Grey skies, belting rain and no signs of Thamesmead Town finishing their half built Main Stand which has sat dormant for over a year. It could only mean one thing in August and that was the start of the new football season.

The hosts had the earliest shot from Rikki Cable but the body of Danny Barber blocked the effort. Two minutes later, Kersey fouled Cable just outside the box and from the free kick, keeper Willis couldn’t keep hold of an attempted catch and Swifts just managed to scramble the ball away. The rain got harder and the Heybridge faithful found themselves in the seated stand behind the goal that Thamesmead were attacking which brought decisive action from three visiting fans who made a mad dash round the terraces to seek cover at the other end and cheer on their team.

On the ten minute mark a ball forward found Callander who’s first touch took it to the right and then he lofted the ball up and over the keeper from distance and the ball fell just wide of the far post.

Thamesmead were showing in their attacks that they posed a threat around the area and from set pieces. Sixteen minutes on the clock when a low cross from Fairweather-Johnson saw Barber make a slight slip of his boot on the ball and almost sliced it towards goal, the ball was cleared for a corner as Barber put hand to heart in relief.

Thamesmead showed pressure with corners and made life difficult for Swifts keeper Jason Willis as pushing and shoving in the goalmouth made things a little tens. Lea Dawson side footed narrowly wide and on the half hour David Noel side footed a drive that just cleared the crossbar.

Bertie Brayley was on the hunt for a goal for Swifts and was only just denied by the woodwork ten minutes from the break. A stunning long range drive that soared through the air and had keeper Alex Hyde beaten but not the bar as the ball clipped the woodwork and rebounded out.

The first goal of the new Swifts league season was breathtaking and will live long in the memory of Taylor Hastings who struck a peach of a shot from fully 25 yards after a cross from Toner was only partially headed away by a defender, the ball dropped for Hastings who took a touch before unleashing an unstoppable drive which despite keeper Hyde getting two hands to the airborne shot, he was powerless to prevent the ball from continuing goal bound.

The sun was shining as blue sky took hold and Heybridge never looked back. The second half was just four minutes old when Ricky Griggs delivered a low cross from the right and Callander slotted the ball home at the far post for a two goal lead.

Thamesmead had a penalty claim waved away when a long distance shot from Dean Standen smacked into the body of Kersey. The hosts also hit the bar when a cross from the right by Mageehan was nodded onto the top of the bar by David Noel.

Heybridge could have doubled their lead in a two minute spell mid-way through the second half as Toner fired narrowly wide and then a deep curling free kick from Danny Barber out on the win had keeper Hyde in some trouble but he just managed to fingertip the ball onto the bar. Ashley Hawkins replaced Toner for Swifts and within a minute Hawkins delivered a short pass to Brayley who fired towards goal but on this occasion Brayley wasn’t to get on the score sheet. The game was all wrapped up if there had been any doubt when Ricky Griggs linked passes with Russell Pond before cutting in and drilling a low ball into the corner of the goal on 86 minutes.

There was time for another Heybridge goal deep in stoppage time when a ball from midfield was slotted into the area for Ashley Hawkins who controlled and got the better of two defenders and then turned to sweep the ball home from seven yards to wrap up the perfect start.

TEAMS:
THAMESMEAD TOWN: Alex Hyde, Callum Mageehan, Ashley Proberts, Dean Standen (Danny Penny 76), Lew Tozer (C), James Donovan, Scot Mulholland (Danny Beszant 76), Lea Dawson, David Noel, Rikki Cable, Theo Fairweather-Johnson (Leon Farrell 57)

HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS: Jason Willis, Billy Hawes, Danny Barber (C), Taylor Hastings, Lee Kersey, Nathan Smith, Ricky Griggs, Russell Pond, Luke Callander, Bertie Brayley (Sean Crossley 89), Michael Toner (Ashley Hawkins 78): Unused Subs. Chris Ribchester, Charlie Gray, Jake Gibson

Referee: Mr T Goddard
Assistants: Mr C Dodd, Mr P Killip

Attendance = 31

Bookings = Dean Standen (Thamesmead Town) 22
Lea Dawson (Thamesmead Town) 65