HEANOR ROAR TO FIRST WIN

HEANOR TOWN 4 ROCESTER 1
MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER AT THE TOWN GROUND
15 AUGUST 2017 7.45PM

THE TOWN GROUND HEANOR TOWN FC 2017/18 SEASON

The Lions roared out a warning with a hardworking and determined performance that swept away their Staffordshire based visitors by 4 goals to one including a brace from the impressive Elliott Reeves.
Footy returns to the blog with this midweek fixture and who can turn down a midweek fixture at Heanor?  Well increasingly it had become me due to the vagaries of public transport and missed return connections in Ripley as regular readers will be aware my days of challenging Usain Bolt to a sprint for the Nines have know been put to bed.  However with a train just after ten allowing me a good chance of the down hill walk from Heanor in 20 minutes the challenge was accepted.  With the clock allowing an early base station departure at 5.20pm there was time to visit the big M's just by Langley Mill station and joy of joys as the order number had gone around its cycle I received order number 001, something never achieved before [?].  Only when I looked up at screen did I discover that the new cycle starts at 000 oh well something still to achieve!  The start at base station was slightly disconcerting when a north bound Leeds train was declared 19 minutes late due to disruptive passengers and it wasn't even a Saturday.
Corporate meal eaten the option of steep hill walk to Heanor was avoided by jumping on a Rainbow 1 to the Market Place for tonight's game so allowing a small amble to The Town Ground.  No need to repeat a descriptor of this much visited ground and although the blog is neutral it often doesn't feel like it when watching Heanor.  There was the chance to catch up with a few favourites and mascot Lenny the Lion was on show with his brand new squad number on display on his shirt, Mr Squires junior and senior were their to renew acquaintances with,  thank you to the latter for an end of game lift down to the station which definitely gave me plenty of time for the final service north out of Langley Mill.

LENNY SIGNED AGAIN FOR ANOTHER SEASON

Heanor after a loss at home to Aylestone Park in the FA Cup and last week at Worcester needed a morale boosting win and I guess Rocester who had also had an unconvincing start were looking for the same.  After 13 minutes though the upper hand went to the home side with a beautifully worked goal that allowed left back Myles Scott to continue his run and slot the ball home.  That the way we went into half time but The Lions soon doubled their lead when Jamie Sleigh, 8 minutes into the second period, turned in the box and fired low into the bottom right hand corner.   With 3 minutes of normal time it was 3-0 when Reeves outpaced his marker to fire past the visiting keeper with supreme confidence something that he did again in the 4th minute of stoppage time from the penalty spot after prolonged delaying tactics by the visiting keeper had failed to deny the young Lion.  In between these two goals Rocester pulled back a consolation goal with a wonderful opportunist 25 yard lob of the Heanor keeper thanks to Oli Roome whose alertness produced a cracker.

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE BACK OF LENNY WELL HERE IT IS WITH HIS NEW SQUAD NUMBER

A hardworking and determined victory for Heanor who fought for every ball something that is always a pre requisite of a Glen Clarence Heanor side.
The departure from Langley Mill was on a HST 125 heading back to Leeds and all being on time the final bus was made out of base town with arrival back just after 11 being a whole lot more comfortable and there was no running shoes required to end an enjoyable game to start the 2017/18 season.