Coleshill Town recorded their first ever win over the Lions as “Home Form Bogy” struck again for Heanor.
The visitors, whose own pitch is synthetic, adjusted quickly to the Town Ground grass in beautiful evening sunshine, and they had an outstanding display from goalkeeper and captain Paul Hathaway to thank for their three points.
Both sides used long ball tactics in a disappointing first half where the game was more akin to ping pong than football. The visitors tactics were clear from the off – clear the ball as long and as far as possible, and they had willing and energetic runners upfield prepared to chase lost causes.
Heanor might have been ahead on eight minutes when Benger’s head on gave Abdollahi a shooting chance which he put into Hathaway’s midriff. Within seconds the ball had landed at the other end where Reece Leek’s cross was only cleared just beyond the penalty area to SAM ADKINS who hit home a glorious low shot into the bottom corner in the ninth minute. Poor defending from Heanor’s point of view though – someone should have got a block in.
Abdollahi responded with a good run for the Lions but his delightful cross went begging, but an equally brilliant goal levelled things up on 18. A throw in left side was headed on by Benger and KIERAN DEBROUWER ran onto the ball and hit a fantastic 25-yard shot over the head of the surprised Hathaway and into the top of the net.
Coleshill scorer Adkin should have done better with, what seemed from the touchline, a harshly awarded free kick on the edge of the area, and Heanor escaped.
The football wasn’t very enthralling from either side and it took until the first minute of first half stoppage time to create another opportunity. This time Nathan Benger’s splendid header from Keenan Leighton’s free kick looked to be destined for the bottom corner of the net until Hathaway sprang gazelle-like across his line to touch the ball for a corner with a wonder save. Smith headed the corner wide and Coleshill charged upfield and Adkin’s fierce shot from distance needed tipping over the bar by McCormack.
The second half had to provide better fare. Heanor had to get the ball down and put pressure on the visitors. But…..less than three minutes in one of the visitors ploys of long throw-ins landed in the Heanor six-yard box and in the melee REECE LEEK bundled the ball over the line to put Coleshill back on top.
And, it nearly got worse. The ever-involved Luke Barlone crashed in a shot from the right which beat everyone, and the far post by inches.
If Heanor’s first goal had been explosive, their second equaliser on 53 minutes was dynamic. It stemmed from Joe Naylor’s ambitious run and pass inside which looked to have gone past NATHAN BENGER. But the Lions leader turned on a sixpence and brought the house down with a fabulous finish from a tight angle into the far top corner in the 53rd minute.
Game on. Heanor went for the winner. Debrouwer showed tremendous energy in chasing a ball he never should have caught to get in a cross for Benger’s diving header to put Heanor in the lead for the first time. But no, Hathaway once again brilliantly came from nowhere to tip the ball round the post for a fruitless flag kick.
Heanor upped the pace and Debrouwer shot over the angle from Abdollahi’s pass, and Star Lion Nick Hall found a fantastic pass which split the Coleshill defence but was a shade too hard for Reeves.
Joe Naylor popped up in the right place to get in a diving header from Leighton’s free kick and missed the ball by a whisker, and with just ten minutes left it was left to that man Hathaway to produce another world class save from Benger’s goal bound shot. The Heanor striker had another deft flick turned for a corner by the fantastic custodian moments later.
Disaster hit the Lions two minutes from the end. A hard low cross from the right beat everyone and appeared to be passing across goal somewhat harmlessly until it it GREG MARRIOTT as he ran back to cover and the unfortunate Heanor defender could do nothing about it as the ball zipped into the empty net.
There had been a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Heanor custodian Joe McCormack, so there would be a fair bit of stoppage time, as proved. But, sadly, Heanor could not recover from this last blow only only a timely, and Hathaway-style, stop from McCormack prevented Thomas Weale from giving the final score a really undeserved look.

HEANOR TOWN: McCormack, Marriott, Leighton, Smith, Hall, Lynch, Abdollahi, Joe Naylor, Benger, Debrouwer, Reeves.
Substitutes not used – Foster, Warner, Andrews, Brown, Wilkinson.

COLESHILL TOWN: Hathaway, Gonzales, Quaynor, Evans, Hurran, Adkins, Leek, Garvey (Colbourne 62), Barlone, Weale, Dainty (Beckley 75).
Substitutes not used – Jarra, Brooks, O’Neill.

REFEREE: Thomas Wainman (Tamworth)
YELLOW CARDS: Barlone (Coleshill) 36 minutes; Leighton (Heanor) 69 minutes
ATTENDANCE: 87
STAR PERFORMER: Paul Hathaway (Coleshill)
STAR LION: Nick Hall