Sleaford Town opened up 2025 with a precious point as they drew 1-1 with Heanor Town in a battling contest at the MKM Ground on Saturday afternoon.
It was a point well-earned too from a Greens side that served up possibly their best performance to date under the management of Matt Evans. It looked like being another frustrating afternoon for the Greens as another promising start only yielded a Heanor opener when Mason Booth-Davis broke free at the back post to power home after 23 minutes. The Greens stood firm though and found themselves a deserved equaliser eight minutes short of the break when Ben Robson looped Josh Parker’s freekick over Alfie Roberts to ultimately grab the Greens a vital result.
Manager Matt Evans made four changes to the side that were defeated 2-0 on Boxing Day by Boston Town – including welcoming captain Finlay Armond back into the fray. There were also places for new signings Clayton Wilkinson and Jonathan Timmins while Andy Whalen came back into the side having emerged as a substitute at Tattershall Road over the festive period. Those adjustments saw Jake Henderson, Lewis Greenfield and Harrison Ainslie drop to the bench while Ollie Fields – who is taking time out the game to visit Australia – dropped out of the squad altogether. Visitors Heanor Town meanwhile arrived in NG34 on the back of three consecutive victories in league action but were dumped out of the Derbyshire Senior Cup in midweek at the hands of Derby County, but despite that, they remained unchanged from that side as they searched for an immediate return to winning ways.
The Greens started confidently enough at a cold MKM Ground but struggled to convert that ascendancy into any clear-cut chances. When such an opportunity did arise, it was generated by the away side as Mason Booth-Davis fed a lively Ethan Wiesztort to sweep inches wide of Harrison Leech’s far post. That opportunity appeared to give the visitors the boost they needed, and they were soon in front when fine work between Wiesztort and John King saw the latter’s cross deflecting into the path of Mason Booth-Davis to smash home the opener.
The Greens did well to both shut any further response from the visitors out while also building themselves back into the contest and they got the leveller their overall play merited on 37 minutes when Josh Parker’s freekick was looped into the net via the head of Ben Robson who rose highest amongst a packed penalty area. The Greens good work was very nearly undone on the stroke of halftime though when the visitors really ought to have retaken the lead – John King again involved as he squared for Wiesztort to power an effort just over the crossbar from close range.
The second half began slowly, and it wasn’t until the hour that chances began to arrive – Andy Whalen forcing his way into the box and driving at Alfie Roberts the only real moment of note up to that point. The Greens continued on the offensive though and twice caused the visitors concern, first when Gibbons and Greenfield combined for the latter to flash across goal before Finlay Armond was up at the far-post, only to see his effort blocked by Roberts.
The game was becoming stretched by this point and Ethan Wiesztort generated the visitors best chance of the half so far, cutting inside Clayton Wilkinson before powering into Harrison Leech’s hands. The visitors then had the ball in the net with seven minutes remaining, Wiesztort’s drive repelled by Leech into the path of Lewis Rourke who was offside when he powered home the rebound. Leech was again in action, and he was again denying Wiesztort shortly after, intervening on his freekick before receiving a goal-saving hand from Lewis Smalley who produced an incredible last-ditch block to deny Markelic who’d broken free.
That was not the last of the danger either as, from the resulting corner, the visiting side ought to have nicked the points in 100th minute of the contest as a string of saves and blocks were required to preserve the Greens point – in there were two fine saves from Leech, the standout of which saw him claw a looping header off the line as the Greens just about clung on to their precious point.
Words: Oliver Atkin