Heanor Town FC

Heanor Town had just four days to turn their season round. And they did it – by the skin of their teeth.

It was a minute into stoppage time last Wednesday when supersub Jake Vernon put the Lions into the semi-finals of the League Cup against what I personally feel was the best Blackwell Miners Welfare side I have ever seen.

The Lions join Borrowash Victoria in the last four along with the winners of the ties between Ellistown and Holbrook Sports and Bardon Hill and Radcliffe Olympic.

The title chasing clash with Oadby Town last Saturday took a little longer. Despite trailing 2-0 and then leading 3-2 the Lions conceded an 86th minute equaliser which clearly gave the Leicestershire side the impetus in the promotion stakes.

But again Heanor hit back and it was in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Nico Degirolamo got his body to a corner to keep the Lions in the race.

That win has changed things round again with Borrowash Victoria now looking the favourites. But the Vics still have to play Oadby and visit Heanor and one has to hope that the Lions can keep on track until these games despite a difficult fixture list in which they simply dare not drop silly points.

The fixture list could have panned out better for Heanor who now face the whole of the month of March with away games starting on Saturday at Bardon Hill (3pm). Greenwood Meadows, Holbrook Sports, and Blackwell Miners Welfare follow this game and if the team are still in the race after these games then four of their last six games are in front of their own vociferous supporters who will, no doubt, continue their efforts to make their support worth a goal start.

Whilst there are plenty of players signed on to cover for injuries and unavailabilities, the Lions management have brought in two new signings over the last week.

Adam Campbell, a left-sided midfield player with nine East Midland Counties League games to his credit this season already, has been recruited from neighbours Blackwell Miners Welfare and goalkeeper Hadlee Dunn, who played for Radcliffe Olympic at the Town Ground against the Lions earlier in the season, has joined from Central Midlands League side AFC Hucknall having also played for Hucknall Town this season.

One blow for the club is that Graham Wells will miss the Bardon Hill and Greenwood Meadows games through suspension, but there is continued good news for Mark Littlewood who came through the Reserves League Cup tie against Belper United unscathed for his first outing since September. His fitness will add another dimension to the team for the run-in.

There is some concern being shown over the Reserve team fixtures. The March list shows them standing on two of the four Saturdays which would leave them nine league games to play in April. The team has been without a fixture on seven Saturdays so far this season and to add another two to that is beyond belief.

Another enforced period of activity would leave the Reserves with five home games and four away to play in April having been out of action for so long.