The first game of the new season played at Wright Robinson Sports College saw Heyside fight back from a 0-2 half time deficit to come out on top by 4 goals to 3 in a hard fought game against Clayton Villa.

After losing players in the close season it was decided not to replace them because the quality players had stayed with the team and the loss of some of the 4 had in fact given the team more balance.

The first half saw Heyside struggling to cope with the size of a very large Clayton Team. Clayton kicked us about last season and the lads seemed a little apprensive at first. Clayton went two up after Heyside had been punished for soft play on two separate occasions with our keeper no standing a chance after been let down by the outfield performances.

After the half time team talk with no player escaping criticism that lads really turned on the play and it paid off. Kieron was outstanding in goal; his kicking to the wing men allowed us to get straight back on attack and his 3 on 1 save towards the end of the game was his best ever. The new defensive partnership of Dalton and Bailey gave us the creativity we missed last season, they tackled and passed the ball forward on every occasion and controlled the game from the back.

Billy was in his new role just sitting in front of the defenders and supporting Ben and Taylor on the wings. He ran is socks off in probably the hardest position on the field. Taylor this season is a very different player, patient and composed waiting for the ball and creating space for the other players, it was oblivious from this match that he will be marked man this season and was kicked all over the park. He never once lost his composure and had a part in all four goals.

Robbie was again the target man up front trying to create the space to allow the wing players to cut infield. He dragged the opposition all over the place and was unlucky along with Billy not to get on the end of a thunderous cross bar strike from a wonderful Taylor effort.  

Finally Ben on the left wing who had to take the most criticism for his first half performance and credit to him, he could have easier sulked but instead he stood up took it on the chin and hit back with 4 excellent strikes. Having pulled it back from 2 nil to 2 -2. It looked like we had left it too late when Clayton scored a wonder goal against the run of play. The lad’s heads ever went down and Ben popped up with his hat-trick. Finally with one minute left on the clock Ben ran infield then lost his defender to drag it back to the left wing and cracked it straight over the keeper to win the game.

Although Ben scored all the goals it was a full team effort from a set of friends who just want to play for one another.

MOM: Well done to all the boys today but thanks to his goals Ben was a worthy winner of the award just edging it from Keeper Kieron and Taylor