Michael Smith wins Goalkeeper of the Month Award

For the second month running Michael Smith has been named the Reusch Goalkeeper of the Month in the Hallmark Security League Division One North.

This is a tremendous achievement by Mike and we offer our Congratulations.

His testimonial for the Award reads:

Mike was again an ever-present in December, with two clean sheets acting as book-ends for the four league victories and two cup defeats.

One of Smith’s greatest assets is his ability to concentrate in games where he is not called into action regularly, and this was the case when Holker Old Boys visited Prestwich in the opening game of the month, when Heys won 6-0.

Against Bamber Bridge, the Heys ‘keeper kept the score down in the second half as they bowed out of the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy, and although he played in the 2-1 Macron Cup defeat at Nelson, Heys ended the month with three successive away wins.

In each of the games, Mike was the rock at the heart of the Heys defence, especially in testing conditions against LR at Crilly Park, dealing with a potential banana skin really well.

In these last three games, Smith played with three different centre-half pairings, but his calming influence meant that these changes did not affect Heys as they won at AFC Darwen and Holker Old Boys.

At the Anchor Ground, Mike made a series of saves in the opening quarter of an hour of the second half which were to prove pivotal in victory, and again at Holker, when the home side threatened, he matched everything that the Cumbrians could throw at them.

It's the second month in succession that Mike has won the award, showing that he is maintaining a high level of consistency in his performances.