A fifty seventh minute strike by Alfie Belcher was the fifth and final goal in a great 5-2 opening day win away at the New Sirs ground Daisy Hill on Saturday.
After the same fixture was postponed the week before due to a waterlogged pitch a 'free' Saturday for both teams meant this fixture was quickly re-arranged.
Matt Barnes selected his strongest side possible against a side against a Daisy Hill team that included three former Heys players and from the kick off Heys were straight into it with pacy wingers Jamie Hill and Niall Sultan being utilised with balls being sprayed through the midfield from Max White, Alfie Belcher and league debutant after recently signing from Main Road Jamie Roe who was to figure prominently as the afternoon progressed.
Heys first real threat was from a free kick on ten minutes after a foul on Sultan on the right Nathan Emery stepped up and fired a low drive just wide of Daisy Hill keeper Cameron Allison's left hand post.
The breakthrough came as soon as the fourteenth minute when after a chance for the home side the ball was cleared down the middle for a counter attack and on hand was a confident looking Niall Sultan who controlled and shot from eight yards past keeper Allison to put the visitors in front.
Heys continued to press and Daisy Hill could easily have been down to ten men after former Heys man Adam Farrell kicked out at Heys centre half Jacob Holt the referee saw the incident but chose to wave play on. Uundeterred by this Heys focused and were soon 2-0 up as the home defence failed to intercept a cross from the left enabling Joe Rothwell to beat Daisy Hill keeper Allison to the ball slot home.
The home side were not giving up though and on thirty eight minutes Adam Farrell's shot dribbled wide of the far post as they pressed to get back into the game. Worry for Heys on forty three minutes when midfield maestro Max White went down under a heavy challenge and was replaced by centre half Anthony Potts who came on at full back with Joe Rothwell heading into the middle.
Not letting this phase them Heys pressed on and on the stroke of halftime made it 3-0 when a lovely ball from the middle from the inventive Alfie Belcher found Jamie Hill just ahead of the half way line and he charged down the flank cut inside to smash the ball top right past Allison. A wonderfully worked goal and Hill at his devastating best to put the visitors firmly in the box seat.
So 3-0 at the break and another substitution for Heys seeing Jamie Sinnott replace the injured Niall Sultan who'd had a terrific first half . The visitors showed no sign of a let up as by the time the crowd had finished a half time Bovril Heys were 4-0 when in the fiftieth minute again it was Jamie Hill darting down the left cross comes in finding Jack Coop on the edge of the box who makes no mistake hammering past Allison.
Jack Coop celebrates after putting Heys 4-0 up
Photograph courtesy of Beth Lee (official club photographer)
Full credit to the home side though who never gave up throughout the afternoon despite this pacy Heys side and were rewarded on fifty minutes when a high ball into the box was converted past Heys keeper Russ Saunders from close range by Matt Davison for 4-1.
With Daisy Hill trying to make an impression Heys again came back and a through ball down the middle from Jamie Roe who was having a very impressive league debut catching the eye all afternoon put Alfie Belcher clean through and he made no mistake hammering in from twelve yards for Heys fifth of the afternoon.
Alfie Belcher celebrates the fith goal of the afternoon for Heys
Photograph courtesy of Beth Lee (official club photographer)
Heys continued to press as the aforementioned Roe fired over the bar on sixty three minutes and centre half Aidy Bellamy had one disallowed for offside shortly after that but the home side still showing a lot of fighting spirit pulled another one back on 84 minutes with a great strike from Connor Hughes who's effort beat Russ Saunders from twenty yards.
The final whistle came in a 5-2 win for Heys and the impressive away following of 41 in a crowd of 139 will be very happy with this energetic display in midfield, using width to full effect and the devastating finishing from five different goalscorers, this was football Prestwich Heys pride themselves on and manager Matt Barnes will be very pleased with his teams efforts after recent disruption due to the weather.
New signing Jamie Roe in second half action