Lancaster City progress in LFA Challenge Trophy with win over Prestwich Heys

Lancaster City are through to the third round of the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy after a comfortable victory over Prestwich Heys.

They beat the North West Counties League Premier Division side 3-0 on Tuesday night (November 21).

Goals from Charlie Bailey, Sam Bailey and Dom Lawson got the Dolly Blues the win.

Tom Kilifin made his first appearance since re-signing for the club last week.

The striker has had two previous spells at The Giant Axe, scoring 75 goals in 250 matches.

The hosts took advantage of their first real opportunity of the game, finding themselves in front 18 minutes in.

Matty Clarke found Charlie Bailey inside the box who calmly struck the ball home to give City the lead.

Six minutes later, Sam Bailey sent a free kick from the left into the box, but Bailey was the last player the ball connected with before it found the net, going past everyone else in the 18-yard area.

In a first half in which the visitors never really threatened, it was their goalkeeper Russ Saunders who was most impressive - the Dollies could have been out of sight if it wasn’t for him.

The Heys did have a few more chances in the second half but never really troubled Andre Mendes in goal. 

Matthew Davies and Rio Clegg came close but couldn’t find the target.

With less than 15 minutes to go, Clegg was sent off after reacting to a challenge from a Lancaster player, giving the ninth tier side an even bigger mountain to climb.

With 83 minutes on the clock, Dom Lawson extended City’s lead to three goals with a calm finish to secure their progression to the third round of the trophy.

The Dolly Blues last won the competition in 2021, when they eventually played the delayed final of the 2019/20 season.

They won 6-1, coincidentally against Prestwich Heys, in that final.

This season, before beating The Heys, Lancaster knocked National League side AFC Fylde out of the competition, thanks to two goals from Paul Jarvis.

Mark Fell’s side will now turn their attention back to league football.

Their next game is at home to Bradford Park Avenue in the NPL Premier Division on Saturday (November 25). 

Lancaster City: Mendes, Clarke, Deighan, Gallagher-Allison, Grand, Mellen (Brownhill 67’), C Bailey, S Bailey, Lawson, Kilifin (77’), Norris (Connelly 67’)