Prestwich leapfrogged their guests to return to the top of LAL Division one in a highly impressive performance that in truth was even more dominant than the score line suggests.
Right winger Mike Nearys impressive run of form showed no sign of abating, him scoring one and having a hand in the other three goals, but it was a brilliant all round team performance that made the difference.
Prestwich were on the front foot from the start in this crucial 6 pointer, with Darren Buckley and Sam Holden controlling the game centrally and the strikers constantly looking for gaps in what was a well organised and determined Rossendale defence.
Initially it was Steve Murty on the left and Martin Hill operating in a free attacking role that looked the most likely sources of a goal, with both seemingly able to ghost past players at will but having beaten two or three most of their runs were being thwarted on the edge of a crowded box as Rossendale defended in numbers.
Worryingly though whilst Prestwich were totally dominating they were creating very few real clear cut chances although Sean Haslam was unlucky very early on with an attempted lob.
Nonetheless one sensed that it would be a matter of time before Prestwich pierced the stubborn Rossendale back line and went in front, before disaster struck 10 mins into the game.
A long high ball from back to front by Paul Taylor was won strongly by the opposite centre half, the header landed at the feet of the Rossendale centre forward in the vacuum created by the Prestwich midfield pushing high up the pitch in support of the strikers. Running at the defence diagonally left to right across the Prestwich box he did really well to strike low and hard across keeper Mike Hudson into the left hand corner to give Rossendale an unlikely lead.
It was a major blow as the back line of Chris Hopkins, Taylor, Richard Steadman and Liam Burke had looked very impressive and composed prior to that. To their credit the lads simply picked up from where they were before the goal and set up camp around the 25 yard mark from the Rossendale goal intensifying the pressure.
Haslam was again unlucky with a header that struck the bar before Neary finally made the breakthrough with the slight element of luck that had been missing for Prestwich on 42 mins. Attempting play a one two with Hill on the edge of the box the ball ricocheted back into his path from an attempted block by a defender, he took full advantage firing low into the bottom right hand corner to make it 1-1 at the break.
Prestwich picked up from where they’d left off on the resumption, it was turning into probably the best all round team display of the season with the back line looking authoritative and calm whenever Rossendale threatened, and Buckley in particular controlling the tempo and prompting from centre mid, the only surprise being that they had to wait until the 60th minute to take the lead. When it came it was a great goal, having swapped wings Neary made a strong penetrating run down the left, holding a defender off just long enough to play a square ball to Hill who’d timed his run to edge of the box and showed great technique to ‘pass’ the ball into the bottom right corner giving the huge Rossendale keeper no chance.
In full flow now Prestwich added a third on 73 mins with Neary again involved, this time picking out Hill on the left hand edge of the box who in turn fed Haslam on the right hand edge who took a touch before smashing it past the keeper.
There was time for Murty to crack one against the bar with ball looking suspiciously like it had crossed the line as it was being cleared before Dave Thompson again fed by Neary struck home low and hard to the keepers left from 20 yards out on the right.
As Prestwich took their foot off the pedal Rossendale grabbed a very well taken consolation goal a minute from time through the same striker that scored their first but it was too little too late.
