VIDEO: Slyne-with-Hest FC 4-3 Hesketh Bank

Heskth Bank made the brighter start and took the lead after 10 minutes when a long ball from the back found Danny Birkby, who beat the offside trap and finished well past Callum Morris in the Slyne goal from six yards out.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Morris’s attempted clearance fell short of the half way line.

Hesketh Bank’s winger got up well to win the header and the ball fell to Tom Smythe 40 yards out – the striker made no mistake with the finish, hammering the ball into an empty net with Morris caught out of position.

Morris was called into action a few minutes later, making a save from a left footed shot from 30 yards out as the visitors went looking for a third goal.

Morris was having a busy time of it and had to save once more when a freekick from just outside the area hit the wall and on the second attempt a shot was hit superbly and heading for the bottom corner, only for the Slyne keeper to save well to his right and then pounce on the ball on the follow up.

Ten minutes before half time though Slyne were given a lifeline when Garry Hunter curled a freekick from the edge of the area into the top corner.

The goal kicked Slyne into gear and moments later Mathew Bell went close with a shot from just outside the area, but his effort went a yard wide of the keeper’s right hand post.

Slyne maintained the pressure though and just before half time they were awarded a penalty when Zac Clark was brought down by the goalkeeper in the box, but Bell fired the spot kick over the bar.

Five minutes into the second half Slyne got their equaliser when the visitors failed to clear a corner and Clark was able to prod the ball home from close range, and then another five minutes later it was 3-2. A superbly flighted freekick was crossed into the area and Danny Dixon finished with a glancing header to make it 3-2 and put Slyne ahead for the first time in the game.

Morris was called upon again when he saved excellently from a freekick 20 yards from goal and Dixon then almost claimed his second goal of the game when Slyne caught the visitors on the break and found themselves four on three, but he couldn’t quite get a foot to the cross which would have been a certain tap in.

Slyne finally got their fourth goal in the 65th minute when Clark outmuscled the centre back and calmly placed his shot past the keeper to seemingly kill the game off.

However, minutes later Hesketh Bank were awarded a corner and the Slyne defence failed to clear it – the ball eventually went back out wide and from the resulting cross Richard Burns headed home from from six yards to make it 4-3.

There was still time for Clark to have one last try to get his hat-trick but his shot went just wide of the post but Slyne were still able to pick up an important three points.