Heath open their account

Wick & Barnham 1

by Chris Francis

After drawing their first game back in senior football, Heath went one better on Saturday.

Manager Simon Corless was delighted with the result and in fairness his side had bags of chances to have at least doubled their tally.

But they did lose their way a little in the closing half an hour when the visitors’ substitutions started to have a real effect.

In truth, it was an entertaining match with plenty of goalmouth action and one that should prove to Heath and their supporters that there is no reason they cannot be a real force in this division.

Kieron Purkis and Danny Mobsby both had chances before Heath broke the deadlock on 22 minutes. Tom Rabbetts was brought down by a combination of keeper and defender, and Andy Tuckey made no mistake from the spot despite Jordan Matthews guessing correctly.

Jamie Wanstall had a couple of one-on-one chances for the hosts after that, being denied by Ted Griffin’s goalline clearance and then lifting the ball over the keeper but seeing it go wide of the far post.

However, the visitors caused George Hyde a few problems, notably when Mark Pedrick’s lob into the box eluded everyone and hit the far post.

And after the break they made the early running, with Sam Enticott hitting a decent chance straight at Hyde and then Sam Rumble having a set-piece header turned over.

It was a little against the run of play when Mike Williamson burst through the middle to comfortably score on 57 minutes and then two minutes later it was 3-0 from a corner somewhat mysteriously awarded when Purkis had seemed to do everything right except provide the finish after rounding the keeper.

The corner was taken short and when Tuckey whipped the ball in, Rabbetts failed to make contact with a diving header but it hardly mattered as the cross went in anyway.

After that there were plenty more chances for Heath, Purkis hitting a post from yet another one-on-one, but the visitors also started creating plenty of their own and should have had more than the one goal scored by lively sub Kieron Playle-Howard.

Heath: Hyde; Gomez (Moores, 71), Bygraves, Gardner, Hall; Rabbetts (Wragg, 83), Tuckey, Mobsby, Williamson; Purkis, Wanstall (Baker, 65).

Middy Starman: Ben Hall.