UP NEXT, a local derby for the first team in their final match before Christmas. Having seen performances improve hugely over the last few weeks, where better to take the next step than at a local rival?

Heanor Town go into the match having had their midweek Derbyshire cup match against Derby County u21’s cancelled after ten minutes due to a heavy downpour flooding the pitch. However, last weekend, they took three points away at Deeping Rangers in a run of inconsistent league form, leaving them sitting ninth in the league.

On Saturday, the first team faced Newark & Sherwood United at the Stag Ground. Despite dominating the first half, they found themselves 2-0 down at half time. Midway through the second half, Neo Sanchez Saunders grabbed a goal back for the miners. With minutes to go, the visitors regained their two goal cushion, only for Lewis Partridge to set up a late charge with a second for Kimberley. The home side undeservedly went 3-2 down after a very strong performance, leaving them feeling that they should be the ones taking the points form the game.

Heanor’s last full match saw them take a trip to relegation threatened Deeping Rangers. A Sacha Markelic hat trick took all three points for Heanor in a 3-0 victory that sees them hovering just four points below the playoffs.

LAST TIME AROUND

The two sides met at the beginning of September at The Stag Ground. Kimberley opened the scoring as ex-captain Sam Brown put the ball into his own net following a cross from Dan Tuck. Brown finished the cross off as if he was still wearing the red and black of the miners. Carl Demidh equalised with ten minutes to half time. In the second half, Dan Tuck scored a twenty yarder to round off a stunning performance on his part. Substitute, Mason Booth-Davis equalised again for Heanor for the match to finish 2-2.

In the last game of last season, Kimberley travelled to Heanor for a second of two local derbies to end the season. An exciting match saw Heanor take the lead after just two minutes through Jamie Sleigh. Josh Mundell equalised just four minutes later for the Miners. Keaton August completed a twelve minute flurry as Heanor regained the lead, only for them to extend it to 3-1 on twenty minutes through Josh Craddock. Aaron Coyle, now of Heanor got a goal back for Kimberley just after the break before Sacha Markelic restored the two goal cushion just ten minutes later. Coyle scored again for Kimberley five minutes from the end to set up a tense finish to the game. 4-3 to Heanor.
The earlier fixture of last season came way back in September at the Stag Ground. A Jordan Sowerby goal was enough to take the points for the Miners on that occasion.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

Heanor Town FC was established in 1883 in a meeting at the Rays Arms Hotel. In 1890 they were founder members of the Midland Amateur Alliance. The club reached the first round of the FA Cup in 1891–92, losing 4–1 at Aston Villa. When the league folded in 1893 they joined the Derbyshire Senior League, winning it at the first attempt, also reaching the first round of the FA Cup again, this time losing 1–0 at Nottingham Forest. The club then moved up to the Midland League, where they played for three seasons, with another FA Cup first round appearance in 1896–97 ending with a 1–0 defeat to Southampton St Mary's in a replay.

Fast forward a few years and in 2008, Heanor were founder members of the East Midlands Counties League. They were league champions in 2011–12, earning promotion to the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League. After three seasons back in the league, the club were transferred to the Premier Division of the new Midland League in 2014.[3] At the end of the 2017–18 season they took voluntary demotion to the East Midlands Counties League despite finishing in mid-table. In 2021 the club were promoted to the Premier Division North of the United Counties League based on their results in the abandoned 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.

Honours
Central Alliance
Division One North champions 1956–57, 1957–58
Central Combination
Champions 1933–34
Derbyshire Senior League
Champions 1893–94
East Midlands Counties League
Champions 2011–12
Central Midlands League
Supreme Division champions 1994–95, 1996–97
League Cup winners 2006–07
Derbyshire Senior Cup
Winners 1892–93, 1893–94, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1978–79

FINALLY
This is a huge match for Kimberley. After improved performances recently, feeling really hard done by after losing a game that they could have, and should have won last weekend, the feeling that three points are close is something that has been felt for too long now.

Kick off is at 15:00

Please get along to support the boys