Prestwich’s game plan to stay solid, stifle the league leaders and try to hit them on the counter was torn to shreds after the highly impressive visitors scored in the fourth minute and added another after fifteen.
Indeed it proved to be an awful day all round. The result alone one could handle as Prestwich’s survival in the top flight will more than likely be dictated on performances against their nearest rivals, of greater significance was the loss of three players to injury, particularly damaging was the nasty looking ankle injury suffered by keeper Mike Hudson (pictured) who has had a tremendous season to date but looks likely to be out for weeks.
The visitors were much the sharper side from the start, livelier and first to every ball, the first goal came after a half clearance landed at the feet of a striker on the edge of the box who drilled it low and hard through a ruck of player into the net.
The second goal was a nicely taken free kick bent round the wall into the far right corner.
Having been largely out played and out fought Prestwich did establish a foothold in the game after 25 minutes and started to enjoy reasonable spells of possession in the Whitworth half although clear cut chances were few and far between and Whitworth remained a threat throughout, largely through their main striker who was the stand out player on the pitch .
Frustratingly Prestwich were also on the end of some strange refereeing decisions constantly being penalised for what appeared to be perfectly good tackles whilst one particularly vicious challenge on Tito Miguel went unpunished.
Nonetheless as, the half progressed Prestwich were still very much in the game. Sadly the half ended progressing very long indeed, whilst there had been the occasional short stoppage for injury (Prestwich had by now lost Stefan Rapacz to injury) Whitworth ended up being awarded a penalty in the fifty first minute!. The penalty duly despatched the long awaited whistle finally blew for half time.
A much improved Prestwich created much more in the way of chances in the second period through the likes of Mike Neary, Sean Haslam and Miguel but the visitors added a forth on the hour. Much to their credit Prestwich never gave up and finally got on the scoresheet through Matty Brennan when on 62 mins the keeper came out wide to the left to take a free kick, the kick only went as far as Brennan some 35 yards out who cleverly returned it immediately back towards the goal with just enough power to beat the keepers desperate retreat.
There was to be no revival though as having lost Simon Galanders at the interval things went from bad to worse with Hudson’s injury, Richard Steadman who along with Sam Holden had previously had the unenviable task of trying to subdue Whitworth’s centre forward went in goals.
Steadman went on to perform minor heroics but was still beaten twice before the end to complete the rout.
