Hednesford made it four wins on the trot this evening at Swindon Supermarine - but could hardly have left it any later to seal all three points at Hunts Copse

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With confidence high, manager Rob Smith kept his changes to a minimum; Kyle Patterson returned to the side after serving a suspension, replacing Marvin Robinson, who was starting one. Chris Clements came in in place of Liam Blakeman, whose loan had now expired and had returned to parent club Southport. On the subject of  loanees, Cheltenham Town's Kyle Haynes - who joined the Pitmen for a month this week - was named amongst the substitutes

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Supermarine have been in mixed form recently, losing heavily at home to Brackley Town last week but returning to winning ways at the weekend with a 1-0 win over Leamington. Caretaker managers Gary Horgan and Matt Robinson made four changes to the side that had started against the Brakes as the pair both dropped to the bench in favour of Sam Collier and Danny Allen, whilst Leigh Henry and Ashan Holgate also returned to the team in place of Jon Beeden and Jack Hopper respectively 

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On a chilly night in Wiltshire, in front of a sparse crowd, the hosts made a decent start to the game as they created a number of decent openings in the first ten minutes. Dan Crane had to be alert to deny Holgate on nine minutes, making a smart save low down to deny the Swindon man as he looked to score from eight yards out with a glancing header

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The Pitmen's sluggish start to the game was further highlighted with two needless bookings in the space of a few moments, as both Cheyenne Dunkley and Alex Melbourne earned yellow cards for fouls. On the disciplinary front, things got even worse for the Pitmen on twenty minutes as Larry Chambers was sent to the stand after he argued too strenuously to a decision given against Nick Wellecomme

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Despite this, the Pitmen dragged themselves into the game and took the lead against the run of play just before the half-hour mark. Swindon's Dave Bampton brought down Ross Davidson just outside the penalty area, earning a yellow card for hauling the Hednesford midfielder to the ground. Chris Clements stepped up to curl the ball through a forest of legs and past keeper James Rae to grab a well overdue goal for the playmaker

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Bampton's continual arguments against the awarding of the free-kick saw the referee finally lose his patience with the defender, with Bampton shown a second yellow card before Supermarine restarted the game

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Suddenly, it was all Hednesford, as the goal spurred the Pitmen on during the remainder of the first half. Clements was again involved on thirty-three minutes, whipping in another dangerous free-kick that missed all onrushing players before dropping inches wide of the far post

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Jay Denny isn't renowned for his goalscoring instincts, with only one goal to his name this term so far this term, However, the midfield workhorse went closest to putting the Pitmen further in front on thirty-seven minutes with a header from Alex Melbourne's cross that seemed destined for the corner of the net, only for Rae to make a fantastic save to his left to keep Swindon in the game

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There was still time in the half for a late flurry from the hosts, with Holgate firing wide of goal on forty-two minutes, closely followed by a header from the dangerous Henry that Crane watched over the crossbar

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Half time did not work out well for the Pitmen, as another sluggish start to the second half cost them dearly. Swindon pushed the Pitmen back into their own third straight from the kick-off, earning three set-pieces in a row. A free-kick into the Pitmen's penalty area on forty-nine minutes dropped to half time substitute Beeden, whose initial shot was cleared off the line by Liam Francis, only for the ball to fall kindly to Beeden to sweep the ball into the net on the rebound

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Hednesford looked rattled, and a ten-minute spell of pressure from Swindon saw Francis, Dunkley and Decio Gomes come under real pressure from the Supermarine forward line. To their immense credit, however, they stood firm and limited Henry and Beeden to long-range efforts that flew well wide of goal

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With things not really happening up front for the Pitmen, Rob Smith made a change on the hour mark, with Danny Quinn coming on in place of Clements, whose influence had faded as the game had developed

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With twenty minutes to go, Darren Campion went close to re-establishing the Pitmen's lead as he took free-kick duties off the now-departed Clements by firing a powerful shot a yard or so wide of the post

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Haynes was given his first run-out in a Hednesford shirt with fifteen minutes remaining, as he replaced fellow youngster Melbourne at right wing-back

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The Pitmen finished the game much the stronger, as they pushed for the all-important winner that would keep them in the play-off hunt. Quinn's smart turn and shot was well off target, whilst Patterson was beaten the ball by Rae after a run and cross from Haynes

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It all seemed as though the Pitmen would be settling for their first draw in eighteen games, as the minutes ticked away with no real clear cut chances. But in injury time - a miracle. Campion's ball to Patterson saw the striker pick the ball up with his back to the goal, thirty yards out. He quickly turned his marker and unleashed an unstoppable rising shot that beat Rae and arrowed into the top corner of the net to send the Pitmen's travelling support into raptures

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The goal proved decisive as it was the last kick of the game, moving the Pitmen into fourth place in the table and above both Chesham United and Leamington

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Swindon Supermarine:  Rae, Collier, D. Allen (Robinson 33), Etheridge, Wells (Beeden 45), Bampton ▆ ▆ (31), Henry, Bryant, Holgate (J. Hopper 75), L. Hopper, Stanley       Subs Unused:  Morris, Horgan, Wells

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Gomes, Campion, Dunkley ▆, Francis ©, Denny, Melbourne ▆ (Haynes 75), Patterson (Bailey 90), Wellecomme, Clements (Quinn 62), Davidson       Sub Unused: Keenan

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