The Pitmen made it two wins from two games this evening but left it late to record back-to-back victories after returning to the Northern Premier League with a late winner against a resilient Buxton side

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Following Saturday's narrow win over Bradford Park Avenue, manager Rob Smith was content to send out the same side that had brought all three points back from Yorkshire. Sterling efforts by the HTFC Supporters Association during the summer months meant a 500 plus crowd gathered for the Pitmen's first home game of the new season

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Hednesford were keen to exert their authority from the off, as they pushed forward in waves during the first fifteen minutes. Chris Clements fired a warning shot at Buxton keeper Scott Hartley after just three minutes, darting in behind the Buxton defence but finding the Buxton number one equal to his low drive

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Danny Quinn then tested Hartley's reflexes with a low drive on six minutes, firing goalwards from twenty yards but missed the target when he should have at the very least made Hartley work

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The home side's pressure bore fruit in the seventh minute, as young striker Quinn opened his account for the season; a delightful ball over the top by Clements fell at the feet of Quinn, who broke clear of a static backline to fire past Hartley

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Despite the early lead and attacking start, one of the Pitmen's biggest failings of recent times started to creep into their game - complacency. They took their foot off the gas and allowed Buxton to dictate the play more and more as the half wore on. On twenty minutes, Grant Black and Matt Parry linked up in midfield to set Keiran Lugsden on his way. His driven shot from the edge of the penalty area missed Crane's left-hand post by a matter of inches - a let-off for the Hednesford defence

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They were not so lucky six minutes later, as Buxton levelled matters through Lugsden. The striker took advantage of hesitation in the Hednesford ranks, firing home at the far post after the Pitmen had had chances to clear the ball as it came in from the left-hand side

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Back came the Pitmen, and Quinn wasted a great opportunity to grab his, and Hednesford's, second goal on thirty-four minutes. A Clements ball in was met with a firm volley from the striker, whose shot was well saved by Hartley

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Buxton finished the half strongly, with Parry firing well over the crossbar with a wild shot from long range. The Pitmen had simply lost the spark of the opening twenty minutes and will have received a stern dressing down from Smith at the break after allowing Buxton to get themselves back into the game

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Mark Danks had been quiet for the majority of the game up to this point and should have given the Pitmen the lead once more on fifty minutes. Clements was again at the heart of everything going forward, and his through ball set Danks away down the left-hand side. His curling shot looked destined for the far corner, but Hartley made a great stop to palm the ball away for a corner

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Lugsden was still giving Pedro Monteiro and Cheyenne Dunkley issues with his movement, putting Buxton into the lead for the first time on fifty-six minutes. He turned Monteiro on the edge of the penalty area and calmly stroked the ball into the corner of the net

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Phil Clarke was replaced by striker Marvin Robinson on the hour mark, as the Pitmen looked to add more physical presence up front. however, it was Buxton who looked the more likely to add to their lead, as Scott Maxfield crossed for Martin Pembleton, who only just failed to control the ball with the goal at his mercy

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On sixty-seven minutes, Pembleton forced Crane into a superb save, firing goalwards with a long-range drive that Crane was at full stretch to turn away

Jamey Osborne and Nick Wellecomme were both introduced to the game with twenty minutes remaining, coming on in place of Kyle Haynes and Quinn respectively. This move gave the Pitmen the edge in the final quarter, as they pushed Buxton deeper into their own half

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The change in tactic paid off almost immediately, as Wellecomme earned the hosts a penalty on seventy-four minutes. The big striker was fouled by Karl Colley after a coming together in the penalty area, allowing Clements to fire the resultant spot-kick past Hartley to level the game once again

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It was all Hednesford in the closing stages of the game, as Buxton tried desperately to hang on to the point they had within their grasp. Hartley became overworking in the last ten minutes, as firstly he denied Robinson with a great stop from point-blank range after the big striker had headed Clements' corner goalwards

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Within two minutes, Hartley had made three more stops, denying Wellecomme and Clements twice as the home side continued to turn the screw

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As the game entered added time, Clements launched one last ball into the Buxton penalty area, playing in a deep free-kick. Dunkley was first to the ball, heading the ball firmly past Hartley to snatch all three points for the Pitmen at the death

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With the visit of much-fancied Chester to Keys Park at the weekend, this win was a massive boost for the side, who sit joint top of the table with Chorley as the only two sides with 100% records after two games

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Monteiro, Campion ©, Shaw, Dunkley, Denny, Haynes (Osborne 70), Clements, Quinn (Wellecomme 70), Danks ▆, Clarke (Robinson 61)       Subs Unused: Gomes, Bailey

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Buxton: Hartley, Black, Wilde (Colley 45), Agus, Liversidge, Maxfield ©, Pembleton, Towey, Parry, Lugsden ▆, Ridley ▆       Subs Unused: Hadley, Stevens, Taylor, Cross

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