"Very pleased, very happy not just with the result, but the manner in which we dominated possession and territory," manager Andy Brown enthused as he watched his troops celebrate the first pre-season game against Division Two side Solihull Astros.
With six debutants named in the fifteen, it was always going to be more about training, experimenting and fitness work against the team who handed the Heath a battering in last season's cup, but as the match started, it was clear that the new look Heath was a very different outfit than the one that played the similar fixture last season.
The defence looked assured against their higher league opponents, with Nick Wodfield marshalling the line in front of a vocal Ben Scott, while the midfield quartet dominated the early possession, creating problems all over the park for Astros. With the silky skills of Sam Tyler and the energy of Cam Clark up front, the home defence struggled to match the energy shown as Tom Haines, James White, James Hoad and Aiden Hearfield broke forward, almost at will to torment them.
How it took until the twenty second minute for the breakthrough to come was a mystery, coupled with some good saves by the home keeper, but the breakthrough had to come. James Hoad stabbing home a close range effort after a good team move.
The home team eventually had their first real chance on the thirty fifth minute, a breakaway move being stopped by a good save by the new Heath keeper Scott.
Heath added a second seven minutes before the break, Sam Tyler being brought down in the box, getting up to convert the resulting spot kick.
The second half was more even with Heath giving up the wind and slope advantage, but if the home team thought that they would have the same level of domination, they were soon brought down to earth as Cam Clark fed debutant Kris Beauchamp to cooly finish with a low shot underneath the keeper.
Ben Scott produced a string of fine saves as Astros tried to force their way back in, but when winger Hearfield missed a tight angled shot followed by Haines taking too long and was tackled back when it was surely easier to score, it looked as though the next goal would come from the visitors.
Indeed it did, as on 65, another fine passing movement was finished when Hearfield fed Haines who outsprinted the home defence and calmly slotted the ball home for four nil.
As the fitness levels began to drop as the first game for Heath took it's toll, the home team grew in strength having played a couple of previous games and got their reward on the 7th minute when their striker cut inside and fired a low shot past keeper Scott.
"All in all it was a good workout, all of the players getting a lot of time on pitch and in various positions as we work out who is more comfortable and where. The only downside was the injury to Stu Malin, who had to limp off just before half time after twisting his ankle," Andy Brown confirmed, the smile on his face as broad as the pint glass that held his celebratory carling.
