Inaugural Chase Cup comes to Keys Park - Chase Cup 2^nd Leg

Pitmen Triumph in Cup as Nisbett Stakes Claim

Hednesford Town claimed the Chase Cup on a soaking wet August afternoon as they dominated their local rivals from start to finish. New signing Justin Nisbett terrorised the home sides defence in the first half but the end result could have been by a bigger margin but for some outstanding goalkeeping by Danny Allen.

Allen replaced Lee Evans between the posts following an injury caused by a brave save on five minutes. Nisbett released Elliot Durrell down the right flank, the striker looked up and saw Nisbett’s run, he squared the ball and presented Nisbett with a great chance to open the scoring. Evans  dived at the feet of the player and bravely blocked the ball.

Nisbett was not to be denied on ten minutes when Stafford failed to clear a Tony Dinning corner and the new signing lashed a ball on the half volley through the crowded penalty area and into the net. The travelling band of ‘Pitmen’ supporters erupted as their team went two goals ahead on aggregate.

Nisbett had the opportunity to increase Hednesford’s lead on twelve minutes but he shot wide following another Tony Dinning corner. The away side were employing a 4-4-2 formation and the midfield trio of Palmer, Dinning and Aiston were battling hard and suffocating any resistance coming from Chris Brindley’s Stafford team.

Karl Palmer showed why he will be such an important player this season throughout the first half with a combative midfield display – a display summed up perfectly on twenty-four minutes when his strong run into the area and exchange of passes with Nisbett very nearly created a second goal. Palmer lobbed the ball over Allen but desperate defending from the home side saw the ball scrambled over the bar with Barnett closing in.

Three minutes later Stafford Rangers came close to equalising when Ben Mills found his way through ‘The Pitmen’ defence; only a fantastic last ditch tackle by Theo Stair prevented the striker from getting his shot in on goal.

Nisbett continued to get great joy from the Stafford defence and on twenty-nine minutes he advanced on goal from the left area of the penalty box, Nisbett’s second touch was a little heavy and he stretched to square the ball to the open Tyrone Barnett, the pass was slow reaching the striker and he leant back and skewed the ball over the bar, missing a fantastic chance in the process.

Andre Francis looked impressive at right back for Stafford and his marauding run and cross put the Hednesford defence under pressure on thirty-six minutes with Sam Aiston blocking the ball and almost diverting it into his own net in the process.

As the second half began Stafford Rangers supporters knew their team needed two goals to overturn the aggregate result and on the strength of the first half performance such a feat seemed very unlikely. An improbable comeback almost got off to the perfect start as within two minutes of the restart the home side had the ball in the net. Unfortunately the referee had seen a handball as a group of players jumped with the Hednesford goal keeper; Tom Thorley was subsequently booked for a deliberate handball.

As the second half continued, the game slowed to a friendly pace as both sides struggled to keep the ball, Stafford created little during this period as Hednesford seemed happy to see the match out.

On sixty-six minutes Tyrone Barnett wrapped up the game and the cup with a fantastic finish from twenty yards out, he picked up Dinnings’ ball towards the area, turned the defender and rifled the ball past the goalkeeper to send the Hednesford fans into rapturous celebration.

With ten minutes to go, Allen made the first of two fantastic one-on-one saves which helped spare ex-pitman Chris Brindley’s blushes. Elliott Durrell’s slide rule pass split the home defence like a hot knife through butter and released Barnett, the striker did everything right but lost the duel with Allen as he blocked his shot. In the final minute, ‘The Pitmen’ had both hands on the cup and Allen again denied them a deserved third goal, making another fantastic point blank save from Elliott Durrell.

The final whistle was blown and Hednesford fans and players alike were united in the joy of not only beating their arch rivals twice in a fortnight but also being presented with the first ever Chase Cup by Stafford Rangers chairman, John Downing. ‘The Pitmen’ showed that their hard pre-season training seems to have paid off and Dean Edwards’ men look well set to begin the season on the front foot.

Hednesford Town host Premier League new-comers Birmingham City on Sunday 9^th August and will kick off their Zamaretto League campaign on Saturday August 15^th welcoming Tiverton Town to Keys Park.

Attendance – 383

Stafford Rangers

Evans, Francis, Vauls, Thorley, Wilson, Page, Smith, Moult, Wellecomme, Mills, Morgan,

Subs – Hulme, Rogers, Eastwood, Kassima, Allen

Hednesford Town

Ward, Platt, Stair, Walker, Bailey, Dinning, Durrell, Palmer, Barnett, Nisbett, Aiston,

Subs – Lycett, Gibson, Rix, Bandurak, Buttia

Artoicle : Chris Brewerton

Images : Colin Rogers

Hednesford Town .v. Stafford Rangers

Chase Cup 1st Leg

Saturday 18^th July 2009

New signing Tony Dinning was the hero for Hednesford Town as his eighty-second minute winner saw ‘The Pitmen’ record a long overdue win against their fiercest rivals and also take an important goal lead in the inaugural Chase Cup.

