By Stephen Howard
sport@nqnw.co.uk
Prestwich Heys will start the new NWCL Premier Division season on Saturday, August 1 with a trip to Burscough.
It’s a tough start for Heys who, after narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season, will be looking to surpass last season’s feat of finishing seventh, with their highest ever points haul at step five of 83 points.
Burscough themselves were in the hunt for a play-off place for much of the campaign before finishing tenth, but took four points off Heys last season with a 2-0 early-season win at Adie Moran Park before the points were shared in a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.
Heys have only ever won once in six NW Counties league visits to Burscough.
Heys' first home fixture sees Barnoldswick Town visit Adie Moran Park on Tuesday, August 4.
Meetings between the teams over the years have tended to favour the away side, with Barlick, who came 19th last season, having won on four of their five visits to Heys, who have an identical record in their trips to the Silentnight Stadium.
With the FA Cup trip to Handsworth on Saturday, August 8, Heys' next league game is on Saturday, August 15, when they make the short trip across Manchester to face Abbey Hey.
A late-season rally saw the Gorton side avoid relegation last season, finishing fourth bottom.
In their league meetings, Abbey Hey won the game at Goredale Avenue 2-1.
However, Heys were emphatic winners on home turf, winning 6-0, in a replayed game after the original was abandoned due to torrential rain.
Heys are back at home on Tuesday, August 18 to host a Glossop North End side who have won on their last two visits to Prestwich, but Heys did triumph in Derbyshire last season.
The game will bring Heys' new signing Abdul Djalo face to face with his former teammates.
There are no games scheduled for Saturday, August 22 at present as that is an FA Cup date, but that could change depending on results.
The next scheduled league fixture, as it stands, is on Saturday, August 29, when Charnock Richard are the visitors to Adie Moran Park.
The clubs have served up some epic encounters over the years with Charnock having enjoyed the better of things, with Heys having won only four of their 15 meetings.
However, they took four points off Charnock last year with a 2-1 away win and a point from a 3-3 home draw in arguably one of the matches of the season.
September opens with another tough assignment with a trip to Ramsbottom United on Tuesday 1st.
The Rams have been in the promotion mix for the last three seasons but missed out in the play-offs.
They beat Heys three times inside a month last season in league and cup, so Heys will be looking to reverse that trend.
It all adds up to a tough start for Ryan Hutchinson’s side who will be looking to kick on from where they left off last season, in winning twelve of their last fourteen games, and push into those promotion slots.
Heys' pre-season build-up continued at Adie Moran Park on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over Stockport Georgians.
All four goals came in a first half in which Heys dominated with Louis Holt (2) - one from the penalty spot - Bryson Appleton and Josh Tinker all on target.
The second half proved a much tighter affair, but Heys were still a threat, although chances were harder to come by against a spirited Georgians side.
Meanwhile, Heys' pre-season trip to Northallerton on Saturday ended in a 1-0 defeat.
The Northern League Division One side clinched the win via a 21st-minute goal.
Heys conceded possession in their own box and when the ball was worked back into the danger area, the hosts' player coach Dale Hopson was on hand to supply the finish.
Northallerton were the better side in the first half, playing some good football, as Heys struggled to get any consistency in their passing play or create any meaningful openings.
Heys were better in the second half and showed plenty of endeavour but still lacked any real threat to enable the home side to claim victory.
On Saturday Heys host Whitchurch Alport (3pm) before travelling to newly reformed Flixton - who will be in NWCL Division One North.
Kick off is 7.30pm.
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