Town 1st team welcomed Wirksworth Town to Stonelow for the first game of 2009. Town started well, putting Wirksworth on the back foot for most of the half, with several good chances created courtesy of Town's impressive one touch football.

Emergency striker John Perkins opened the scoring with a superb individual effort, turning on the edge of the box, megging the defender and curling the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.

Town looked in controlled and Ellis and Walker worked hard to keep the lively front pairing for Wirksworth at bay.

5 minutes before half time Wirksworth broke forward and equalised with their only effort on goal, which was a well worked effort at the back post.

The 2nd half was a different story with Wirksworth applying the pressure and turning up the work rate and Town struggling to find any momentum. The game however was still end to end, with an excellent chance falling to Gange 6 yards out, but he sliced his effort wide of the goal.

Again, despite not being at their best Town's goal was hardly threatened, until the final minute when a left wing cross was deflected into his own goal of Town defender McLoughlin (Bean).

This left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Town players as they tasted defeat for the first time in 10 games.

They now need to focus on the remaining league games in a bid to catch Rowsley whilst also still competing in both the Challenge and Derbyshire cups.