A bizarre game saw a 4-4 score line at half time, 5-5 score line on 90 mins and Accrington score a dramatic injury time winner to deliver a hammer blow to a Prestwich side that deserved at the very least to take a point out of the game.
A hint of the drama to come began early when in the first minute Sean Haslam broke free and lashed a powerful shot just over the bar.
A minute later Mike Neary broke down the right and squared to Steve Murty who finished clinically for 1-0. Playing some nice football with Murty and Haslam cutting through the Accy defense like a knife through butter at this point one thought Prestwich were in for a landslide victory.
The positive start triggered an air of complacency though and poor defending saw Accy draw level minutes later with a beautiful edge of the box half volley from the left winger after a cross from the right, and then take the lead from close range for 1-2 Accrington.
Prestwich hit back on 17 mins when a sweet right to left ball by Chris Hopkins picked out Haslam who rifled home for 2-2.
Trading blows Prestwich hit back on 23 mins, again it was Murty with a fine run and cut in from the left to strike low into the bottom right corner, 3-2 to Prestwich.
Yet again kamikaze defending saw Accy come back to make it 3-3, only to see Prestwich regain the lead with another fine goal. This time Sam Holden made a terrific burst out of defense waltzing past several players to pick out David Pietro who in turn found Haslam who calmly swept it past the Accrington keeper.
Yet again Prestwich couldn’t hold on and Accrington made it 4-4 on the stroke of half time, had they been able to just hold on and regain some shape and composure in the break one felt they would have gone on to win the game.
After the helter skelter of the first half the second period was a much more cagey affair, first Accrington seemed to have the upper hand scoring to make it 5-4 but with players from both sides visibly wilting in the heat Prestwich regained the ascendency and dominating the ball with play focused wholly in the Accrington half, the reward came on 85 mins when Prieto and Darren Buckley combined to play Neary in for a very well taken equalizer.
If there was to be a winner it looked nailed on to be Prestwich but with injury time ticking away a long ball from the right just cleared Hopkins’s despairing attempt to divert the ball to land at the left wingers feet, as with the first goal his execution of the control and shot was perfect giving keeper Mike Hudson no chance.
And so it ended with defeat in sickening fashion for the lads who will be looking to bounce back with a tough looking away fixture at Rossendale on Saturday.
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