Heanor Town 2-0 Greenwood Meadows

Saturday 12th March 2011 -- EMCL


 

Back to the Town Ground to take in another Heanor Town game. The first time we visited this ground, was in September 2008 - the visitors were today's opponents Greenwood Meadows, the result 2-0 to Greenwood.

This is turning into one of our favourite venues, but some of the home "fans" seem to know very little about the game. Most of them make me look like a young 'un, and the game has changed so much in recent years that they seem to have failed to keep up with those changes. Referee James Bateman is a young up and coming official and he had a good game, although to listen to the locals you would have thought he was the worst ref in the world.

Line-up


Shake

The pitch had dried out really well and was actually surprisingly hard after all the recent rainfall - a pacy pitch meant that initially the action was all a bit frenetic. For the first 20 minutes or so, Greenwood more than coped with the powerhouse Town front two of Nathan Benger and Dan Williams, but they were undone on 25 when a cracking Lee Askham free-kick from the left was met with a powerful looping header from NATHAN BENGER - the ball was in the top corner before keeper Ryan Murphy could react.

Benger ( no.9) heads home the first Heanor goal

On the half-hour, Askham saw his shot blocked by Murphy, then when the loose ball was fired in by Dan Williams the keeper did well to block again.

 

Ryan Murphy blocks well from Williams

Three minutes later the home team did double their advantage, that man NATHAN BENGER again on the score-sheet after turning his marker on the edge of the box and accurately placing the ball to the right of Murphy. Murphy had taken up a great position, but the shot was so pin-point that he could do nothing other than watch as the ball nestled in the back of his net.

Benger fires home the second

Mark Frost in the Heanor goal had to be brave to dive at the feet of Eugene Francis after 41 minutes as Greenwood looked to reduce their arrears. H-T 2-0

Greenwood came out for the second period fired up and took the game to Heanor from the off. Jourdan Blair fired in a ball from the left that flew across the Heanor goal-line - unfortunately no-one was on hand to accept a simple tap-in. Soon after, Antwon Bonnick also hit a ball across the goal-line - this time Greenwood's Alex Haughton was waiting, but he failed to connect and the chance went begging.

Right on the hour-mark, Town left-back Phil Austin crossed the ball to Benger and the hit-man's volley looked goal bound until Murphy stretched well to tip over the bar. Greenwood midfielder Liam Hutchinson had to leave the field on 65 with a suspected broken toe - his replacement was Nathan Robinson. Bonnick was replaced by Craig Meakin soon after, and then we were treated to seeing Greenwood boss Nev Silcock enter the game as the visitors were forced to make a third change - Nev was the only other outfield player on the team sheet so had little choice other than to play himself.

Nev gets a run out!

Heanor had a decent chance to increase their lead in the 85th minute when a superb ball in from Graham Wells was met on the volley by Jimmy Gee-Pemberton - this was the subs first kick of the ball and it flew high, wide and not very handsome. After 4 added minutes had been played, Mr. Bateman brought a very entertaining game to an end. F-T 2-0.

Teams: Lions : Frost, Whitehead, Austin, Cancellara, Peel, Kay, Askham, Grayson, Benger, Williams, Wells. Subs: Webster, Stevenson, Gee-Pemberton

Greenwood: Murphy, Branson, Walker, Staples, Grahame, Hutchinson, Francis, Walters, Bonnick, Haughton, Blair. Subs: Meakin, Robinson, Silcock, Miles

Admission £5

Programme £1

Attendance - 73

Sunday : Nuthall v Clumber at Coronation Park 11am kick off