Garforth 0-2 Heanor Town

A depleted Town team, without the services of Daniel Harris, Sam Akeroyd, Dominic Hackney and Curtly Martin-Wyatt (due back from suspension) started the game the better side. A couple of corners were forced and, on 8 mins Tawanda Rupere hit the side netting with a low shot from the edge of the box.

However this wasn’t to last and a goal on 14 mins from the visitors set the tone for the rest of the game. Courey Grantham made a run down the right and picked out Gary Ricketts in the box who headed home unchallenged. The striker looked certain to add another only a minute later when a long ball in went through keeper Ben Hunter’s hands and dropped out to him, but Jassim Alali appeared from nowhere to block his shot on the line. Another cross into Ricketts from the right similar to the goal on 16 mins saw him bring a save from Hunter with another header.

At the other end Luke Mangham almost scored when supplied by makeshift number nine Karim Ibrahim, turning and shooting just over the bar on 21 mins.

The Miners were still vulnerable to Heanor’s electric breaks down the right wing though, and another one on 25 mins ended in Ricketts finding Samuel Jones who headed just wide. Five minutes later Paulo Piliero was denied by a good save from Hunter with a well-hit shot.

On 35 mins a quickly-taken free kick saw Ricketts causing problems in the box again, Piliero putting in a low ball across the six-yard box which Ricketts could only skew wide.

Town were given little space at the back by the Lions’ organised defence and were struggling to find a way through; a rare chance saw Alali try for a first Garforth goal from the edge of the box but his strike went over the bar.

Ian Deakin in the Heanor goal hadn’t had much to do in the first half and some of the large away crowd were wondering how the score had remained at 1-0, but five mins into the second period they had their second. Courey Grantham received the ball from the ever-present Ricketts and scored with a fierce drive into the top corner via a slight deflection off Rupere.

On 54 mins the away side felt safe enough to bring Ricketts off, only to replace him with Nathan Benger who scored here last season. Whilst there was plenty of effort from the lads things weren’t happening up front, and in contrast Graham had little options on the bench to change this. Our only outfield sub Jamie Sutton did however come on for his first appearance of the season three mins later.
On 66 mins Grantham probably should’ve made it 3-0 when picked out in the box by Gregg Marriott but headed wide.

Deakin was finally called into action on 72 mins for Town’s best chance of the game. Rupere broke free of the defence down the left but Deakin was quick off his line to stop the Zimbabwean getting his shot away. A couple more chances in the last 15 saw Jay Davis fire narrowly wide with a good shot from 20 yards and Mangham fire just over from a short corner. Sadly that was as good as it got in a disappointing afternoon and the impressive visitors (who’ll surely be competing at the top end of the table this season) went on to record a deserved win.