Midland Football League

Premier Division

Saturday 31st December 2016

Heanor Town FC 4-1 Tividale FC

Tividale had 10 players unavailable due to injuries and suspension and had to make 6 changes to the line up that suffered defeat against Lye Town on Boxing Day. So it was a bare bones squad that made the long trip to Heanor on New Years Eve.

Heanor were on top from the start and first minute Alex Brown header against the post from a Jay Cooper cross was a taste of what was to come for the rest of the half. Tividale’s first chance came in the 4th minute when a Shane Grainger cross was met by Darragh Bustin but his header was comfortably saved by Joe McCormack. The visitors skipper Jamie Hunt then saw his shot go wide. From then on the majority of the half was a list of Heanor missed chances.

The best of the many were on 9 minutes from a Alfie Holland free kick, Tividale keeper Luke Kriskinans fumbled but Grainger hooked clear. On 17 minutes Chris Smith saw his effort saved by Kriskinans. A minute later Dominic Wilkinson heads wide another Cooper cross. Then a Brown shot was pushed out for a corner and from it Nathan Benger’s header was cleared off the line by Grainger. Then Benger broke through the middle of the Tividale defence but his shot was pushed over the bar by Kriskinans and on 33 minutes another Cooper cross was met by Smith but again Kriskinans saved.

After soaking up constant Heanor pressure for 30 minutes. Tividale broke out through Dan Smith, he played a neat pass out to Lewis Probert and ran on to slip Probert’s cross past McCormack and into the net.

 Half Time :- Heanor Town FC 0-1 Tividale FC

Tividale had the first chance of the second half when Smith broke through and forced McCormack into a save. Heanor were level on 55 minutes and although it was deserved it was very controversial. From a silly conceded free kick, Kriskinans dropped the ball under pressure that would have been deemed a free kick any other day. Then there is a scramble on the goal line and Benger got the final touch before it was cleared. The referee then looked to his assistant and awarded a goal. Tividale’s players were adamant that the ball had not crossed the line and many of the home support agreed also. From then on it was all the home side. On 65 minutes they took the lead when some indecision in the Tividale defence let in Brown and he fired past Kriskinans. On 82 minutes it was 3-1 when Kriskinans saved well from a Greg Marriott shot but substitute Keenan Layton fired home the rebound.

Tividale had a couple of half chances both involving Smith. First Tividale sub Jake Brigdale just failed to get to his cross. Then he tried an overhead kick from a Probert corner but it went well wide. Heanor added a 4th in the 86th minute when Layton got his second beating Kriskinans at his near post.

Full Time :- Heanor Town FC 4-1 Tividale FC

Tividale FC:- 1. Luke Kriskinans, 2.Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Freddie Watts, 5. Chris Hill, 6. Shane Grainger (12.Jake Fairhurst 82), 7.Lewis Probert, 8. Jamie Hunt, 9.Dan Smith, 10.Seegu Seebeh (14. Jake Brigdale 70), 11.Lewis McPike

Unused Subs:-