STAFFORDSHIRE Scorpions came close to recording their first points of the season but were unable to sustain their efforts going into the last quarter.
The home side managed to fight back from 3-0 down to level at 5-5 with just minutes left at the end of the third quarter. However they were unable to keep the pressure on Heaton and the away sides superior stick skills shone through as they carved the Staffs defence open.
Heaton Mersey got off to a good start taking the lead after just three minutes as the dangerous Mark Shaw ran through the defence to score a fine individual goal.
The Scorpions then managed to slow the game down and keep it at 1-0 for a long period. Both sides had the ball in attacking areas during this period but lacked a decisive pass to get in behind either defence.
As the end of the quarter approached the Staffs defence lost concentration as two goals in quick succession from Ben Arnold and Shaw meant the score at the end of the quarter was a convincing 3-0 to the away side.
However Staffs managed to regain their composure and following a long period of attacking play, Dimitri Chambers got his first competitive goal. He released a hopeful long shot which, somehow managed to creep across the line, to the disbelief of Heaton’s keeper.
Heaton regained their three goal advantage a few minutes later as once again they benefited from a fast break and Shaw helped himself to his hat-trick as he was set through, one on one with Staffs keeper Jay Armstrong and finished clinically.
That proved to be Heaton’s only goal of the quarter as Staffs started to fight back and Chambers got his second of the game, receiving the ball from Jimmy Ray and managing to get a quick-fire shot away, past Heaton’s keeper Alan Dickinson.
Moments before half-time Staffs reduced the deficit to a single goal as Phil Tinkler finished off a patient build up. After keeping the ball around goal Jonathon Heeley picked out Tinkler in space and he shot into the top corner through the open channel.
Heaton managed to get a goal through Lewis Jacobs but by this time, the older legs of Heaton Mersey were beginning to tire and they were unable to keep up with Stuart Bausor as he broke from defence to set up Shaz for his first Staffs goal.
Bausor then equalised matters, flinging a shot from long range low and hard at the goal. The keeper was unable to get down low enough and to his surprise the ball crept over the line.
After this Staffs tried their luck from long range a few more times but were unable to find the back of the net again
This was as good as it got for the Scorpions as in the last quarter Heaton fired in four goals without reply to give the score-line an uneven look that the game didn’t reflect.
Staffordshire: Jay Armstrong ©, Richard Owen, Thomas Jenkins, James Anderson, Stuart Bausor, Dimitri Chambers, Marcus Howe, Phil Tinkler, Jonathon Heeley, Jimmy Ray, James Perkins