Town had their chances, but they failed to take them and paid the price when Dale Wright's 72nd minute free kick took a deflection off Steve Payne and sneaked in at the far post.
It was a scrappy goal to decide a scrappy match played on a bog of a pitch under uniformly slate grey skies.
Throw in the frustration caused by a home side intent on wasting time at every opportunity and it was a day to put down to experience and move on.
The pitch meant it was impossible to play any football with the players always in danger of slipping and the ball itself getting bogged down.
The disappointment was that Town failed to fully adapt to the conditions and their set pieces, normally such a major influence on matches, were poor.
Tom Baker's first delivery, after just four minutes, failed to find its intended target and that was the story throughout.
Payne's long throw soon after was cleared by the home defence after a struggle, but on the whole those deliveries were also ineffective.
The Shaymen should have been ahead after 11 minutes after Dean ran into the path of Richard Marshall's flick on. The ball rolled through to Nicky Gray before Dean took over, only to fire wide from 12 yards.
Prescot responded with their best spell of the first half - if not the entire match.
Aaron Rey carried the ball forward from halfway before slipping it through for Dean Thurston, but Jonathan Hedge was off his line quickly to block.
And a minute later Rey crossed in from the left, Phil Cooney swung his boot at the ball and volleyed wide from close range at the far post.
Dean's ball, from a Gray flick, was just too strong for Marshall to capitalise on and within a minute, the big striker had another great opportunity.
Baker's free kick from the right went deep and Payne helped it back towards, goal only for Dean to head straight into home keeper Andy Paxton's arms from inside the six yard box.
Dean almost made amends on the half hour with a neat turn on the edge of the area, but he sent his shot flashing wide of the post.
And that was it for first half chances, although Aspin was clearly unhappy with the way things were going, switching things round 10 minutes before the break, bringing on Luke Richardson in midfield and putting Aaron Hardy back to the right side of defence.
Prescot showed a little more purpose at the start of the second half, although Phil Green's shot from the edge of the area a minute after the restart was weak.
And they could have gone ahead courtesy of a defensive slip when Ryan Crossley wrong footed Hedge with a touch in the area, the keeper recovering well to keep the ball out.
Baker's 53rd minute free kick, after a Che Morgan foul on Dean, was headed wide at the near post by Gray and when Marshall released Gray 13 minutes later, the Town man was only denied a shooting opportunity by a fine last ditch sliding challenge from Krystian Liptrot.
Hedge raced off his line to clear as Phil Green looked favourite to latch onto a long ball forward in the 70th minute.
But he was left flat footed on his line three minutes later as Cables took the lead from Wright's free kick following a Hardy foul on Rey.
Town did try to get back on terms, committing more and more players to attack.
The home side struggled to deal with a Payne long throw, conceding a corner, from which Payne headed wide.
And there was a real chance in the final minute of the 90 when Dean fed Kevin Sanasy whose shot was saved by Paxton. The keeper then recovered to block Crossley as he tried to force home the rebound.
Six minutes of added time failed to yield anything for Town, even when Hedge joined the rest of his teammates in the Prescot area for a late, late corner.

MATCH FACTS
Prescot Cables: Paxton, Sayer, Morgan, Liptrot, McIntosh, Lundon, Wright (Kirkbridge 90), Cooney, Green, Rey (Ridler 85), Thurston. Subs (not used): Owens, Cliff, Gifford.
Goals: Payne og 72
Booked: Rey (foul 82)
Sent-off: None

FC Halifax Town: Hedge, Hotte (Richardson 35), Codman, Crossley, Riley (Peers 56), Payne, Hardy, Baker, Gray, Marshall (Sanasy 78), Dean. Subs (not used): Senior, Harrison.
Goals: None
Booked: None
Sent-off: None

Attendance: 614
Referee: Nick Greenhalgh

STAR SHAYMAN
It was a bad afternoon all round for Town, with little going right in midfield or attack for the men in blue.
At the back it was also disappointing that they were unable to add to an impressive tally of 16 clean sheets so far his campaign.
They did, however, manage to nullify the long ball threat from the home side.
Steve Payne led the way as he hardly put a foot wrong in very tricky conditions.
He was decisive in the air and on the ground, showing all his experience along the way and the fact he was credited, if that's the right word, with an own goal does not detract from his performance.
Ryan Crossley also impressed again alongside Payne as their partnership goes from strength to strength.
He might even have capped his display with a goal but for being denied by the second half of a double stop by Andy Paxton.
Nicky Gray has been getting back to top form in recent weeks and while never at his sparkling best he did cause Prescot problems.
And whenever Town did manage to create an opportunity, in the first half especially, he was in there scheming.
Payne takes the three points on offer in our season long competition, Crossley gets two and Gray one.

PLAYER POINTS
Gray 22, Marshall 18, Payne 18, Dean 16, Crossley 12, Baker 9, Riley 8, Hotte 7, Hedge 7, Hardy 6, Codman 4, Phelan 3, Harrison 2, Peers 2, Richardson 2.

YOU SAY
Poor ground - terrible pitch - not a good performance at all - let's bounce back on tuesday. Bri W7