Hednesford Town slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season at Cheltenham's Whaddon Road ground this afternoon, as tenants Gloucester City made light of their current league position to beat the Skrill North high-flyers convincingly

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Coming off two successive defeats to Brackley Town and Gateshead respectively, the Pitmen arrived in Gloucestershire looking for a response to a set of results that fans had not been used to under the stewardship of Rob Smith. Despite suffering a heavy reverse at the International Stadium last weekend, Smith elected to stick with the same side that had started the F.A. Trophy defeat. New signing Ümit Eminoğlu was included amongst the substitutes after Hednesford had obtained International clearance to bring in the Turkey U18 International this week

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Gloucester's season had been one of struggle up to this point in the campaign, with the Tigers currently occupying one of the relegation places at kick-off. Four successive league defeats suggested that David Mehew's side would struggle to contain the Pitmen, with the visitors making a strong start to proceedings

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A brilliant run from Jamey Osborne on three minutes saw him shimmy his way past a couple of challenges out on the bye-line and pick out Wayne Riley with a superb cross, with the forward heading against the post with a glancing effort from close range

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Elliott Durrell was next to try his luck for the Pitmen on eight minutes, as he collected Darren Campion's cross and fired towards goal. The ball took a deflection off loan signing Greg Pearson and drifted wide of Mike Green's far post

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Back came the home side, with new signing Marcus Giglio testing Dan Crane's reflexes on eleven minutes with a stinging shot that Crane did well to turn away for a Gloucester corner

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Two minutes later, Gloucester stole into the lead against the run of play as the fragile Hednesford defence allowed the hosts to score with ease; Darren Mullings won the ball in midfield and played a ball through to home debutant Zak Kotwica, who ran in behind a static Pitmen back line and beat Crane to the ball before slotting into the empty net

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The goal gave Gloucester confidence to come out and play, pushing Hednesford back as they sensed more goals against their second-placed opponents. Conor Waldon went close to doubling City's advantage on eighteen minutes, turning in the six-yard box and firing unmarked at goal. Hednesford were indebted to skipper Campion, who managed to get back on his goal line to block the shot and scramble it away from goal

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The pressure finally told on the Pitmen's over-worked defence five minutes later with Francino Francis making a rare error to gift Gloucester a second goal. Looking to clear his lines, Francis's attempted clearance hit Waldon, with the midfielder seizing upon the loose ball and playing Mullings in on goal. With Crane horribly exposed, Mullings had the easy task of slotting home from close range

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Kris Taylor tried to get the Pitmen back into the game three minutes later, striking a clean effort just over the bar from long range

Crane had to come to Hednesford's rescue once again three minutes before half time, as more defensive woes saw Waldon link up with Scott Wilson with ease before Waldon fired in a low shot that Crane saved

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The shell-shocked Pitmen regrouped at half-time and made a better fist of it in the early stages of the second half. Neil Harvey was introduced into the game on fifty-four minutes, replacing the disappointing Taylor. He went close to making an immediate impact, as Osborne's long throw was flicked into his path, but the big striker headed inches wide of the post

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The Pitmen were made to pay for this on fifty-eight minutes, as Waldon produced a moment of brilliance to pretty much end the Pitmen's hopes of a positive result. Receiving the ball out wide on the right, the youngster came inside and lifted his shot over the head of Crane and into the net from fully thirty yards out

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This third goal for City saw Hednesford respond by introducing new boy Eminoğlu to the game, replacing the ineffective Pearson

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The Pitmen refused to implode at this stage, however and got a goal back through Nathan Woolfe on sixty-three minutes. The winger- on a minute earlier for Riley - did well to meet Durrell's deep cross, heading beyond Green with his first touch to reduce Gloucester's advantage

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The away side continued to put pressure on the home side in the next ten minutes, hoping for another opening that would set up a grandstand finish to the game. Durrell tested Green with a powerful low drive, whilst Ben Bailey should have connected with a free header from a Woolfe corner kick but missed

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More defensive frailties finally killed off the Pitmen's resistance with ten minutes left, as Matt Groves was given time and space to play the ball in to Will Morford, who had the simple task of back-heeling the ball past Crane from close range. All too easy

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With the game entering its final stages, both Osborne and Campion had chances to reduce the one-sided scoreline to a more competitive look with Green denying Osborne and Campion firing over the crossbar with a curling effort

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With the Pitmen continuing to press forward, Gloucester looked to exploit the space behind them with their quick-footed, vibrant young attackers. As the game entered added time, a long ball over the top caught Hednesford cold once again, allowing Morford to nip in and lift the ball over Crane and score Gloucester's fifth

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An embarrassing defeat no doubt for the Pitmen, who will be looking to get back on track with a triple header at Keys Park in the next ten days after three successive away games. Improving Harrogate Town are the visitors on Tuesday night, with the Pitmen looking to continue their fine league form at home to banish memories of a poor couple of weeks

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Gloucester City: Mike Green, Michael Green, Giglio, Coupe, Harris, Webb (Liddiard 64), Kotwica, Mullings, Wilson (Morford 72), Waldon (Edwards 84), Groves       Subs Unused: Binns, Parker

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Disney, Campion ©, Bailey, Francis, Taylor (Harvey 54), Osborne, Durrell, Pearson (Eminoglu 59), Riley (Woolfe 62), Thorley      Subs Unused: McCone, Melbourne

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