Saturday 21st January 2012 - kick off 3:06pm (repair to goal net needed)
Wouldn't you believe it? Nine goals, and eight of them scored in the goal furthest away from us!!!
Top of the table Heanor were looking to stretch their lead over their rivals to 8 points, but a very good team performance from Barrow ended those hopes - although the second half was very, very strange indeed! Heanor went in at the break 3-1 up, but contrived to concede 5 goals in 45 crazy second half minutes.......with only 12 games left to play, the Lions lead is still 5 points over Borrowash, but the Vics have 15 games left. Oadby have 17 to play, and are 12 points behind Heanor - still lots to play for, but Heanor may have just blown it today.
Top of the table Heanor were looking to stretch their lead over their rivals to 8 points, but a very good team performance from Barrow ended those hopes - although the second half was very, very strange indeed! Heanor went in at the break 3-1 up, but contrived to concede 5 goals in 45 crazy second half minutes.......with only 12 games left to play, the Lions lead is still 5 points over Borrowash, but the Vics have 15 games left. Oadby have 17 to play, and are 12 points behind Heanor - still lots to play for, but Heanor may have just blown it today.
The game was only 43 seconds old when NATHAN BENGER was picked out in the box by a cross from the left and neatly fired home to notch his 22nd league goal of the season.
Benger wheels away after scoring in the 1st minute
Just as Heanor were thinking this may be a comfortable afternoon, they allowed JAMIE ALLEN room to shoot from the edge of the box, and his effort flew past Heanor keeper Mark Frost. Not a lot Frosty could do about the goal, but his defenders were far too slow in closing down Allen.
Heanor's Carl Slater fired just wide on 24, then had the ball in the net seconds later, only to have his effort ruled out for offside.
In the 26th minute the home team went back in front, a bizarre goal from JASON FOSTER - his corner in from the left palmed into the goal at his near post by visiting keeper Dan Riley. After 31 minutes it was 3-1 when the ball was gifted to JOSH ROYCE who calmly accepted the gift before drilling past Riley. H-T 3-1
Foster's corner gets the better of Riley
Royce adds Heanor's third
Frost could only watch - but this effort flew over the bar
Managed to grab a word with our good friend, former Rainworth keeper Mark Hales. Genuinely nice person - it was a real pleasure to see him again. It was Mark who repaired the net prior to kick off - his 6ft 6in coming in very handy. Before the second half could begin, the net needed repairing again, this time a ladder was found and the wayward net taped into place.
Mark Hales lends a hand
With just four minutes of the second half played, the visitors reduced their arrears, a corner from the right prodded past Frost by JON COPPARD. On 55, Phil Austin fired in a wicked corner from the right that fell straight to Benger. The striker hammered the ball at goal, but was amazed, as were we all, to see Tom Cooper block the effort on the line.
Just in the hour mark, the visitors were level. CAMERON GRAY had a pop at goal from 30+ yards, and with the wind behind it, the ball moved all over the place before dipping over the outstretched arms of Lions keeper Frost and into the net.
Heanor should have been in from after 65 minutes after Adan Kay hammered a bullet header from Fosters' corner past Riley. However, Referee Mr. Garner adjudged that the centre-half had climbed on a Barrow defender to get to the ball and disallowed the goal. Looked a classic centre-half goal to us, then when an Austin corner was cleared off the line by Coppard on 68, you sort of knew it wasn't going to be Heanor's day.
When Kay allowed a cross in from the left on 75, Frost tried to intercept it, but he failed and the ball fell straight to CARL ADAMS who gleefully tapped home his 17th of the season. With 6 to play, Slater was presented with a golden chance to bring the home team level, but his close range header at the far post sailed past the near post! Terrible miss - and the chance to salvage something from the game wasted.
Worse was to follow for Heanor - in the first minute of stoppage time, their defence gave the ball to CARL ADAMS and he calmly lobbed Frost to take his season's tally to 19. In the 3rd minute of added time the goal fest was complete, and I suppose with the bad day that the home defence had had, it was only fitting that they added an OG to add to their misery. F-T 3-6
Bad day at the office for the Lions, but these things happen. It's how they respond next time out that matters now...
Admission £5
Programme £1
Attendance 97
