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5.9.2015

Vanarama National League North

Hednesford Town

Obeng (30), T. Williams (34), (90)

Boston United

Jones (60), Piergianni (80)

(2) 3

(0) 2

Attendance

MoTM

Current Form

Next Match

510

Ahmed Obeng

W L L D D L W W

Alfreton Town (H) 12.9.15

Anyone who has taken in Hednesford's games in the past week or so certainly can't argue about not getting their money's worth, as the Pitmen put their supporters through the mill once again at Keys Park before sealing a superb victory courtesy of a late, late winner from defender Tyrone Williams

Boosted by Monday's confident 4-1 win at Worcester City, Hednesford returned home with a renewed sense of confidence in Chris Brindley's final game in charge. Brindley elected to make only one change to the side, forced into bringing John Disney into the side after Curtis Tilt's midweek defection to Rob Smith's AFC Telford. Mansfield loanee Chris Spencer returned to the squad after missing out on Monday's win, lining up alongside a very experienced bench of players for the home side

Boston's start to the new season had seen them start slowly with two defeats before three wins on the bounce looked to have got their season on track. However, their progress had been checked in the past week with defeat to Lincolnshire rivals Gainsborough and a battling draw at home to Tamworth. Dennis Greene brought back Jamie McGhee and Zak Mills into his squad after injury, with Peterborough loan keeper Henrich Ravas named in the squad after a week on International duty for Slovakia U19

The Pitmen started with confidence, with the blonde duo of Tom Thorley and Sean Williams continuing their growing understanding in midfield with more excellent ball play. In the tenth minute, Kyle Perry fired well over the crossbar after Ahmed Obeng played the ball into the path of his strike partner on the edge of the Boston penalty area

Ben Bailey had to be alert to snuff out the danger for Hednesford two minutes later, as Jay Rollins' ball in was turned back to Dave Parton by Bailey as Dayle Southwell looked to get on the end of the cross

Tom James was guilty of wasting good territorial advantage for the Pitmen on twenty-three minutes, as his free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area drifted over the heads of everybody coming in at the far post and out for a tame Boston goal kick

Five minutes later, Sean Williams took advantage of a poor clearance from Boston keeper Jason Alexander to seize upon the ball and lift his shot just over the crossbar from fully twenty-five yards out

The Pitmen finally made their pressure tell just after the half-hour mark, as Southwell's pass was intercepted by Thorley, who shrugged off Lionel Stone's challenge to slip the ball through the Boston defence. Perry did well to sell Carl Piergianni a dummy, stepping over Thorley's through ball to allow Obeng to race onto it and slip the ball past Alexander from eight yards out

One-nil very quickly became two-nil to the Pitmen, as they struck again with their next attack on thirty-four minutes. Bailey launched one of his trademark long throws from the right into the Boston six-yard box, with Tyrone Williams reacting quickest to turn the ball home from a couple of yards out

The Pitmen were now in complete control of the game, as they continued to create chances in the same vein as they did against Corby three weeks ago; Bailey himself almost added to his goal on Monday as he controlled a James cross and fired just wide of the far post with six minutes of the half remaining

Two minutes later, a lovely ball from Nathan Modest played Obeng through on the left-hand side of the Boston penalty area. Obeng's curling effort beat Alexander, but also agonisingly beat the far post too

Alexander was called into action in the forty-third minute, making a good save to deny Kennedy Digie from close range after the young midfielder had stabbed a shot towards goal

In added time, Piergianni will feel relieved at only being shown a yellow card by the referee after he cynically scythed down Perry after an altercation earlier in the move

Hednesford continued to have the better of the chances at the start of the second half, with Obeng's deflected drive striking the base of the right-hand post with the Pitmen's first meaningful attack of the second period

The excellent Obeng was in action once again on fifty-three minutes, making another great burst forwards to get on the end of another ball from Modest, this time firing straight into the arms of Alexander

Young Kennedy Digie gave another example of is aerial prowess on fifty-six minutes, getting the better of the Boston defence at the far post to head James's deep corner kick just wide of goal

Despite a lack of clear-cut chances, Boston somehow managed to drag themselves back into the game on the hour mark as a right-wing cross from Rollins found Mark Jones in the area, with the striker firing confidently past Parton from close range

With the Pitmen suddenly on their heels, Boston went close to a quickfire equaliser three minutes later as Southwell raced clear of the Hednesford defence but somehow rolled the ball wide of Parton's left-hand post

Digie again failed to convert a James corner into a goal on sixty-nine minutes, heading high over the bar as he stretched to reach the out-swinging ball

Obeng was guilty of not being decisive enough for the Pitmen with sixteen minutes remaining, as he raced onto a long ball forwards behind the Boston defence. Rather than shooting for goal, however, Obeng elected to try and play in Perry, but failed to get enough purchase on the ball and allowed it to be cut out

After making his considerable contribution to the game, Obeng was taken off with twelve minutes remaining as the Pitmen brought on Todd to shore up the back line

They were made to pay, however, for not taking their chances in the first half a la Corby as Boston snatched an equaliser they barely deserved with ten minutes remaining; a Kyle Dixon free-kick from the right touchline was headed down by Jones, allowing Piergianni to fire past Parton on the half volley from twelve yards out

Boston felt they could now go on and win the game with the momentum with them, making several threatening breaks down the flanks to test the fitness of Disney and James

With five minutes remaining, Marvin Robinson came on for Perry up front as the Hednesford supporters looked to their cult hero for another memorable late goal from the big man. Paul Ennis was also introduced a couple of minutes later for the tiring Modest

It looked as though the game was to end in a point apiece as it entered added time, with both sides failing to create any real openings in the final five minutes. However, one last push from the Pitmen brought them great rewards with what was the final action of the game; Rollins was dispossessed in midfield, with Ennis able to slip the ball through to Tyrone Williams, who was lurking on the left-hand edge of the penalty area. The centre back showed remarkable composure to cut inside and dispatch a curling shot beyond the reach of Alexander and find the far corner of the net, much to the obvious delight of the Hednesford players and supporters who felt they had done enough to earn all three points this afternoon

So, Chris Brindley's latest tenure in charge ends on a happy note, lifting the Pitmen into the top half of the table in the process. A new man will be at the helm by the time Hednesford make the short trip to Alfreton next Saturday and with a number of the most closely-linked names in the crowd today, who knows who it will be?

Hednesford Town: Parton, Disney, James, Bailey ©, T. Williams, Thorley, S. Williams, Modest (Ennis 88), Perry (Robinson 85), Obeng (Todd 78), Digie      Subs Unused: Adams, Spencer

Boston United: Alexander, Marrs, Roberts (Friend 78), Stone (Mills 53), Garner ©, Piergianni, Rollins, Dixon, Southwell, Jones, McGhee (Dowie 53)      Subs Unused: Johnson, Ravas

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