Having beaten Hednesford twice during last season’s Unibond Premier League campaign, champions Eastwood Town left Keys Park with another victory in this hard fought pre-season friendly.

Fielding a couple of ex pitmen in their ranks in Tom Marshall and Paul Robinson, the first half can be best described as an even and tepid affair with both teams cancelling each other out in most departments.

The first real effort on goal came from the Pitmen, when Dinning placed a free kick to the keepers left, however, Deakin had spotted the danger and did well to tip the ball round the post for a corner.

On ten minutes another good Hednesford move saw Durrell play a good through ball to Barnett who advanced to the edge of the box, before bringing an excellent save from Deakin.

At this stage Hednesford were edging the game with Dyer having the better of ex-pitman stalwart Marshall.

Eastwoods first real chance came on twenty-eight minutes when a long ball fell to Holland who held off Hednesford’s captain Walker, before cutting inside and firing low to Wards right from the eighteen yards out, fortunately the effort lacked power and Ward gathered comfortably.

Further good work down the Eastwood left offered Chapman a free header at the back post, which failed to trouble the Hednesford stopper 

The visitors were now seeing more of the ball and just before halftime Todd won a midfield tussle with Palmer and after driving forward before powering a twenty-five yard effort wide of Wards goal.

After a non-descript first half the game opened up in the second after a succession of substitutions from both sides and a change in the Eastwood formation to a 4-3-3. This gave Hednesford more space in midfield, which they began to exploit.

Durrell was released on fifty minutes but the keeper smothered the striker’s effort, the resulting corner was not fully cleared by the Eastwood defence and the ball fell to Palmer whose rasping shot was deflected wide for another corner.

Hednesford were now playing with some width and Aiston was instrumental in setting up Barnett at the far post, his lay back to Dyer was intercepted by Robinson, who prevented a certain goal.

The breakthrough came on sixty-four minutes when again the Eastwood defence failed to clear their lines and Durrell stole in to hit a firm shot passed Deakin from eight yards out.

Playing with some freedom the Pitmen were unfortunate not to add to their lead as Dyer saw his directed header glance the post before going safe. Dyers strike partner Barnett was next to be thwarted as Deakin saved well low to his left from a similar placed header.

Hednesford were made to pay for their missed chances and Eastwood responded well. The powerfully built Cooke should have done better when hesitancy in the home side defence allowed him a clear effort on goal, thankfully the effort failed to trouble Ward.

However, Eastwood were starting to find gaps as the game began to get stretched and on seventy-five minutes a long ball was flicked on by Smith, the ball fell kindly for ex-pitmen player Peter Knox who ghosted in between Harvey and Platt. From fully thirty yards out Knox saw Ward off his line before placing a sublime volley over the keeper and into the net.

It was Eastwoods turn to dominate and Knox returned the favour three minutes later, when he beat the impressive Bailey and Stair down the Hednesford left, before delivering an inch perfect cross for Smith to glance a header wide of a Ward, who was rooted to his line, and give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Eastwood nearly grabbed a third but Ward was able to tip another effort over the bar.

Nisbett, the pacey Hednesford sub, weaved his way through on eight-five minutes but was denied by Robinson as he was about to shoot.

Dinning was doing his best to get his team back into the game and fired two good efforts wide of Deakins goal after good build up play from Dyer, whose pace had troubled the visitors defence all afternoon.

Unfortunately, for all of Hednesford’s efforts they could not find the break-through that their play had arguably deserved, as Eastwood shut up shop in the final stages of the game.

All in all a good work out for the Pitmen against higher league opposition.

Article : Chris Brewerton

Images : Colin Rogers