Super-sub Heap grabs the late winner for Ardley

Heap struck on the stroke of full-time at Marsh Lane to earn Ardley a 2-1 victory in the premier division clash.

Ardley produced a gritty display on the back of Saturday’s thumping victory over Ascot United.

But Nomads, with first teamers Kynan Isaac and Kaylem Patterson up front, gave Ardley a tough test and twice the woodwork came to the visitors’ rescue. Issac saw his shot from the left edge of the box rebound off the post and Jordy Ngathe suffered the same fate after he cut inside.

Keeper Lee Farrow denied Patterson and Seth Humphries in quick succession just before the break.

Ardley broke the deadlock a minute after the restart when Leam Howards helped on a Reece Bayliss free-kick for Matt Cruse to steal in at the far post and score.

But the game had barely restarted when Humphries launched an unstoppable shot from 30 yards that flew into the far corner of the net.

Substitutions on both sides changed the game in the final 20 minutes with Ardley beginning to see more of the ball.

In the closing stages Howards broke free on the right and found James Foster whose shot curled just the wrong side of the post.

But with time running out, Heap latched on to a poor clearance and curled a shot from 20 yards just out of keeper Christian Lawrence’s reach and into the net.