HEANOR Town had substitute George Walker's fourth goal of the season, six minutes from time, to thank for salvaging a point from a game in which they hardly ever looked like scoring.
The Lions went into the encounter looking for their first home win
of the year with an unchanged side for the third successive game.
Prior to the game joint managers Craig Hopkins and Glenn Kirkwood presented Aled Biggs with a memento for completing 200 first team games.
As early as the second minute goalkeeper Sam Ogrizovic knew he would be in for a busy afternoon when he had to save splendidly at the near post from Matt Neill after he had got clear.
But referee Mark Tinsley left Heanor fans bemused in the eighth minute when visiting skipper Paul Brown deliberately tripped up Dan Williams as he raced free.
The defender was clearly the last man, but no card was shown. The lucky visitors might have been playing with ten men for 82 minutes and one can only assume that the referee 'bottled out' because it was so early in the game.
Ibstock were already looking a well-drilled outfit and Chris Lewis this time got free on the left to fire a rising drive over the angle in the 13th minute.
Neill was put clear by Kevin Lock 20 minutes in, but again Ogrizovic came to Heanor's rescue with another fine save.
From a 27th minute cross by Mark Chamberlain, Rich Wileman somehow touched the ball wide of an open goal.
But it was in unfortunate circumstances that the visitors took a deserved lead on the half hour mark when Dean Randall, in trying to clear, sliced the ball against his own crossbar and the rebound fell nicely for Chris Lewis to head home with Ogrizovic stranded.
Heanor struggled against a side which was much more competent than when they went head to head just two months ago.
The Lions had hardly built up an attack of note until skipper Webster's right wing cross set up Jaylee Hodgson in front of goal but the ball was ballooned high over the Mayfield Avenue goal.
Hodgson tested Stephen Fowkes with a low shot just inside the post in the 39th minute, but the goalkeeper grabbed the ball on the line.
Heanor turned out early for the second half with harsh words from the management ringing in their ears. There was an improvement and more urgency, but still they were unable to put any pressure on an Ibstock side which looked much better than their lowly league position.
Indeed, a fierce snap-shot from Dan Stevenson flashed inches wide with Ogrizovic trying desperately to get across his goal, otherwise the game might have been effectively over.
It began to look as the slowly thickening fog might be Heanor's only saviour, but this did not develop fast enough to put the game in danger.
Fowkes touched a rising drive from Ashley Grayson over the bar as Heanor began to put on more pressure, but when Dan Williams stupidly managed to get himself two yellow cards in as many minutes to leave the Lions to battle on with ten men for the last 22 minutes, things looked decidedly fragile.
Enter substitutes George Walker and Callum Mason. Walker saw Fowkes grab his header at the last moment before it crossed the line and Mason put fear into the visitors defence with his long throw-in's.
Hodgson reacted to what appeared to be a racist comment, and with one player off and three others on yellow cards, inconsistent referee Tinsley called the two skippers together before taking no further action. Once again it appeared the Lions had been victimised.
Steven Clark threatened to put the issue beyond doubt with ten minutes left but once again the outstanding Ogrizovic came to Heanor's rescue. Moments later only some brilliant and heroic defending together with a tremendous tackle which the defender had to get spot on first time, saw Michael Norbury catch Stevenson, who had broke clear, to save the day again.
But when Mason's titanic throw-in landed perfectly at the feet of George Walker six minutes from the end, the substitute drilled in the equaliser which had never looked like coming.
And few would have thought the Lions were a man short as they put everything into the last few minutes. Ashley Grayson shot narrowly over the bar and Fowkes saved from Hodgson.
But in the end it was a fortunate point for Heanor and they had Sam Ogrizovic to thank for getting them one.
MATCH STATS
Heanor Town: Ogrizovic, Randall, Biggs (Walker 68), Bainbridge (Mason 72), Norbury, Kay, Webster, Grayson, Williams, Hodgson, Wells. Substitutes not used – Bedward, Austin, Hopkins.
Ibstock United: Fowkes, Betts, Neill, Brown, Springthorpe, Clark, Chamberlain (M), Wileman, Lock (Leonard 87), Stevenson, Lewis. Substitutes not used - Smith, Chamberlain (L), Coleman.
Referee: M Tinsley of Nottingham.
Attendance: 64
Yellow cards: Bainbridge (Heanor) 51 minutes; Williams (Heanor) 66 minutes, Williams (Heanor) 68 minutes, Kay (Heanor) 87 minutes, Springthorpe (ibstock) 61 minutes.
Red card: Danny Williams (Heanor) 68 minutes for two yellow card offences.
NEXT IN ACTION:
Saturday, February 13
East Midlands Counties League - Holwell Sports v Heanor Town (3pm).
Central Midlands League - Heanor Town Reserves v Dunkirk Reserves (3pm).
