HEANOR GO DOWN TO EXTRA TIME LEAGUE CUP DEFEAT

HEANOR TOWN 2 V SPORTING KHALSA 4 [AET. 2-2 90 MINS]
POLYMAC PACKAGING LEAGUE CUP @ THE TOWN GROUND
15 DECEMBER 2015 --- 7.45PM

THE TOWN GROUND IS READY FOR HEANOR TOWN V SPORTING KHALSA

Extra time proved necessary for the away team to win for two games running for the blog as Sporting Khalsa came strong in a convincing second half showing.  Heanor would probably feel a little hard done to but once Khalsa equalised on 84 minutes there looked only one winner as the game was to enter extra time with the energy clearly sweeping through the visitors.
Both the games on offer to the blog tonight were cup games and were three connecting buses away with the prospect of extra time it would be a taxi for part of the journey or the option of forfeiting the extra time.

MIDWEEK FLOODLIT FOOTBALL AS WE APPROACH MAYFIELD AVE

Departure to Mayfield avenue tonight from base was greeted by heavy rain and the increasingly worrying prospect of the game being called off late, something I'm sure would have been more frustrating for our West Midlands based visitors who apparently had travelled up to Derbyshire in constant rain.  On arrival in Heanor the rain was a little lighter and the Christmas lights greeted us to the Market Place, alongside the Town Councils illuminated display.

WELCOME TO HEANOR................................... AND LOSCOE

Upon arrival at the ground mascot Lennie the Lion was out with a tin of sweets and I thankfully claimed a favourite it was only later he told me they were laxatives, naughty Lennie!  There was time to catch up with media manager Tony Squires and a quick hello to home manager Glen Clarence and player Nathan Benger. 

NICE NOTICE FROM THE LADIES, HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO

Then it was time to move on to the highlight of a visit to the Town Ground over to Dawn and Kim's snack bar for as an ever creditable chip cob with peas which are on offer by the side of a large selection of other warm food offerings.

NO CAPTION NEEDED..............MMMMMM

The officials were out warming up and there was also time to catch up with fellow hopper Alan who was also in attendance for tonight's romantically named 'Polymac Packaging League Cup'.
The pitch, although squelchy under foot was looking pretty good considering the rain and probably aided by the fact that no game was played on the surface last weekend.
The game involved two kits of a stripey affair with Heanor in black and white and the visitors Yellow and blue. 
The first action came on 17 minutes when Mansfield Town loanee Danny Fletcher crossed and Mark Smith looped a header off the bar.  After an encouraging start by the home side it was the visitors who took the lead after 26 minutes rather harshly.  For most of the first half the visitors bench had complained about the decisions of the referee and the near side linesman, probably with some justification but here they were finding a little generosity for the man in black.  Marvin Nisbet blasted a shot goal wards and from close range the ball struck a Heanor players hand referee Watkins pointed to the spot and although debut keeper Joe McCormack got a touch to it he could not stop David Meese converting.

STRIPES ALL OVER

McCormack was alert two minutes later when he pushed away Mathew Martin's 25 yard effort but it was Heanor who were to equalise two minutes before half time when Fletcher lashed an edge of the box effort home into the bottom left hand corner of the goal for a sweet strike.
Within a minute of the second half Khalsa top scorer Craig Bannister found McCormack still alert when he saved well again and shortly after he was on hand to pull off another good save from Bradley Lawley. 
After the home keeper had performed heroics it was time for The Lions to show at the other end and on the hour mark they took the lead when Chris Bettney floated in a left hand sided corner for Joe Naylor to rise and head home.
The game entered a 'tetchy' stage with Sporting Khalsa still feeling hard done to by the officials they made on field changes and moved to having 4 up front as they went for an equaliser and as Heanor stemmed tide after tide it was a case of could they hang on?  On 84 minutes that question was answered when Ben Hadley put in a superb cross off the left for Marvin Nisbett to head in at the back post.
Much as Khalsa continued to look for the winner following three minutes stoppage time we could not find a winner of this tie and extra time would be required. So it was time for a decision stay and get a taxi or accept a very entertaining 90 minutes and follow the game on Heanor's social media.  The latter won the day and although I cant stand having to leave early I was aware at the start of the night this could happen.  The visitors tucked away a goal in each half of stoppage time and Heanor succumbed 4-2 to concentrate on the league and The Derbyshire Senior Cup.
An entertaining evening also spent in interesting company of the visitors keeper, James Pemberton's dad who updated me about the news from other non league clubs in the midlands, he also sold me on a visit to a future Sporting Khalsa game too.

TRANSPORT 'CLOSING VIEW' THE GREEN TINGED TRENT BARTON H1