The former Stockport midfielder drove the ball past Tom Harrison in the Stafford goal from twenty yards out after strong running from Sam Aiston had set him up. The goal was deserved for Hednesford on the strength of their opening twenty minute performance but the away side will certainly feel aggrieved at leaving  Keys Park with nothing after an assured second half display.

It was ‘The Pitmen’ who started the game the strongest and after four minutes Ross Dyer broke with pace down the right, he squared the ball to Elliott Durrell but the pint-sized striker was prevented from tapping the ball in by a superb challenge by Nick Amos. Stafford failed to clear the resulting corner and a looping ball played over his head by Richard Walker found Tyrone Barnett in acres of space six yards out to sweep the ball into the net.

The score could have been doubled when, after eleven minutes, Durrell chipped the ball in from the right wing and Sam Aiston’s point blank header was unbelievably tipped over by Tom Harrison. The home side had Chris Brindley’s men rattled and Barnett failed with two guilt-edged chances on seventeen and nineteen minutes; on both occasions Harrison pulled off smart saves but the usually clinical striker should have scored.

‘The Pitmen’ were made to rue their missed opportunities when Stafford Rangers equalised with hesitant goalkeeping to blame. Gavin Ward failed to cleanly collect a ball into the area and after bouncing off the foot of the post Bobby Wilson was left with the simplest of finishes from three yards out.

The away side took great confidence from their equaliser and began to dominate possession with Hednesford failing to keep the ball upfront. Ian Hall looked dangerous for the away side and curled a shot over the bar from the left edge of the area on thirty-five minutes.

A minute later Hall skewed a volley high and wide but on thirty-seven minutes Gavin Ward was called on to take evasive action to preserve parity between the two sides. A Jake Moult cross found Nick Wellecomme unmarked in the middle and the Hednesford keeper saved superbly from point blank range.

It was Ross Dyer’s turn to fluff his lines next as the game opened up and he found himself clean through following a ball from Aiston; unfortunately for ‘The Pitmen’ his finish lacked conviction and Harrision clutched the ball gratefully to his chest.

As the first half came to an end both sides walked back to the dressing room believing they had done enough to be ahead and also realising that no Hednesford .v. Stafford match can ever be considered a meaningless pre-season friendly.

That fact was proved to be very true in an aggressive opening twenty minutes of the second half which saw numerous strong challenges and two ‘brawls’ where, in a league fixture, both sides would have found themselves seeing red. Dinning and Moult came together after fifty-three minutes when the latter went in too strong on the Hednesford midfielder. A fist fight of sorts ensued and the referee was called upon to calm things down.

Neither side took heed of such advice and tension boiled over again three minutes later with ‘Pitmen’ keeper Ward restraining a baying mob of Stafford and Hednesford players inside his own net in the build up to a Stafford free kick.

A mass of substitutions and changes from both sides meant the game struggled to reach its entertaining peaks of the first half but Stafford continued to monopolise the ball if not creating too many clear cut opportunities. As the pace of the game slowed, both sides looked content with a draw but cometh the man and Tony Dinnings’ thunderbolt out of nowhere sent Hednesford fans wild.

Dorryl Proffitt will still be kicking himself today as, with two minutes remaining, he bundled past Scott Lycett and, when faced with only Ward to beat, side footed the ball wide of the post. It was an absolute sitter and a chance which come the return leg at Marston Road may come back to haunt Chris Brindley and his Conference North team.

‘The Pitmen’ face last years promotion rivals Eastwood Town next Saturday in a game which sees Tom Marshall making a quick return to Keys Park and follow that game up with the second leg of the Chase Cup way at Stafford Rangers on Saturday 1^st August.

Hednesford Town

Starting XI

Ward, Lycett, Stair, Dinning, Walker, Bailey, Durrell, Palmer, Barnett, Dyer, Aiston,

Substitutes

Rix, Nisbett, Harvey, Foyle, Platt,

Stafford Rangers

Starting XI

Harrison, Francis, Vauls, Thorley, Wilson, Amos, Hall, Moult, Wellecomme, Mills, Hill,

Substitutes

Proffitt, Allen, Miller, Rogers, Hulme

Referee – Mr A Sheffield

Attendance – 302

Article: Chris Brewerton
Images : Faulkvalley Photography