Heanor entertained league newcomers Worksop Town in front of a bumper crowd in what culminated in a tight affair, but what a fantastic advert for step five football it turned out to be.
Gerry Moran was a late addition to the squad, replacing Ross Henshaw who had failed a fitness test during the warm up due to sickness. Moran taking Strzyzewski’s position on the bench, Strzyzewski taking a place in the starting line-up.

Heanor opened with a string of chances, Ricketts fired wide in the fifth minute, Wells headed over in the tenth minute, Grantham tested Ben Gathercole in the eleventh minute, forcing a reflex save before testing him again two minutes later.
Worksop created their first chance in the twentieth minute, Andre Johnson outpaced Hawes to find himself one on one with Deakin, Worksop’s top scorer fired straight down the throat of Deakin, drawing a routine save.

Heanor took the lead just a minute later. The ball travelled 50 yards from Chris Shaw’s free kick without touching the ground before finding the net. His delivery found Ricketts who headed across goal to Grantham who in turn headed to Hawes who forced his header into the top corner of the goal.

Deakin showed his worth to the team on twenty four minutes, Andre Johnson burst through, leaving Shaw for dead. Deakin thwarted the lightning fast forward with a reaction save.
Worksop had been knocking on the door for a while when Jonathan Wafula, the former Chesterfield midfielder, fired across the penalty area after finding space. The cross had power and it was that power that caught Deakin out, the ball taking a deflection before spinning into the back of the net.
A sucker punch to Heanor when it seemed to all that The Lions would hold the lead at the break.

The second half was as tight a match as the first half had proven to be.
The Worksop defence being well marshalled by Luke Shiels proved to be standing firm to the trickery of Debrouwer and Wells.
Chances came for Worksop’s Mitcham Husbands and Johnson but Deakin stood firm to keep the scores level.
Heanor made a double substitution on sixty six minutes, Ricketts and Shaw being replaced by Benger and Piliero.

Deakin found himself in the referees notepad on seventy one minutes, pushing the Worksop player off of the ball whilst waiting to take a free kick.

Sam Jones had a glorious opportunity to take the points for Heanor midway through the second half, his regular powerful shooting technique saw the ball just clear the crossbar, Gathercole beaten.
Debrouwer continued his comeback from the broken foot suffered in pre-season, being introduced in place of Grantham. Unfortunately the visision of Debrouwer couldn’t see Heanor through for a winning goal, although he did attempt one effort from the edge of the penalty area that cut the grass on the way to Gathercole’s waiting palms.

Deakin produced the stop of the match two minutes into added time. Connor Sellars played Worksop substitute Jack Waddle in on goal, the wide man, son of former England international Chris, fired low and hard at goal. Deakin somehow contorted his body to parry the ball away from the goal.

Heanor: Deakin, Marriott, Shaw (Piliero 66), Hall ©, Hawes, Strzyzewski, Wells, Booth, Ricketts (Benger 66), Jones, Grantham (Debrouwer 80).
Subs not used: Moran, Rogers.

Attendance: 300

Man of the match: Ian Deakin.

Next Match;
Heanor Town FC v Handsworth Parramore FC
Tuesday 30th September 7.45PM