Heanor triumped on home turf to take a 5 point lead on the visitors Handsworth Parramore.
Going into the match with Heanor one place above Parramore in fourth position it was clear to add that it would be a huge task for The Lions to get anything out this match.

Heanor looked to get the early lead, forcing a chance on nine minutes. Debrouwer fed Ricketts who managed to acrobatically miss the target in the ninth minute.
Just a minute later it was Ady Hawes who found himself receiving his marching orders, finding himself struggling to keep up with the Parramore forward, bringing him down in the process. Unfortunately for Hawes he was the last man and by the letter of the law he found himself sent off, leaving Heanor to play with ten men for 80 minutes.

It took five minute for Parramore to break the deadlock, with the Heanor defence still adjusting to a reshuffle it gave Lee Whittington chance to collect the ball and rifle the ball low into Ian Deakin’s right, wrong footing the goalkeeper.

Heanor had to force Parramore back, showing their passing ability to try and level the score. Five fruitless corners in four minutes and a curling effort from Debrouwer which Sneath saved with ease, the feeling starting to grow that it wasn’t going to be Heanor’s night.
Parramore’s Luke Fletcher managed to hit the post with a cross on 39 minutes, nearly catching Deakin out.
Debrouwer had another effort on goal on 40 minutes, his shot skidding off the surface as Heanor continued to knock at the door.
Wells broke free and if it hadn’t been for the pace on the ball he would have scored his second goal for the club, his shot came back off of the onrushing Sneath and the rebound off the shin of Wells slid wide of the target.

Right on the stroke of half time it was the unlikely source of central defender Ross Henshaw who levelled the score, his shot at the near from a corner managing to find the far corner of the net.

In the first minute of the second half it was Parramore who nearly regained the lead, Whittington hitting the woodword for the second time, the ball cleared to safety.
Kieran Wells headed the ball goalwards soon after, his effort beating Sneath in the goal but rebounding off the crossbar to Gary Ricketts who stretched to make contact, hooking the ball away from the goal unintentionally.
On 54 minutes it was Nick Hall who headed a corner goalwards, as with most headed efforts from Heanor corners this season, he saw the ball clear the bar.

Nicky Travis, formely of Central Coast Mariners and Chesterfield, saw his strike from Parramore’s midfield fly wide of the target on 72 minutes.

Ross Henshaw produced the block of the match on 75 minutes, bravely putting himself where he could get hurt to divert the ball wide for a corner when Sam Smith was about the pull the trigger.
It took until the 87th minute for the game changing decision. Courey Grantham had replaced Debrouwer in the 80th minute and had been a menace to the Parramore defence, when Travis hauled him down inside the penalty area the referee dismissed Travis and pointed to the spot.

Up stepped the ever confident Sam Jones to put the ball on the spot. With a short run up and a swing of his right foot the ball flew into the left side of the net to send all Heanor Town supporters and players into wild celebrations.

Harry Hawkins, the referee, found 4 minutes of added time but with Parramore looking shell shocked and Heanor looking confident the result wasn’t in doubt from thereon.

Heanor: Deakin, Marriott, Shaw, Hawes, Henshaw, Strzyzewski, Jones, Hall ©, Ricketts (Booth 89), Wells, Debrouwer (Grantham 80)
Unused Subs: Benger, Piliero, Rogers.

Goals:
Whittington (Parramore) 15
Henshaw (Heanor) 45
Jones (PEN) (Heanor) 87

Man of the match: Nick Hall

Next match: Heanor Town FC v Holwell Sports FC (FA Vase 2nd Round Qualifying)
Saturday 4th October 3PM