Hednesford 2 - 0 Witton Albion
With the team playing so well at Boston United in the previous game Manager Dean Edwards had the luxury of selecting new signing Adam Burley as a substitute.
In the opening minutes of the game a double tackle by Tyrone Barnett and Ross Dyer forced the ball to drop to Anthony Maguire. The left wing back hit a firm shot from 30 yards which went over the Witton crossbar.
The visitors physical tactics soon forced the Pitmen into a change in the 3rd minute a bad tackle by Paul Donnelly forced Sean Platt to be carried off. The former Walsall player was sent to hospital as a precaution on an ankle injury which is likely to leave him on the sidelines for four weeks. Sam Hall who was earlier in the week on the verge of a move to Gresley Rovers came on to replace Platt.
On a day which was supposed to have been sunny the wet weather did not help the keepers or at least the Witton keeper as Brock was only seeing action when he received pass backs to kick upfield. Greg Smith the Witton keeper dived to stop a back header from Donnelly from going out for a corner but on the wet surface he skidded out of play to concede the corner he was trying to save.
in the 16th minute Ross Draper intercepted a back pass inside the Witton penalty area then with only Greg Smith to beat his shot was blocked by the keeper as he closed down the angle. The ball rebounded back to Elliott Durrell who with the keeper out of position shot wide.
The opening goal of the game came in the 22nd minute when Elliott Durrell dispossessed a Witton defender in his own penalty area, the lively midfielder took the ball to the left hand bye-line before pulling the ball back into the six yard box for Tyrone Barnett to tap home from a yard out.
Sam Hall who was ready made replacement for Platt was playing well and hit a good pass forward for Durrell, he let the ball roll past hime then he hit a shot which Smith saved at the base of the right hand post. Durrell was in action soon after but after Maguire had created the chance for him he managed to somehow miss from six yards out.
A 30 yard shot by Hall was parried away by Smith, the ball from the wing was hit back into the box by Durrell but as Dyer rose to head hoem Smith Intercepted and did well to hold onto the wet ball.
Dyer missed a chance when put through when he pulled his shot wide of the right hand post.
The misses made by the Pitmen nearly proved costly when with half time Brock first had to save at Thompsons feet after Gomes had held him up then he had to hold onto a Mark Drew free kick then with half time approaching Wittons Lee Thompson broke forward, changing the direction of play he switched the ball to the left for Ross Thaker. With only Stuart Brock to beat he scuffed his kick ,sending the ball well wide of the left hand post.
Early in the second half Wittons Mark Drew cleared the Wimblebury end stand with a shot from 25 yards. At the other end of the pitch Durrell had a shot deflected straight into Smiths arms.
The Pitmen were awarded a free kick after Garry Burke had fouled Barnett. Mark Briggs free kick to the back post was headed back by Draper towards Dyer, in the challenge Tony Dunne conceded a corner but the Referee gave a goal kick.
After another good chance was not taken in the 52nd minute when Greg Smith the Witton keeper left his area to tackle Ross Dyer. The Pitmen forward won the challenge and laid the ball back to Barnett. Despite being 30 yards from an open goal Barnett surprisingly hit a cross field pass to Durrell and the chance was lost as Smith and his defenders had returned back to block his effort,
A cross from the left by Maguire was too heavy as Dyer and Barnett both missed the ball as they raced to the edge of the six yard box. The pressure continued and Durrell was denied by Smith and as the ball slipped from his grasp Barnett was denied a tap in as the keeper recovered to hold onto the ball at the second attempt.
In the 55th minute Gomes sent a long forward pass which Dyer headed on for Barnett who raced to the edge of the box where he hit a left footed shot which again smith failed to hold onto and again he denied Barnett by holding on at the second attempt.
Ross Draper who gave a Captains performance won his side a penalty in the 58th minute when he was up ended in the box by Dan Schwartz as he dribbled his way past a number of defenders. The Referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty which Ross Dyer strode up to take. The striker made it two gaols in two games as he sent his kick hard and low into the net despite Smith's efforts to stop the ball.
Elloitt Durrell who had caused the Witton defenders problems all afternoon was crudely fouled by Garry Burke. The Witton Centre Half was rightly cautioned for the tackle which forced the midfielder off the pitch for lengthy period of treatment.
If the Witton defenders thought that there bully boy tactics would stop Durrell they were wrong as once he was back on the pitch he took a pass from Dyer to hit a fierce shot which Smith did well to block. Barnett followed up to hit another shot towards the goal but his effort was deflected out of play for a corner kick.
A Mark Briggs cross was sliced out of play by Brian Pritchard, Briggs took the resulting corner and on this occasion fooled the Witton defenders as he hit a low deep cross for danny Harvey who hit a first time volley just wide.
The Witton defenders went to sleep when TomMarshall hit a long ball over the top of the back line. Ross Dyer was walking back from an offside position but as he was not active it allowed Barnett to break clear past the static defenders who stood appealing for offside. Unfortunately Barnett took the ball to far to the left and made the angle for a shot to difficult but he did get it on target forcing Smith to push the ball away from the danger area.
A rare mistake by Decio Gomes presented Dan Schwartz with an easy chance to pull a goal back but somehow with only Brock to beat he pulled his shot wide of the left hand post.
The second caution of the game was for another poor tackle on Durrell. It was Witton sub Geoff McGraw who saw yellow in the 75th minute. Two minutes Durrell received a standing ovation as he was replaced by Chad Sheppard.
Sheppard went close with a firm shot which sailed just past the left hand post after Sam Hall had set up the chance. With the three points safe the Pitmen enjoyed long periods of possession and even had the crowd shouting olé.
