Pinchbeck United are beaten by Heanor Town in the United Counties League

Pinchbeck were punished for a slow start to their United Counties League clash at Heanor on Saturday.

The Knights conceded four times in the opening period of the Premier Division North match at Mayfield Avenue.

Although they improved after the break, Heanor hit a further two goals to run out convincing 6-1 winners.

Pinchbeck manager Lewis Thorogood commented: "We didn't come out of the traps at all.

"Heanor have a very effective way of playing at home and we didn't manage the game well enough.

"We allowed them to break lines too easily and expand the pitch for overlaps to get crosses in. We weren't sharp enough at picking up players who had come into space."

Pinchbeck had made the trip to Derbyshire on Saturday without the services of Taylor Jaine and Jake Henderson who have joined league rivals Hucknall and Sleaford respectively.

Injuries and suspensions also hit the Knights' squad against a Heanor side who had been on decent run of form after victories over Melton and Boston Town.

They needed just seven minutes to break the deadlock as a corner was half cleared out to Jamie Sleigh who sent the ball back into the box for Max Thornberry to put the hosts ahead.

Sleigh rattled the post moments later before Sacha Markelic cracked an effort against the crossbar.

Heanor's early dominance was then rewarded with a second goal after 19 minutes as Sleigh headed home from Josh Craddock's centre.

Knights goalkeeper Lewis Cox then produced fine saves to deny Markelic and Sleigh who then hit another effort against the post moments later.

A third goal always looked on the cards and it arrived eight minutes before the break when Marley Fearon finished from Keaton August's corner.

Pinchbeck rallied and Amadu Kanu was inches away from scoring after lobbing the goalkeeper only for the ball to go over the crossbar.

They then pressed high and won possession which allowed Logan Tate to pull a goal back for the Knights three minutes before the break.

However, there was still enough time for Heanor to add a fourth ahead of half-time as Sleigh teed up Markelic to fire home.

Flynn Slater came close to reducing the deficit early in the second half but was denied by a superb save from home goalkeeper Louis Kinnerley.

Heanor then further stamped their authority on proceedings with a fifth goal just past the hour mark when Sleigh played in Lewis Weaver who rounded Cox before tapping home.

A sixth goal arrived four minutes later when Thornberry thumped home a powerful header from Weaver's corner.

Cox then prevented a seventh goal with a superb save from Charlie Jemson's header following another setpiece as Pinchbeck fell to their third successive league loss.

With bottom of the table Hucknall drawing at home to Eastwood, the Knights are now just three points clear of the danger zone with matches against the top two sides - Sherwood Colliery and Lincoln United - in their next outings.

Thorogood added: "We were much better in the second half but the game was done by then.

"Hucknall have clearly got some upward momentum so it's vitally important from our perspective that we dig in now and make it as hard as possible for the opposition in our next two games which will be very difficult.

"We need to focus on the job in hand, stay positive and do everything that we can to be better."

Pinchbeck have rearranged their home match with Newark & Sherwood for Tuesday, February 20, with a 7.45pm kick-off at the Sir Halley Stewart ground.