Red Insure Cup Quarter Final

Pitmen Edge Past Stern Boro Test To Reach Semis

Hednesford Town had a fifty-sixth minute Elliott Durrell tap-in to thank for their progress into the semi finals of the Red Insure Cup as a defiant defensive back three battled hard to secure a morale boosting victory.

Ben Bailey, Decio Gomes and the outstanding Cheyenne Dunkley were at the heart of a positive Pitmen performance but Nuneaton supporters will point to offences by Bailey and Gomes which, on another day, could have seen them receive their marching orders.

Gomes set the opening goal in motion with a raking cross field ball which allowed Aaron Gibson the space to burn past Danny Pitham and dig a wonderful cross out from the by line for Tyrone Barnett to calmly nod into the net twenty-eight minutes in.

Hednesford enjoyed the better of a fairly poor first half in bitter conditions at Liberty Way; the only blot on the defensive performance was allowing Rob Foster free reign in the penalty area to loop his header past the statuesque Stuart Brock just before the interval.

Nuneaton started the second half with real urgency but all their positive play was undone on fifty-four minutes when Darren Acton scuffed a clearance and despite making a great point blank save from Barnett the keeper could only watch in despair as Durrell rolled the ball into the empty net.

The home side pushed for an equaliser but, despite the introduction of top-scorer James Armson with ten minutes left, their attacking pressure was repelled by a resolute Pitmen backline. The Nuneaton fans screamed for a last gasp penalty when Dunkley blocked an Ed Matthews shot with his arm but their impassioned pleas were to no avail and Bernard McNally’s men progressed into the semi-finals.

Nuneaton Town

Acton, Pitham, Mathews, Forsdick (Armson 81), Pierpoint, Hadland, Spacey, Storer, Foster (42) (Dillon 80), Moore, Nisevic (Oddy 46),

Subs Not Used

Dean, Marsden

Hednesford Town

Brock, Platt, Gibson, Bailey, Dunkley, Gomes, Durrell (56) (Chapman 68), Craddock, Barnett (28), Dyer, Adkins (Martin 54),

Subs Not Used

Flynn, Proffitt, Overton,

Bookings

Forsdick, Hadland, Bailey, Gomes,

Star Man – Cheyenne Dunkley

Attendance – 281