Prestwich Heys 1 Alport 2
Two well taken goals from Alex Hughes ensured Alport took some momentum into this weekend’s huge play-off semi final at City of Liverpool. A goalless first half at Adie Moran Park meant that the Reds’ goalless run away from home had stretched to five and a half hours, but within six minutes of the restart Hughes showed great calmness to beat Mark Baguley. And when a second chance presented itself midway through the second half, Hughes again came out on top with another instinctive finish to all but kill off Prestwich’s challenge.
 
Alport recalled former Shrewsbury Town and Crewe Alexandra midfielder Kevin Street, whose only other appearance in a Whitchurch shirt came much earlier in the campaign in a 2-1 home defeat to Alsager Town. Street has been plying his trade for Kidsgrove Athletic in the Evo-Stik South all season but will be available for the play-offs. And Street’s presence in the centre of the park added further protection to a miserly back four that hadn’t been breached in four successive away matches. And it would’ve been five had the linesman not flagged harshly for a shirt pull by Nick Marley on Michael Itela that allowed the retiring Lee O’Brien to tuck away an 87th minute penalty to halve the arrears.
 
Dean Twigg saw a goal chalked off after just 90 seconds and Si Everall clattered the bar with a rising shot that had Baguley beaten all ends up, while at the other end Dom Slaven twice went close to opening the scoring for Prestwich.
 
In the second half Alport had plenty of possession and got into some dangerous situations. Luke Walley was a good outlet ball down the left for the away side while Nick Marley made plenty of his customary runs down the right hand side. Carl Everall saw Carl Fitton pop up on the goalline to head clear after a peach of a corner from Hughes found the head of the player-manager just before the hour - and with the Reds a goal to the good. Hughes' second put Alport in cruise control with the clock running down and three points as good as banked.
 
Joe Minshall and Ryan Thomas seldom looked troubled at the back and it looked like another shut out until the linesman deemed young Marley to have more than a handful of Itela’s red jersey. O’Brien thumped the ball past Danny Read who only really had one save to make all afternoon, but despite throwing Baguley forward for a last gasp free-kick, the home side ended their season with a third successive home defeat.