Following the Christmas and New Year festivities, everyone here at Heswall FC wishes you all a very happy new year, and we hope your 2022 is everything you hope for.

Despite the current plight our country is experiencing, there is much to be positive about and we are hopeful for better times to come as the year unfolds.

It has already been an eventful start to the New Year for the Yellows as, following our former Reserve Team manager's decision to seek a new challenge, we took on the challenge of finding the best man for the job. It's a notoriously challenging role but, after a thorough process, we are delighted to announce Ben Gore as the new man in the dugout.

At 25, Ben is a very young manager, but what he may lack in experience he certainly makes up for in knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment. A keen student of the game and with much playing experience, Ben has all the attributes to make a real success of the role.

Joining the club with Ben is his assistant Josh Hallam, and we wish both all the best. We are excited and optimistic that they will prove to be the best men for the jobs.

As we got back on the pitch this week following the festive break and the recent dreadful weather conditions, it was our First Team who were first back on the hallowed Gayton Park pitch as we welcomed Vauxhall Motors FC Reserves.

Following some recent fitness work and a return to training, our lads were able to start the game well and were quickly on top without troubling the score line, but on 25 minutes that changed when Connor Hughes smashed a 25 yard thunderbolt against the bar, only for hotshot Shay Roberts to react quickest to smash it home first time to put the Yellows 1-0 up.

We continued to dominate the game and 10 minutes later doubled our lead when a Vauxhall clearance from a Heswall corner landed at Matty Morris' feet on the edge of the box. He controlled well and poked home through a crowded box to put Heswall 2-0 up.

Manager Andy Cass was forced to rethink the half time team talk when, just before the whistle, Vauxhalls struck back to make it 2–1 and promised to make the second half interesting with a crucial three points at stake.

A competitive second half ensued with both teams giving their all. It was the boys in Yellow who took the win when, on 65 minutes, Shay Roberts showed his class with a screamer from 25 yards which gave the Motors' keeper no chance.

The points were ours and our good run of form continued. Now we can focus on looking up the table as the season moves on. Matty Morris was the Man of the Match on the day turning in another quality performance.

Whilst our First Team enjoyed the return, sadly our Reserve Team faced a very tricky tie away to high flying, free scoring, league leaders Sutton Athletic. It was the first game at the helm for Ben and Josh, and therefore a big ask that we might witness an upset.

So it proved as we were on the receiving end of a 6–1 defeat, with in form Travis O'Brien netting for us. The result flattered the league leaders and masked an incredible effort from our lads who worked so hard and showed enough to convince us that we will finish the season well.

With only a couple of training sessions to work with the lads, it was a respectable showing from Heswall Reserves - but we have to doff our caps to good finishing by very good opponents.

It was Cheshire Cup weekend for our exciting Heswall Youth Team who welcomed Warrington based team Appleton Boys to Gayton Park in the prestigious competition's Quarter final.

Once again, they turned on the style with a comprehensive 6–1 victory, goals coming from Harry Wood, Rory Alldis, Ben Ryan with two, and another double from Rocco Ceraolo who walked away with the Man of the Match award too. After a tricky start, these lads have shown their class with a string of impressive performances and continue to develop into a very exciting team with real hopes of silverware this season.

Over the weekend, both our U15 teams tasted victory in the Eastham JFL on Saturday and the Wallasey JFL on Sunday as Andy Bannon's team triumphed on Sunday with a convincing 5–1 away win at Ellesmere Port.

Goals came from Adam Shyaka, Riley Scorah and a fine hat trick from Cody Carter. It was bound to be a tough game for the lads against our fourth placed hosts, but a tremendous performance secured the win and consolidated second place - which keeps us firmly in the race for the title.

On Saturday, Lee Hawkins led his lads to victory over West Kirby United Yellows, with goals from Alfie Crossley and Che Longworth leading to a 3–1 win which keeps us in the hunt for top honours with a number of games in hand.

It's a credit to the management teams of both junior sides that we are playing good football, winning games, but more importantly these excellent lads are enjoying it and developing into top players with big futures in the game.