dave Williams at Liverpool South Parkway, before Dave drove to Speke Library. He was also picking up young Mikey. We arrived about an hour and a half before kick off, and arrived at the same time as Steve Fraser and Alan Harrison. Funnily enough, we saw Steve's car with his Barca personalised number plate, drive past us on the motorway. I watched the last bit of Burnley denting Spurs' title hopes in the clubhouse, and chatted with Alan Harrison.

With Prestwich Heys in fifth and us in fourth before the start of play, it was a match which our twitter account suggested Sky Sports would build up as "the race for the top four!" As the match got underway, our twitter account also suggested it was a bit like an FA Cup Semi-Final from the 1980s, with us in our yellow away kit and Heys' kit looking like an old style Manchester United kit. One bit of sad news was that Ben Lightfoot's loan period from Chorley had come to an end since I last saw the Reds a couple of weeks previously.

The first main chance came just after the first ten minutes, as the home side hit the post. One of our defenders got to the rebound to knock it out of play. We survived a subsequent corner, and a few minutes later Lee Carr was positioned well to make a good save. Not long afterwards, Heys's number 8 went into the book for grabbing one of our lads off the ball.

Just before the twenty minute mark, we took the lead out of nothing really. At least thirty yards out, Callum Schorah spotted the keeper off his line and took advantage. It was reminiscent of a Steve Jones beauty a few miles away at Chadderton in a 9-2 FA Cup win back in 2015. 

The home side responded well to that set back, and created a few chances. Just after the half hour mark, Heys got their rewards when a glancing header beat Lee Carr from a Free Kick. The goal aside, it wasn't a good first half for the Reds. We struggled to get things going in midfield, and striker Anthony Lyons was not getting much luck winning headers against their defence.

At the tail end of the half time break in chatting with Alan Harrison, I lamented the lack of dominance in midfield. I expressed my hope that Jay Howell would come on sooner rather than later. Alan was thinking Anthony Lyons was getting very frustrated, and should be withdrawn. With what was about to happen next, such an irony.

A Phil Heron cross from the right was met by Lyons about five minutes after the restart, and our lead was restored. I was quick to remind our then vice-chairman of what he said to me just a few minutes earlier. Alan was having a good day out, and in our earlier chat discussed some interesting plans for when he gets back on the microphone at home matches. The big plans involved him being very impressed by the stats in their programme of a supposed player for Heys, who went by the name of "Mr Maximum Possible."

The second half saw us create chances to extend our lead, which were not taken. But to be fair, they probably had more, and certainly the better chances. They did twice more hit the post, and did force a few good saves from Lee Carr.

Alan, Dave Rattler and myself enjoyed good banter with a couple of locals. One of the chaps was the Dad of their number 16 who came on, and did a good run down their right to create one of their best chances. In fact, Dad of number 16 turned out to be a Liverpool FC Supporter, despite living a few miles from Old Trafford. His mate was Man Utd, and all of us had a cordial chat about Man Utd v Liverpool on Sunday, as well as issues relating to money in the higher echelons of the game.

Chances came and went in the final stages. One chance for us saw the hard working Callum Schorah played through, and shoot first time, only for his effort to skim the bar. Right at the death, substitute Drew Lewis hit the post with almost the last kick of the match. A 3-1 scoreline in all honesty would have flattered us, and had they taken more chances to take something, it would have been fair to say perhaps that they would have deserved it. But as it was, we did take all three points to take us eight points clear with a game in hand in the  battle for "The Top Four"!