The Pitmen return to the top of the Northern Premier League this afternoon as they blow play-off hopefuls Lancaster City away with three goals in the first half hour of play

​

With the dust having settled on last week's horror show at Hyde United, new Hednesford manager Kelvin Davis had been able to get out on the training pitch wth his players in the week and work on his way of working. Despite his side being on the wrong end of a 5-0 drubbing at Ewen Fields, Davis elected to stick with the same XI that had started last weekend's game. Davis was also able to call upon the services of the influential Joe Doyle-Charles after the combative midfielder had made an earlier-than-expected return from a knee injury to take his place amongst the substitutes

​

Lancaster - previous table toppers earlier in the season but now looking to fight it out for one of the play-off places - had beaten struggling Leek Town 2-1 at the Giant Axe last weekend to remain in contention for a top five finish. Dolly Blues manager Jimmy Marshall made two changes to his side for today's long trip down to South Staffordshire as Christian Sloan replaced Sam Bailey and Toby Oliver came in for Bobby Bjork

​

Looking to create an instant response to the Hyde debacle, the Pitmen were strong and industrious in the opening exchanges, with the in-form Joel Taylor making a marauding run down the left in the third minute after a pass from Liam Kinsella, crossing low into the box towards Montel Gibson, who was beaten to the ball by young goalkeeper Brad Kelly

​

There looked to be a lot more urgency and movement to the Hednesford attack in the early stages of the game, with Gibson doing well in the sixth minute to break down the left flank and cross low into the box, where the incoming Ahkeem Rose was just caught on his heels and couldn't quite make up the ground to turn the cross home

​

More excellent play down the left from the Pitmen in the ninth minute saw Chris Hussey and Taylor link up well, with Taylor sending over a fine cross that was met by the head of Rose, who stretched to reach the ball and glanced his effort wide of the far post

​

Gibson's long barren run in front of goal was finally brought to an end in the twelfth minute as the striker scored his first league goal since early December with a fine individual effort; Taylor sent Gibson away with a fine outside-of-the-boot pass, with the former Hereford man showing great footwork to dribble past both Ed Nolan and veteran Simon Grand before firing past Kelly from just inside the penalty area with a confident right-footed finish

​

Rose went agonisingly close to doubling the home side's lead four minutes later as Hussey played in a fine corner kick from the left that was met by the head of the Pitmen's top scorer, who somehow headed over the crossbar from close-range with the empty net in front of him

​

Lancaster skipper Sloan picked up the game's first booking of the afternoon from referee Mr Durno on nineteen minutes as he was shown a yellow card for bringing Rose down

​

Gibson was in the mood for more after finally breaking his duck, and doubled his afternoon's tally midway through the first half. Rose did well to take the ball along the left touchline and pull it back to Max Sheaf, who showed wonderful vision to take a couple of touches and stand up a cross to the far post, where Gibson guided a looping header back across goal and into the corner of the net

​

It was very nearly a quickfire hat-trick for Gibson on twenty-six minutes as the striker went close from another Hussey free-kick; the defender rolled the ball across the face of the penalty area to Gibson, who fired over the crossbar with a first-time effort from twenty yards out

​

The Pitmen's first-half dominance saw them edge further ahead on the half-hour mark - and what a goal it was too, as the industrious Omari Sterling-James scored his second goal for the club in spectacular style. Sheaf was involved again as he made a run into the box before pulling it back to Liam Kinsella, who in turn laid it off to Sterling-James, standing thirty yards from goal. The ex-Hereford man struck a powerful low shot at goal with very little back lift that beat Kelly for pace and nestled in the corner of the net

​

Gibson was winning all of aerial battles against Grand, dominating the 41-year-old on the occasion of his 800th career appearance. On thirty-five minutes, his power and pace got him past Grand down the left, pulling the ball back towards Sterling-James but seeing his cross put behind by Jonny Brindle for a corner kick to the Pitmen

​

Rose was keen to get involved in the goal action, making a powerful run in on goal on thirty-nine minutes with a bustling run down the right that saw him outpace Thompson before slightly overrunning the ball and allowing Kelly to make a smothering save just inside his penalty area

​

Three minutes later, Rose was wasteful with a half-chance as he lashed his low shot from eighteen yards out well wide of goal aftergood approach play from Sterling-James and Sheaf

