News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
HEANOR TOWN FC 3-2 LONG EATON UNITED FC (FA CUP PR)

HEANOR TOWN FC 3-2 LONG EATON UNITED FC (FA CUP PR)

Tony Squires20 Aug 2016 - 20:58
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.heanortownfc.co.uk

LAST GASP VICTORY SENDS LIONS THROUGH

Friday 19th August 2016 FA Cup Preliminary Round
HEANOR TOWN (0)3 LONG EATON UNITED (1)2
By STAN WILTON

The Blues arrived at the Town Ground with an impressive 100% start to the season and a number of ex-Lions in their squad. Typical of the FA Cup, their was fierce rivalry, excitement to fill Wembley, and drama right at the very end as the Lions made it through to the First Qualifying Round and a mouth-watering tie at Causeway Lane against Matlock Town.

Long Eaton were first into their stride, and former Lion Paulo Piliero drilled a free kick straight at Joe McCormack. Kevin Hemagou was causing the Lions a few problems with his pace but Keenan Layton refused to buckle under the pressure, as the visitors built up an early head of steam.
Greg Marriott tried to get Heanor going forward but his cross, destined for the spearhead attack of Benger and Debrouwer, was deflected for a corner. And when Benger’s header set up a chance for Debrouwer the latter’s shot lacked power.
Despite the fact that defences were generally on top, the game was open and flowed from end to end. Then Heanor had a good spell in which the Blues former Heanor custodian Jamie Hannis saved one handed at full stretch from Elliott Reeves as the youngster showed pace and guile to leave the visitors defence wrong footed.
Hannis then saved from Debrouwer as he burst down the right and put in an angled shot, and then twice from Reeves, but real goal scoring chances were proving to be few and far between.
Hemagou burst down the right at the other end and tested McCormack, and moments later followed up with a fierce volley which ended up yards wide and troubled no one.
The real highlights of the first half came in its dying embers as first Debrouwer saw his shot saved by Hannis from probably the game’s best move to date. And at the other end Long Eaton broke quickly finding Heanor’s defenders too far upfield. Jerome’s O’Connor’s speed took him clear down the left and he crossed for another former Lion, GARY RICKETTS to score with a scuffed low shot which appeared to take a deflection beyond McCormack five minutes before the break.
Heanor immediately hit back and won a corner from which Nathan Benger’s point blank header was beaten out by Hannis to preserve his side’s lead going into the interval.
Heanor began the second half by winning three corners, the third of which brought the equaliser in the 50th minute. The ball was headed on by Debrouwer causing a scramble in the goalmouth during which those standing behind the goal claimed the ball crossed the line at least once with Nathan Benger, it was suggested, getting the last touch. But it was skipper CHRIS SMITH who gleefully finally bundled the ball firmly into the bottom corner from close range to eliminate any doubt from the occasion. It was the captain’s first goal for the club.
United hit back and O’Connor slammed in a shot which was saved by McCormack, and the visitors had a good spell in which Heanor were pegged back for a lengthy period. The Lions had some difficulty in clearing their lines from a series of high crosses from both flanks. It looked like they had survived the barrage until a delicate chip forward from Deon Meikle caught Heanor looking for off-side but KEVIN HEMAGOU nipped in to tickle the ball beyond the onrushing McCormack to put United back in front on 64 minutes. The goal being greeted by several minutes of teeming rain.
Heanor’s heads went down for a while and there did not look any sign they would save the game for a period of several minutes. Indeed, United pressure not only put them on top, but threatened a third goal which would have killed the game off.
But there are a band of people at Heanor Town who never believe they can’t turn things round – even when the odds are sometimes stacked heavily against them. These are the supporters, and their constant chanting lifted spirits both on the field and the terraces.
Glen used all his substitutes and changed the approach, and the main reason for the Lions losing things for a while was the new players getting used to the pace of the game.
There was eight minutes of normal time left when Greg Marriott sent in a beautiful cross from the right to the far side of the penalty area where young substitute Dominic Wilkinson controlled, turned and rapped in a shot which hit a defender on the line. The ball came out to CHRIS SMITH who thumped it into the top corner for a second Heanor equaliser.
There had been a minor incident as rivalry ran high as time ran out and a replay next Tuesday at Grange Park looked inevitable. This had caused a lengthy delay, but there has to be some question as to whether it all amounted to eight and a half minutes of stoppage time. During this time there was a genuine effort by both sides to win the game, the ball moving from one end to the other, but it all culminated in drama and wild celebrations in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Keenan Layton’s beautifully flighted free kick to the back post saw JOE NAYLOR dive full length to head the ball just inside the upright. It was a goal the Lions midfielder deserved for his gritty, unselfish, wholehearted display.

Thus it is Heanor who will be at Causeway Lane on September 3rd, and it is worth noting that the last time they played an FA Cup game there they won a tense tie 1-0 and went on to the First Round Proper. That, however, is another story.

HEANOR TOWN: McCormack, Marriott, Layton, Smith, Hall, Lynch, Foster (Brown 70), Naylor, Benger (Abdollahi 66), Debrouwer, Reeves (Wilkinson 79). Substitutes not used – Andrews, Warner.
LONG EATON UNITED: Hannis, Riley, Randle (Cole 50), Sibson, Meikle, Piliero, Ofushine, Tom Marshall, Ricketts (Joynes 84), Hemagou (Hastings 72), O’Connor. Substitutes not used – Daykin, Sucharewyz, Alex Marshall, Cammidge.
REFEREE: Simon Swain.
ATTENDANCE: 222
YELLOW CARDS: Debrouwer (Heanor) 90+8; O’Connor (Long Eaton) 89, Tom Marshall (Long Eaton) 90+6.
STAR LION: Joe Naylor

Further reading