Saturday 10th September 2011 - kick off 3pm.
This was our first visit to the Town Ground this season - but this was only Heanor's second home game due to the cricket club taking priority on the facilities pre-September.
Opponents Dunkirk play in the Midland Football Alliance, one step above their EMCL hosts.
Heanor have yet to come to terms with losing both Gary Webster and Ashley Grayson -- basically the heart of the midfield has been ripped out ...Webster opting to play for Wirksworth Town, while Grayson has gone to join his Dad Neil at Carlton Town.
Teams:
Lions: Frost, Stevenson, Austin, Cancellara, Peel, Degirolamo, Foster, Gee-Pemberton, Benger, Moon, Wells. Subs: Vernon, Williams, O'Donnell, Hopkins, Kirkwood
Boatmen : Mountain, Spriggs, McGaughey, Frawley, McCormick, Hawkins, Bertram, Garmston, Ramsey, Day, Alls. Subs : Henry, Gordon, Dowdall, Love
The first half was very even, and despite the gale force wind blowing across the pitch, both teams played some decent stuff and both created several chances.
Wells went close for Town on 13, firing just over from 25 yards after he saw Mountain off his line. 2 minutes later Bertram had an effort cleared off the line by Peel, after Austin failed to clear his line. Ramsey was unlucky to see his quality flick header crash off the angle of post and bar after 32 minutes, with keeper Frost well beaten. H-T 0-0
Dunkirk took only three minutes of the second half to take the lead - DARREN GARMSTON latching onto the loose ball and hammering home for the edge of the box after Heanor had struggled to clear.
It really should have been two-nil to the visitors a few minutes later. Heanor keeper Mark Frost couldn't hold on to Hawkins' free-kick and Bertram pounced on the ball as it ran loose, but he could only watch in dismay as his effort crashed off the underside of the bar before bouncing back into play, allowing the home defence the chance to clear the danger.
On the hour mark, Ryan Cancellara mis-timed his tackle on Andy Frawley, and the Dunkirk midfielder went down like the proverbial "sack of spuds" - Referee Martin Dexter immediately signalled the penalty that LEE DAY converted, the ball going one way, Frost the other.
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| Day sends Frost the wrong way |
Heanor sub Jake Vernon fired wide just seconds later, then Mountain pulled off a great save to deny Williams after he was picked out superbly by Vernon.
Heanor did manage to score, NATHAN BENGER'S 90th minute deflected effort flying past Mountain, but it was too little, too late and the Nottingham outfit advance into the next round where they will face another one of our favourite teams, Pinxton FC. F-T 1-2
Admission £5
Programme £1 ( great value : maybe some CML clubs should take a look !)
Attendance 87
