Three unanswered second half goals gave Padiham a 3-0 victory at Adie Moran Park as Heys struggled to create chances and gave new manager Ryan Hutchinson a clue as to the hard task of turning their on-field fortunes around, writes Paul Thomason.

Prestwich did start the game brightly, amidst a fast paced tempo from both sides, and indeed did have an early opportunity to open the scoring when a cross met the head of Finley Stanyer, which brought a good save from Matthew Hamnett in the visitors' goal, but the flag went up for offside.

Thirteen minutes in, it looked like Heys would go a goal down when Padiham were awarded a penalty. Joel Brownhill stepped up to take it and drove it down to Bradley Sullivans right, but the Heys keeper guessed correctly and made a good save, keeping the score at 0-0.

As the first half went on, Padiham started to dominate the game and created a number of chances. A chance on twenty-three minutes for former Heys forward Tyler James, across the keeper, was deflected and saved by Sullivan. The visitors continued to push forward and five minutes later, James had another chance when a ball was crossed low to the near post but this time, he stabbed the ball wide.

James was involved again on the half hour mark as he beat Sullivan to the ball on the right side of the penalty area, crossed the ball to Brownhill, who had the chance to head it into an empty net, but it went over the bar.

Prestwich were defending hard as the visitors continued to come forward and it started to feel like when, rather than if, they were going to open the scoring and they had one more chance in the first half when Sullivan once again continued to keep Heys in the game as he blocked a Kieran Molloy effort at the foot of the post.

At half time, there were some positive signs from the home side. Debutant Luke Jackson looked lively on the left wing and Bradley Sullivan continued to impress in goal. There was an early half-chance for Heys in the second half when the ball was played to Noah Inneh in the box, back towards goal, but he shot blindly, and his effort went well over the bar.

Prestwich were still soaking up pressure in the second half but there was still hope that they could find that break and when Luc Ferry came on, he got involved straight away, shooting from around twenty-five yards out, straight into the 'keepers' arms - the home sides' first shot on target.

Padiham, however, were getting stronger and stronger as the game went on and Molloy had a golden opportunity going one-on-one with Sullivan in the Heys goal, but once again, he kept the visitors at bay.

Eventually, the opening goal did come from Padiham on sixty-three minutes. A corner on the right found the ball in the six-yard box, there was a little goalmouth scramble before it was hit in by Lee Pugh.

Once the goal went in, Padiham took full control of the game and didn't look back. On seventy minutes, they should have gone two up. The ball was played into the penalty area, then from six yards out, Brownhill's effort was brilliantly saved by Sullivan.

They did get their second three minutes later. From the right-hand side, the ball was played over the head of James, who stuck out a foot out to lob the ball over the goalkeeper. There was no denying that it was a great finish. Also, it was game over.

The final goal came in the eighty-first minute when a bit of a lapse in concentration, the Heys defence give the ball to Joshua Briggs right in front of goal who comfortably finished to give Padiham a comfortable scoreline to take back to East Lancashire.

After a promising start to the game for Heys, Padiham were just too strong. Sullivan made a number of good saves to keep the home side in it in the first half but once Padiham went ahead, there was only going to be one winner.

Team: Bradley A Sullivan, Elijah Hearn, Regan Jarrett, Adam Hampshire, Regan Brown, Finley Stanyer, Adam Dahou, Luke Mann, Jordan Southworth, Noah Inneh, Luke Jackson Subs: Luc Ferry (for Southworth 55 mins), Finlay Stafford (for Hampshire 60 mins), Nathan Bartram-Conway (for Brown 65 mins), Soony Reeves (for Dahou 75 mins, Will Gore)