Management duo off the mark as Gonzales winner caps stunning comeback
A dramatic injury-time winner from Sefton Gonzales capped a brilliant fightback from the Blues as Billy Priestley and Gary Stopforth celebrated their first win in management. That looked a long way off after 20 minutes as Cables roared into a 2-0 lead. But Jake Connelly’s goal just before the break proved crucial to set up a thrilling comeback. Priestley led by example by heading the equaliser with 20 minutes to go.

And then after a couple of stunning saves from Chris Thompson, Gonzales charged down a clearance from goalkeeper Mitchell Allen deep into stoppage time to secure all three points. With new assistant manager Chris Price in the Blues’ dugout – alongside Aaron Ripley following his elevation from the under-21s to a first-team coaching role, it couldn’t have been a better start for the new-look management set-up.
And with four points from their opening two games, the Blues are seriously up-and-running ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Northwich.

Prescot started their NPL West Division campaign with a 1-0 defeat at the weekend but were quickly out the blocks as they welcomed back a crowd for the first time in 18 months. And many of the attendance of 497 were celebrating five minutes in when Leon Johnson followed up am Alexander McMilan effort to slot home. The Blues struggled to deal with the Cables’ counter-attacks and after failing to deal with another ball into their penalty area saw Steve Tames double the hosts’ lead with a cracking volley. The Blues needed a response and it came in a big finish to the first half. Gonzales was denied by a goalline clearance after being released by Ross Dent but when the big striker headed down a corner from the excellent Cole Lonsdale, Connelly pounced to drill home the loose ball.

With the momentum behind them, the Blues continued to dominate at the start of the second half, although it took a couple of fine stops from Thompson to keep out efforts from Mackenzie O’Neill and Lewis Buckley. And with Clitheroe continuing to push for an equaliser it was Priestley who got it as he nodded home a cross from managerial colleague Stopforth. When Thompson then made another superb stop to thwart Buckley again in the final minute the Blues – pegged back late on last Saturday – would probably have been glad of a point.

But their desire to keep fighting to the end was evident as they forced Prescot back one final time and Gonzales got the goal his display deserved when he blocked Allen’s clearance and saw the ball bounce back into the net to seal a landmark win.

Team : Chris Thompson, Josh Askew, Cole Lonsdale, Gary Stopforth, Jack Burrows, Billy Priestley (c), Danny Wilkins (Ricardo Pembele), Ross Dent, Sefton Gonzales, Joel Mills (Conor Gaul), Jake Connelly (Taylor Brickell). Subs - Conor Gaul, Taylor Brickell, Ricardo Pembele. Not used - Mbako Chalashika, Alex Turner.

Prescot Cables: Allen; Lattie, Samba, Cooper (Gregory 75), Schmitdinger (Dwyer 85); McMilan, Dobie, Jackson, Johnson (O’Neil 62); Buckley, Tames. Substitutes: Caddick, Rahim.

Referee: Jonathan Wyatt

Attendance: 497