REPORT | Prescot Cables 3-0 Widnes

Widnes were beaten 3-0 away at Prescot Cables at Volair Park in the BetVictor Northern Premier League Division One North/West on Tuesday night.

Hosts Prescot were ahead after 18 minutes when former Widnes man Sean Myler slotted beyond Owen Wheeler.

Matty Hamilton added a second with a direct free-kick midway through the second half, before James Edgar netted a dubiously awarded penalty in the last minute of normal time.

The Whites made four changes to the side beaten at Workington last time out. Co-bosses Steve Akrigg and Kev Towey were without key players Fisnik Hajdari and Shaun Holden, sidelined by injury and unavailability respectively.

Chris Lomax was brought back from a dual-registration spell at Burscough to fill in at left-back, while Danny Ventre returned to partner Sam Sheen in midfield. Elsewhere, Conor Ready and Josh Klein-Davies were restored to the starting line-up in place of James Steele and Harry Brazel.

In truth, Widnes never really got going. The Whites produced a lacklustre performance and were routinely dispatched by an organised and clinical Prescot side.

However, the Whites were unfortunate not to have taken a 13th minute lead. Jay Roberts floated a free-kick towards the back-post, nodded back inside by Michael Grogan with firstly Josh Klein-Davies and Lewis Buckley seeing efforts charged down by Cables defenders.

But Prescot edged the early exchanges and took the lead five minutes later when former Widnes favourite Myler came back to haunt his former side. His well-timed run latched on to a well-weighted ball forward, and he applied a superb finish beyond keeper Wheeler.

Widnes were seemingly lacking cohesion and struggled to break down a dogged Cables rearguard. Lomax had to be alert to put in a decent recovery challenge to deflect George Hassall’s powerful effort off target.

Klein-Davies, returning to Prescot for the first time since his summer move to Widnes, would go close for the visitors shortly beyond the half-hour mark, but his lobbed effort dropped wide of the far-post with Ollie Taylor well-beaten.

After the break, a slight tactical switch saw Widnes revert to a diamond, which Buckley joined Klein-Davies up front. This promoted Grogan to drop deeper into midfield where he initially showed the Whites’ first real glimpses of quality.

The midfielder would sting the gloves of Taylor with a powerful effort, before striking narrowly over minutes later as Widnes showed small signs of improvement.

Steele and Brazel were introduced from the bench in place of Klein-Davies and Ventre for a renewed sense of vigour, but it mattered little as Cables added to their lead on the 64-minute mark.

After Widnes conceded a soft free-kick 30 yards from goal, Hamilton stepped up and curled a delightful free-kick into the bottom corner, with a late bounce deceiving the dive of the outstretched Wheeler.

Widnes never really looked like making a comeback. In fact, their night could have gone from bad to worse when Prescot marksman Lloyd Dean missed the target with two free headers in a matter of minutes that he’d have been very disappointed not to have buried.

Ben Hodkinson, carrying a knock, came off the bench in Akrigg and Towey’s last roll of the dice, but the game was already won and the points were heading to Prescot.

Cables were awarded a debateable penalty two minutes from time. Skipper Sheen looked to have won an indirect free-kick inside his own area with referee Matthew McGuillan initially waving away Prescot penalty shouts. Then, McGuillan remarkably change his mind to the confusion of all inside the ground and the ire of the Widnes defenders.

Edgar promptly buried his penalty as Widnes’ misery was compounded.

The Whites return to action in the Buildbase FA Trophy away at Ossett United on Saturday.