Always enjoy visiting the Town Ground - we have many friends there and with Kev still unable to get to games, I'm "billy no-mates" at some grounds.
Kev is my second pair of eyes and sees a lot of things that I miss. His pics are sorely missed as well - I'm not too good with a camera - and watching the action, taking notes and taking pictures is not easy!
Basford move up from 9th to 7th in the NCEL Premier division after this result, whilst Heanor slip the other way, down from 11th to 13th.
Town lost the reverse fixture 5-1 back in September, so knew not to take their opposition lightly.
Teams:
Lions - Frost, Raven, Shaw, Hall, Peel, Blake, Webster, Moran, Benger, Holmes, Debrouwer.
United - Barcherini, Boafo, Fletcher, F. Smith, Holt, Craven, Hendrie, Green, Whitehurst, Nightingale, T. Smith.
The pitch was very wet, and the wind very strong - not the correct ingredients for a classic. Both teams struggled to play football anything like they are capable of in the first half hour or so - the best chance falling to the home team on 32. Nick Hall fired a tame effort at goal from the edge of the box that Kieran Debrouwer looked to have deflected past Ali Barcherini, but the keeper somehow managed to dive backwards and stretch out an arm to push the ball onto the bar.
At the other end, Lions' keeper Mark Frost wasn't as lucky on 43 - his attempted clearance was blocked by THEO SMITH and the ball flew into the net to give United the lead.
Just before the break, United went further ahead through RYAN WHITEHURST after a ball in from the left had found him unmarked in front of goal. The striker had plenty of time to control and pick his spot, firing the ball to Frost's right. H-T 0-2
The first minutes of the second half were again very scrappy, but Lee Hendrie began to show his obvious talents as the half wore on. His superb ball into the path of TJ Nightingale on 74 was so accurate that the striker never had to break stride before unleashing a shot at goal that beat Frost all ends up. Luckily for the Heanor faithful, the effort fizzed just past the outside of the far post.
With ten to play, Referee Thomas Harty made an bad error when he awarded a penalty to the visitors. Theo Smith had carried the ball into the box, and both Brett Peel and Josh Raven went to challenge the run, but only managed to tackle each other. Smith did go down, but the Heanor players weren't responsible.
Anyhoo, FRANCIS GREEN stepped up to take the kick and made everyone chuckle after he muffed his shot and it trickled agonisingly slowly past Frost who had already committed to going the other way.
Josh Raven complained a little too much and received a second yellow card from Mr. Hardy, followed by the inevitable red. F-T 0-3
Attendance: £3 (concession)
Programme: £1
Attendance: 143
