CRICKETERS START ’09 WITH A WIN

PCCFC’s first game in four weeks and first league game in all of two months brought about a good win at home to Crumpsall Town.

With the pitch just about being passed fit for the game, Prestwich wasted no time in gaining an advantage when Danny Healey sprung the visitors offside trap down the right.

As he raced in to the box, the Town ‘keeper moved forward for the expected cross to an unmarked Keane at the far post. However, in doing so left an almost open goal in to which Healey coolly slotted home the opener.

Striker Dean Astley then went close moments later but sent his effort in to the side-netting.

Then on 23 minutes, the home side doubled their lead as Paul McGovern’s free kick was met by the head of Martin Keane and although the keeper saved the initial effort, the ball broke back to Keane who found the corner.

Crumpsall got back in to the match just minutes before half time when a free-kick was headed in from close range.

Manager Peter Lorenzini’s planned half-time substitution of the injured Chris Hopkins had to wait as replacement Matt Sharples suddenly decided he needed to go for a shit.

But a slightly lighter Sharples finally entered the fray in the 50th minute and took up a position at left back with Gareth Barnes moving to the right.

On the hour, McGovern picked out Astley in acres of space on the left and the forward raced clear before smashing a low drive past the ‘keeper at the near post from the edge of the box.

Manager Lorenzini joined the action with ten minutes remaining for the injured Holt and was a whisker away from adding a fourth but his cheeky chip was headed off the line by a covering defender.

The win moved PCCFC up to 5th in the Premier Division with nine points from our seven games played. The next batch of fixtures will be made available on Thursday and news of our next game will be published here.