PRESTWICH Heys got the New Year off to the perfect start with a game that had, among other things, outstanding goals and two sendings off, but more importantly three points to keep them firmly in the hunt to retain their league title.

Dukinfield arrived with an unbeaten record stretching back to September and were sitting in second place.

Heys knew that if they were to have any hope of winning the championship they had to win this encounter.

Consequently they set off like a team intent on doing just that, with Dan Caldwell saving in the opening minutes from Platt, then punching clear with two Dukinfield forwards closing in on him.

The midfield pairing of Andy Roberts and Lee Connell gradually began to grab a hold of the game with some crunching tackles.

And it was Roberts who threaded a delightful ball into the path of the returning Carl Lomax.

His strike was heading for the top corner, only for the impressive Jennings in the away goal to pull off an excellent save.

Unfortunately he was left helpless five minutes later when a short back pass from his skipper Ross was intercepted by Steve Howson, who finished in style to give Heys a 1-0 lead .

Five minutes later and it was 2-0 after a delightful move involving Damian Keegan and Mark Westhead resulted in Lomax lashing the ball into the top corner.

But for some desperate defending Heys could have been four 4-0 up after 45 minutes.

The second half was only five minutes old when Heys should really have increased the lead.

Keegan and Howson both had glorious chances, Lomax failed to hit the target when well placed and Westhead had a shot cleared off the line.

But the turning point arrived in the 70th minute when an off-the-ball incident involving Lee Connell and Pete Sidebottom resulted in both players being red-carded.

This allowed the visitors to get a foothold in the game and they clawed a goal back in the 75th minute with a Ross header.

Just when they looked like they might get something out of the game, the introduction of Abbid Uddin for the tiring Mark Westhead swung the the game back in Heys favour, and five minutes from time Uddin was on hand to calm the spectators' nerves and finish in fine style to make it 3-1 and claim three very important points.

PRESTWICH HEYS: Caldwell, Hutchinson, Cunningham, Walters, Doran, Howson, Roberts, Connell, Lomax, Westhead, Keegan. Subs: McManus, Uddin, Sensale.