​

With the game drifting into three added minutes at the end of the first half, Sterling-James tried his luck from range once more, only to drag his low shot from just outside the penalty area straight into the grateful arms of Kelly

​

It had been a completely dominant forty-five minutes from the hosts, who had provided the perfect response to last week's performance with a high-energy, creative performance that had seen them show some rare destructive streak in front of goal. Lancaster had been completely outplayed in every department thus far, having not created a single shot on target or given Tony Breeden anything to think about so far. Davis was dealt somewhat of a blow at the break, however, as the influential Ollie Harrison was forced off with a knock and replaced by Doyle-Charles

​

Rose was stillkeen to get his name on the scoresheet, making a run in behind the Lancaster defence on forty-five minutes as Gibson flicked Elliott Johnson's ball on into his path, only for the burly striker to be pulled back for an earlier offside flag against him from the assistant on the main stand side

​

Marshall made a dramatic quadruple substitution for the shot-shy visitors on fifty-four minutes as Jim Craig, Bjork, Dylan Moonan and Joe Armison replaced Grand, Sloan, Brindle and Lewis Mansell respectively

​

Two minutes later, Sterling-James delivered a dangerous inswinging corner kick from the left, sending over a superb looping ball that dipped over the head of Kelly but rippled the roof of the net

​

Lancaster's first effort of any note came on fifty-eight minutes as Nolan delivered a good cross into the box, where target man Nic Evangelinos beat both Craig and Hussey to the ball but headed well over Breeden's crossbar from eight yards out

​

Midway through the second half, Lancaster's Dylan Thompson found his name in Mr Durno's book as he was booked for bringing Sterling-James down in full flight

​​

Before Sterling-James took the reultant free-kick thirty-five yards from goal, the hosts made their second change of the game as Davis handed Niall Watson a rare runout, with the former Southport striker coming on in place Gibson

​

Lancaster elected to make their final change of the afternoon on sixty-seven minutes, as the lanky Evangelinos - who had struggled to get any change out of Hussey all afternoon long - was replaced by Dom Lawson up front

​

​Breeden was finally called into action for the first time in the afternoon on seventy-three minutes, claiming a deep corner kick from Steven Yawson ahead of the incoming Armison despite the ball being slightly behind him

​

With thirteen minutes of the game remaining, Dan Trickett-Smith was brought on by the hosts to add his creative flair to a flagging game as he came on in place of Kinsella

​

The game had largely died as a contest at this juncture, with the Pitmen content ot keep the ball moving at the back with Lancaster offering absolutely nothing in response. Rose was once again guilty of moving a little too soon on seventy-nine minutes as he raced onto a Sheaf pass, with the flag once again going up against him as he looked to place his shot past Kelly from fifteen yards out

​

Breeden was again alert to the infrequent and pitiful Lancaster attacks, once again plucking the ball out of the air on eighty-four minutes as he looked to protect his clean sheet

​

Jermaine Hylton was handed a few minutes of action by the Pitmen with four minutes left as the experienced left winger came on in place of Sterling-James

​

Rose was left a frustrated figure two minutes later as he was played clean through on goal by a Jamie Morgan pass, slamming the ball past the advancing Kelly but was once again pulled back for a late offside flag against him

​

In the second of four added minutes, Lawson tried his luck from long-range with a rising shot from twenty-five yards out that Breeden watched sail over his own crossbar

​​

A very satisfying afternoon for the majority of the 1,600+ in attendance as the Pitmen climbed back to the top of the table due to Hebburn Town only picking up a point at Leek Town. Lancaster will have been hugely disappointed with their lack of quality, workrate or chances created as they slip down to eighth place in the table, four points off Stockton Town in fifth place. With no game for the Pitmen next weekend, Davis will be keen to get back on the training pitch in the next two weeks before they travel to in-form Bamber Bridge in two weeks' time

Hednesford Town: Breeden ©, Morgan, Taylor, Hussey, Harrison (Doyle-Charles 45), Johnson, Sheaf, Kinsella (Trickett-Smith 77), Gibson (Watson 65), Sterling-James (Hylton 86), Rose      Sub unused: Labadie

​

Lancaster City: Kelly, Nolan, Thompson ▆, Oliver, Grand (Craig 54), Brindle (Moonan 54), Sloan © ▆ (Bjork 54), C. Bailey, Mansell (Armison 54), Evangelinos (Lawson 67), Yawson     Subs unused: none

 ​​​​​