CLINCAL DYNAMO GAIN ALL THREE POINTS AT HEANOR

HEANOR TOWN 2 V SHEPSHED DYANMO 3
MIDLANDS FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION @ THE TOWN GROUND
1 JANUARY 2016 --- 3PM

THE TOWN GROUND  WITH A HEALTHY ATTENDANCE

Two goals in 5 second half minutes gave Shepshed the upper hand in this entertaining new years day fixture at The Town Ground.  Shepshed had taken a first half lead before Heanor pulled level after 51 minutes though Jay Cooper.  It was time for clinical finishing from the visitors Read and Langham pushing them to a two goal advantage before a penalty and then a sending off for Heanor gave the game an entertaining finish.

ITS UP THAT HILL!

The chance of some new years day football was not to be turned down and with no buses but a full train service the blog was grateful for a lift to base station today.  It would be a pleasure to travel like this on a normal Saturday I have never seen the station this quiet for ages and seats seemed to be available on the trains in this area today, although I guess very busy in some parts of the country.  The short hop to Langley Mill for a 1 mile walk to Heanor received the welcome accompaniment of Mark Thorpe of Alfreton Town's programme shop and as we climbed the hill towards Heanor with the parish church guiding us towards the town and the nearby pub beckoning Mark.

ROARING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH HEANOR MASCOT LENNIE

Upon arrival in Heanor most of the shops were of course closed but there was time for a little look around before making our way to Mayfield Avenue for the game.

MAN IN FUNNY CLOTHES [BURNLEY SCARF] AND THEN
THERE'S LENNIE THE LION, CHEERS DAVE!

Having re acquainted myself with Heanor mascot Lennie the Lion there was time to catch up with many of todays visitors and hoppers who were out in force a tremendous vote of confidence on Heanor selecting this game for a new years day kick off, indeed if the queue for the snack bar and bar was anything to go by a profitable afternoon for the club.

BILL AND JANE. WITH JANE JUST ABOUT VISIBLE!

Quick name check paragraph here good to catch up with Malcolm from Castleford who we first met a few years ago at Widnes, Dave the former Glapwell kit man [and flag man] was there as was Michael a Chesterfield hopper.  By this time Heanor pa man Tony was arriving readying to open up the shop which was taking a great deal of interest from the passing supporters.  Moving around the ground it appeared Mark Grayling was in attendance but I failed to spot him in the large crowd of 403.  There was time before kick off to have a chat with Ben Sheffield FC's photographer and Bill Wheatcroft and Jane the former previously of The Crooked Spireite probably one of the best fanzines ever!
As regular blog readers will know Heanor has become a midweek regular for a visit so it was good to do an afternoon game but having featured a ground description before I wont revisit it today, it was though great to see a crowd of over 400 streaming in to The Town Ground.

A GATHERING AROUND THE TEAM LINE UPS BOARD

An enterprising start from both sides saw the visitors take the lead after 23 minutes when Niall Prenderville drove an edge of the box effort goal bound via what looked like a deflection and as it struck the post the Heanor defender Jordan Simpson failed to keep the ball from rolling over the line.

REFEREE CONCERNED BY HEANOR NUMBER 9'S HEADGEAR

Heanor responded and Joe Naylor shot wide when he should have hit the target before Jamie Clarke beat Jack Hartopp in the visitors goal only to see the ball hit the left hand post.
Shepshed lead at half time but it was Heanor who showed first one minute into the second period when Kieran Debrouwer had a shot blocked just in front of the Shepshed goal line.  The lions did equalise though on 51 minutes when Cooper took the ball around Hartopp to slot into the unguarded goal.
Shepshed seemed to fire themselves up now and clinical finishing was to be the marked difference between the sides with those 2 goals in 5 minutes.  Superb work down the left saw Michael Reeve provided an inch perfect cross to Liam Read who finished with a sharp strike, 63 minutes.  Shepshed's third goal was superbly dispatched by number 9 Matt Langham who took the ball down beautifully on the edge of the box before firing home a sweet finish to make it 3-1.

HEANOR ATTACK REPELLED

Heanor went in search of trying to recover something from the game and when Debrouwer hit a free kick towards the Shepshed goal it struck a hand and the referee gave the penalty.  Then the controversy started Clarke dispatched the kick to the left and with Hartopp so nearly stopping it the visitors number 1 was a little unlucky.  With Heanor hoping to re start quickly there became a melee in the goal mouth Clark tried to retrieve the ball but as so often the opposition in these situations were non to keen for this too happen.  There are two option to what happened now and as you may guess Heanor will see one option as the favoured as Shepshed will see the direct opposite.  Having spoken to hoppers who were at the correct end, I wasn't, they had differing opinions too.  OPTION 1  Clarke allegedly left a foot in on the keeper as he went to re claim the ball  OPTION 2 The keeper was getting up from the save and the coming together was accidental.  Anyway about 4 minutes after the kerfuffle Referee Justice Jacobs made his judgement with a straight red card for Clarke.

REFEREES JACOBS [MIDDLE], LEDWIDGE AND BEVINS

As the game threatened to boil over Ashleigh Lynch was on the receiving end of a lenient judgement from the referee when he was awarded a yellow for what looked like a red card challenge which would have left the home side with 9 men.
Heanor decided to throw the kitchen sink at the game and with Shepshed threatening we had an enthralling final 10 minutes.  The final minutes saw the visiting keeper cautioned for either time wasting or I believe bringing the ball out of the area resulting in a drop ball not sure what happened there [Footnote here a refereeing friend advises me that timewasting by the keeper is punishable by a yellow card and a drop ball, so there is probably the answer].  Amazingly with two lengthy stoppages and substitutions referee Jacobs only played 4 minutes added time when double this appeared appropriate, but maybe by this stage I was enjoying it too much and didn't want the game to end.
A good old battle which was slightly unfortunate on Heanor but Shepshed provided the finishing touch today that the home side could not find consistently during the 90 minutes.
With the rain now teeming down the return journey to Langley Mill station was thankfully downhill with a stream of fellow hoppers all planning there travels for tomorrow when once again they will have to become amateur weather forecasters with rain again in the offing.
The return journey was spent in the interesting company of a Sheffield Wednesday and Reading season ticket holder who both take in non league games when their league clubs fixture list allows.  It was nice to be back in earlier than normal today but one felt for our friend the Reading season ticket hold who would not be back home until after 9pm tonight.

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE A 158 AND HST