Prescot Cables 6

Curzon Ashton 0 PRESCOT went top of the North West Counties First Division with this emphatic victory.

Steve O'Neill headed against the bar and he and Kevin Garforth had chances cleared off the line before Gary Jensen headed Prescot into the lead after 15 minutes.

Garforth almost put O'Neill clear two minutes later but a last-ditch tackle by Andy Wearden denied him a scoring chance. It took another 10 minutes before O'Neill and Garforth unlocked the Curzon defence and only a superb save from Martin White prevented O'Neill from scoring.

Curzon's task was made all the more difficult with the dismissal of Gregg Taylor after 30 minutes when he pulled down Jensen as he broke free onto goal.

O'Neill then hit the post as he tried to convert a Jensen flick-on from a tight angle.

Curzon then had their best two chances of the game when Derek Hall tricked his way through the Prescot defence but hit his shot far too high. Josh Mitten then got in behind the Prescot defence but pulled his shot well wide again with just Dahl to beat.

It was virtually all one-way traffic in the second half with the first 20 minutes producing a lot of goalmouth action but few clear-cut chances. White dealt comfortably with three attempts on goal but could do nothing to prevent Paul Heavey getting Prescot's second after 67 minutes when the big striker held of his marker to steer the ball home from 12 yards.

Some skilful work by Riley on the right was rewarded when O'Neill tapped home his cross for Prescot's third after 70 minutes. It was 4-0 seven minutes later when a superb 40-yard cross-field ball from Riley freed Tommy Baker on the right. Baker's knock into the box was met perfectly by Heavey who steered the ball past the helpless White.

Baker was on hand to chip the ball into the box for O'Neill to head Prescot's fifth after 85 minutes. White made another good save from Jensen before he rounded off the scoring with his second goal in the final minute. Kidsgrove Athletic 0

Prescot Cables 3

Prescot took the lead in this midweek fixture after just three minutes when Eddie Taylor played a ball for Steve O'Neill to outpace the Kidsgrove defence and chip the ball home.

Kidsgrove nearly levelled the scores after 14 minutes when Andrew Kinsey was left unmarked at the back post at a free kick but Prescot keeper Paul Dahl was alert to the danger and tipped Kinsey's header over the bar.

Brian Holmes broke down the right and hit a superb cross that Gary Jensen steered into the net at the back post to give Prescot a 2-0 lead after 18 minutes.

O'Neill nearly increased Prescot's lead after 10 minutes of the second half when he burst into the box and beat the keeper but his shot came back off the bar.

Two minutes later, Dahl made an excellent save to stop a 25-yard drive by Kinsey. Kidsgrove had a short period of sustained pressure that brought them four corners but no breakthrough.

Dahl maintained Prescot's lead with a superb block from another Kinsey effort and a little later saved a 20-yard strike from Paul Lovatt.

In an effort to get something from the game, Kidsgrove made a triple substitution with 20 minutes to go but a four man move involving O'Neill, Kevin Garforth, Hayes and Jensen unlocked the Kidsgrove defence with the latter shooting past Pay from six yards to give a Prescot a 3-0 lead.