After a hectic summer at the club that saw Lee O’Brien and James Hampson come in as Joint Managers and undertake a radical overhaul of the playing squad, a winning start was just what they would have wanted. Naming ten debutants in their starting line-up, their new look side were ultimately good value for their victory.

Heys dominated the game for long periods but after taking a 15th minute lead through Reon Potts they had to wait until the final ten minutes before sealing the victory with goals by Mitch Bryant and Connor Berry sealing the points against a resilient Burscough side.

The visitors had been rocked the day before the game when their Manager Leon Mike resigned but they so nearly had the perfect start when a mix up between Heys keeper Jordan Latham and centre half Rudy Misambo almost created a gift before the former recovered the situation.

However, Heys soon found their attacking stride as Aaron Chalmers and Misambo both saw headers go wide from corners before their pressure told in the 15th minute. Heys worked the ball across the box with Callum Nicholas heavily involved before his shot was parried by keeper Jordan Hadlow and Potts reacted quickly to fire home from close range.

Burscough almost hit straight back when from a free kick Heys were exposed and it took a super block by Misambo to block a goal bound shot by Marios Avraam.

The home side replied by laying siege to the Burscough goal. Fitzgerald twice went close as did Nicholas and Chalmers. However, with Heys unable to make their superiority count it gave Burscough heart and Emmanuel Amole put a free header wide as his side grew into the game.

The half time talk centred on whether Heys may regret not taking their chances and they started the second half as if looking to put that right.
In the opening five minutes, Nicholas saw a shot tipped over the bar before Berry then saw a diving header come off the post after great work by Potts. Hadlow then denied Fitzgerald and Berry again before Nicholas fired wide.

With Heys unable find that second goal and with the home crowd becoming increasingly edgy, their fears were almost realised in thein the 65th minute when a low cross into the box found Avraam unmarked but he failed to make a clear connection to skew the visitors best chance wide.

Heys made maximum use of the new five subs rule as they looked to seal the game and their nerves were finally settled in the 81st minute. Berry broke down the left before putting in a cross that reached sub Kai Haig at the far post, who turned it back inside for Bryant, another of the substitutions, to hammer home at the near post.

In the 89th minute Heys put the icing on the cake when a ball down the middle was helped on by Bryant and Berry went clear to lift the ball over the keeper into the unguarded net

After seeing the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury and Councillor Imran Rizvi officially open their new stand before the game Heys did more than enough to ensure that the day would not be labelled as being “after the Lord Mayors Show.”

TEAM: Jordan Latham, Damian Skolorynski, Scot Cullen, Darcy 0’Connor, Rudy Misambo, Aaron Chalmers (Capt.), Connor Berry, Vincent Howell, Reon Poots, Callum Nicholas, Dylan Fitzgerald Subs: Kai Haigh (for Howell 56 mins), Nathan Emery (for Cullen 80 mins), Danny White (for Nicholas 75 mins), Kaiden Barlow (for Fitzgerald 56 mins) Mitch Bryant (for Potts 69 mins)