A 94th-minute goal by Kris Holt gave Bury AFC a 2-1 victory over Prestwich Heys in a compelling NWCFL Premier Division derby at Adie Moran Park on Saturday.

In front of a 963-strong crowd, a record for the ground, the result was harsh on Heys

In a hard-fought contest they had the better chances, striking the bar and post and seeing a couple of efforts cleared off the line.

However, it all turned sour in added time for the home side as striker Matt Davies was sent off for two bookable offences and from the free-kick that followed his second yellow, Bury scored the winner.

After a bright Bury start, Heys almost took the lead with their first real opening in the 15th minute when Dylan Fitzgerald found space on the edge of the area and fired in a shot that came off the underside of the bar and back into the grateful hands of Bury keeper Jack Atkinson. Some behind the posts, including Bury fans, thought it was over the line but the people that mattered, the officials, thought not.

The visitors were to come close in the 23rd minute. A ball in behind the home defence set up a race between Lewis Gilboy and Heys keeper Jordan Hadlow for the ball. It was the Bury man who got there first, but the latter had done enough to halt Gilboy’s progress. As he struggled in the mud to set himself to score, it gave time for Heys captain Arron Chalmers to position himself perfectly to block the incoming shot.

Momentum switched to the other end as Heys twice went close in a matter of minutes. In the 27th, Davies created space for himself superbly in the penalty area before firing in a near-post shot that Atkinson kept out with his legs, with the ball breaking to Omar Mbowe, but he lifted his shot over.

On the stroke of half time, Bardsley-Rowe again opened up the visitors’ defence to cross to the far post where Rio Clegg got a touch, which Atkinson was unable to gather, giving the Heys front man a second opportunity which Sajjad Elhassan hooked off the line.

In the 51st minute it was the away side who were to break the deadlock. Gilboy crossed from the left and with Heys unable to clear the ball fell to Ben Wharton to fire home from 12 yards.

The goal sparked a good spell for the visitors with Hadlow forced to punch clear under pressure.

With Bury seemingly looking to defend their lead it was Heys who began to enjoy the greater possession and in the 73rd minute they went mightily close again. Great link up play by Bardsley-Rowe and Tyler James saw the latter pass inside to Davies, who diverted the ball past Atkinson to the far corner, heading it seemed, in almost slow motion, into the far corner before coming back off the post.

In the 84th minute though, Heys finally got their reward. After working the ball down the right and into the box, Davies spun off his marker to rifle a shot past Atkinson at the near post.

The scene was set for a grandstand finish as Bury, aware of the damage dropped points could do to their promotion chances, pushed forward.

It all went wrong for the hosts in added time. Davies was booked for an uncharacteristic tackle before moments later committing another foul. Ordinarily, it might have been nothing more than a word but so soon after his first yellow card it brought a second and a red.

When all had settled it represented a free-kick in a good position midway inside the Heys half for Bury. It was an opportunity that was not to be spurned as Chris Rowney’ delivery was nigh-on perfect and as Hadlow came to punch clear, Holt nipped in first to head home the winner, sparking jubilant scenes amongst the visiting fans and heartache for Heys.