The Lions outclassed the side sat in second in the table in all departments in a terrific encounter at The Town Ground on Saturday.
The visiting management arrived bemoaning the lack of a car park for them to use and the players complaining about the pitch, with Heanor having some of the better facilities in the Northern Counties East League it must be a fine footballing facility in Cleethorpes.
The Lions rotated the squad, bringing in Nick Hall to replace the unavailable Adrian Hawes at the heart of the defence, Sean Gregory returning after a one game absence to replace Danny Booth who opted for a position on the bench due to mild illness and Jay Cooper taking a starting role with Ollie Naylor dropping to the bench.
Heanor started with blistering pace and showed real attacking imputes, Sean Gregory missing the target early in what was to become a bitter sweet game for the midfielder.
The opening goal came on fifteen minutes – Cooper rolled the ball past a defender who stretched all he could to deflect the strike away from goal, the ball looped awkwardly forcing Matthew Kingston to head the ball out for a corner. Matt Richards, who had one of his most productive Heanor appearances, delivered the corner and Sam Jones leapt highest at the back post to head home.
The opening goal a result of constant pressure, Cleethorpes only venturing high into the Heanor half in the first twenty minutes.
Matt Richards used his weaker, right foot to fire at goal on twenty four minutes – the promise of the build-up was quickly wiped from memory as the ball floated wide.
Just two minutes later it was the man signed from Selston FC earlier this month who doubled Heanor’s advantage. A mazy run from the forward saw him glide past Daniel Grant, the right back, and pass the ball past an increasingly frustrated Brad Beattie.
With the Owls back line struggling to deal with Benger, Cooper and Debrouwer, it was no surprise they gave away four free kicks in the first period around the edge of the penalty area. It was one of those that Richards capitalised on, which is the polite way to describe what happened. In the thirty first minute he stepped up and crossed the ball into the hands of Beattie, the stopper decided to take his eyes off the ball and juggle it into the net.
Thirty one minutes and three goals to the good, who would have expected that at 3pm?
Cleethorpes very nearly managed to register a goal on thirty seven minutes, the cross from Oglesby span off of Nick Hall’s head towards the back post. I will guess it wasn’t only the small group of supporters behind the goal that breathed a sigh of relief as a corner kick was awarded.
Just a minute later it was the current top scorer in the Notts Senior League, Jay Cooper, who doubled his tally with another display of his pace and skill, he ran a clear twenty five yards before despatching the ball into the bottom corner to send the Heanor support into raptures.
The half closed with a routine stop from Ian Deakin when Alex Flett managed to find the chance to fire Cleethorpes’ only effort on goal.

Half Time
Heanor Town FC 4-0 Cleethorpes Town FC

It took seven minutes for Heanor to make it four goals to the good. Sam Jones drilling a ball high up to Nathan Benger who nodded the ball on to Jay Cooper who, without breaking stride, smashed the ball home to register his first goals for the club with a well taken hat-trick.
Cleethorpes then attempted a mini-revival, Brody Robertson fired high over the target and league top scorer Marc Cooper collected a weak goal kick from Deakin to fire at goal. Fortunately for Heanor his strike rebounded off the crossbar into the arms of the stranded goalkeeper.
Maybe the Cleethorpes management team would have been able to encourage their team on to greater things if they didn’t find so much time to converse with the Heanor supporters in the stand.
Sean Gregory had been impressive throughout, unfortunately his reaction to a late challenge on sixty seven minutes saw him and the Cleethorpes player both receive a caution.
With The Lions enjoying a four goal cushion it was time to ring the changes, Matt Richards replaced by Jack Andrews and Marc Strzyzewski replaced by Jason Gregory.
A late challenge by Sean Gregory saw referee Guy Stretton deservedly show the midfielder his second caution, a standing ovation when Gregory left the field of play proved the effort he had given until the seventy eighth minute departure.
Heanor weren’t finished with the scoring yet but Cleethorpes made it difficult, The Lions defending well for a ten minute spell of Owls pressure. Deakin saved Marc Cooper’s free kick at the second attempt after the shot stung his palms, Oglesby also tested Deakin on eighty three minutes, again the former Mansfield Town FC goalkeeper standing firm to claim yet another clean sheet.
Ollie Naylor replaced Jay Cooper on eighty five minutes with the man of the match signing off for the day with a huge round of applause from the Heanor support.
It took until the second minute of added time to turn the score line to 6-0 and a fantastic demolition of Cleethorpes Town FC. Nathan Benger has been in fine form since returning to the side, scoring in the wins over Liversedge and Staveley, it was the front man that collected Debrouwer’s magnificent pass before beating Beattie from close range.
Cleethorpes did register one late effort, Cooper fired wide as his side sank without trace on his 100th appearance for the club.

Heanor Town FC
1, Deakin
2 Marriott
3 Shaw
4 S Gregory (Dismissed 78)
5 Hall
6 Strzyzewski (J Gregory 70)
7 Cooper (Naylor 85)
8 Jones
9 Benger
10 Richards (Andrews 70)
11 Debrouwer

12 J Gregory
14 Booth
15 Naylor
16 Andrews
17 Baker

Star Lion: Jay Cooper
Attendance: 151
Referee: Guy Stretton

Next Fixtures;
Tuesday 24th Feb – HOME v Athersley Recreation FC 7.45PM
Saturday 28th Feb – AWAY v Worksop Town FC 3PM