Hednesford were left frustrated for the second home game in a row this afternoon as they are once again denied a crucial win by a combination of poor finishing and an inspired performance from the visiting goalkeeper as they had to settle for a point against mid-table Workington this afternoon

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The Pitmen had enjoyed a two-week break from action due to the fixture list and returned to action having dispensed with the services of goalkeeper Tommy Whittle, whose error-strewn spell at Keys Park had been brought to an end this week with a move to Gresley Rovers. Manager Steve Anthrobus had also decided to transfer list both Ross Adams and Andy Bell as part of a shake-up to his squad, although he elected to stick with the same XI that had started the 1-1 draw against Gainsborough Trinity fourteen days ago for today's game

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Workington made their first-ever trip to South Staffordshire sitting in eleventh place in the Conference North table, some eleven points above their hosts today after a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Leigh RMI last week. Manager Tommy Cassidy made one change to his side for today's trip south as the experienced Alan Gray came back into the side in place of the injured Tom Hopper

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It was another cold, wet and miserable afternoon in South Staffordshire, with Workington arriving later than expected after making slow progress down the M6 during the morning. The Pitmen looked to take advantage of the Reds' disrupted journey as they started well, with Steve Brannan drilling a third-minute effort over the crossbar after he had taken the ball forwards from the centre circle

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A long ball forwards from Workington's Steve Birks was cleared by skipper Lee Barrow but only as far as the oncoming Craig Johnston, who shanked his first-time effort over the crossbar from nearly thirty yards out

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In the seventh minute, Leon McSweeney's clever flicked ball forwards sent Ross Dyer clear of the Workington defence, only for the ball to take a nasty bobble in front of the youngster at the worst possible moment, allowing Workington goalkeeper Adam Collin to make up the ground and make a smothering save

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Mark Briggs saw his eleventh-minute free-kick take a nick off the Workington wall and drift a matter of inches wide of Collin's right-hand post after Dyer had been brought down by Darren Edmondson just outside the Reds penalty area

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Hunter got the better of the dawdling Green a minute later as the Workington full-back slipped on the greasy surface at the crucial moment to let Hunter run in behind him, whose left-footed drive whistled wide of Collin's right-hand post

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Two minutes later, Briggs was involved once more for the hosts as he sprayed the ball out wide to Colin Hunter with an inch-perfect pass which allowed the winger time and space to pick out his cross to McSweeney, whose tame header from eight yards out was gathered by Collin

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On-loan Sean Platt won the ball from Johnston in the sixteenth minute and exchanged passes with Dyer before sending McSweeney clear of the Workington defence. However, on his weaker right foot, McSweeney could only blaze his shot on the run wide of the post with a scuffed effort from twelve yards out

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Two minutes later, a training ground corner kick from the Pitmen saw Briggs play a short corner to Platt, who in turn allowed the ball to run to Brannan on the edge of the Workington penalty area; the teenager's shot from eighteen yards out was watched wide by Collin as it drifted wide of the woodwork

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Dyer seized upon a loose pass from Marc Green on twenty-three minutes and took the ball back into the Workington penalty area, only to snatch at his shot and toe-punt the ball straight at Collin

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Green's free-kick at the other end on twenty-six minutes was unconvincingly punched clear by Gary Hateley and into the path of Edmondson, who swivelled on the ball and let fly with a rising shot that ended up in amongst the supporters gathered on the Heath Hayes terrace

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The Pitmen continued to have the better of the game with regards openings as Leon Drysdale's deep cross on the half-hour mark was headed back across goal by McSweeney and into the path of Brannan, who was stretching to meet the ball and could not get enough purchase on his shot as the ball ran through to Collin

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The Workington stopper made an excellent stop to deny Briggs on thirty-four minutes as he acrobatically turned the midfielder's curling shot over the crossbar for a Hednesford corner kick after Hunter had laid the ball off to him

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Two minutes later, the best move of the match so far saw man of the match Briggs play a delightful ball into the feet of Dyer down the left, who in turn supplied McSweeney with a superb ball in that the Irishman turned towards goal, only to see Collin deny him with a fine full-length stop to his left

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The stoic Workington defence denied the Pitmen once more in the final minute of the half as Platt's throw-in found Dyer down by the corner flag, with the youngster wriggling his way past Green and crossing for Hunter, who was denied a clear scoring opportunity at the far post by some last-ditch defending from the visitors as they cleared their lines

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The hosts had completely dominated the first forty-five minutes of the game but had nothing to show for it after they had once again fluffed their lines in front of goal and had been denied time and again by Collin. Bell's lack of involvement appeared to have affected the team, as they lacked a natural poacher in the team to finish off the numerous chances that were being presented to the lively but young Dyer and the more thoughtful, creative McSweeney

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It continued to be one-way traffic at the start of the second half as Anthrobus's men started strongly, forcing three corners in the first five minutes of the half through Hunter and Dyer

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Tom Marshall headed wide of the hosts on fifty-one minutes as he met Hunter's cross full-on at the near post but skewed his effort high over the crossbar from six yards out

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Referee Mr Law denied the hosts a spot-kick on fifty-five minutes as Dyer took a tumble under a challenge from Matt Henney as the pair challenged for Barrow's lofted pass, but the men in white's pleas fell on deaf ears as the game continued

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Dyre was denied again by the match officials three minutes later as his run onto Brannan's pass was pulled back by Mr Law after an offside flag against the striker in the build-up

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Henney's clearing header from a Briggs corner kick on sixty-two minutes fell at the feet of Richard Teesdale, who attempted to hook the ball back at goal from twelve yards out but got a little too much on his effort and put his shot over the crossbar

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Despite all of the play happening in and around the Workington penalty area, the Reds almost turned the game on its head on sixty-five minutes as Birks attempted what looked like an audacious long-range effort that had Hateley scampering back toward his own goal to tip the ball over his crossbar for a Workington corner

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Experienced centre-back Ian Wright returned to the side after some recent injury issues on sixty-eight minutes, coming on in place of Tom Marshall to add his aerial presence to the side form set-pieces

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Workington substitute Gareth Arnison pulled a rare chance for the visitors wide of Hateley's post on seventy-four minutes after a mistake from Barrow saw the ball run under his foot and into the path of the youngster

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With thirteen minutes remaining, Wright headed straight into the arms of Collin from point-blank range as the former Hull City man made a late run into the six-yard box to meet another pinpoint Briggs free-kick

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Collin denied McSweeney on eighty-two minutes as he blocked the striker's low shot before punching the ball away from the feet of Teesdale to deny the defender a follow-up shot on the six-yard line

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Two minutes later, another incisive pass from Briggs found Brannan, who in turn found Dyer inside the Workington penalty area. The teenager's cross-cum-shot finally beat a stranded Collin but bobbled across the face of the Reds goal and just out of reach for Hunter at the far post

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The hosts made a late attacking change on eighty-six minutes as super-sub Paul McMahon came on for Hunter, prompting the exasperated hosts to move to a 4-3-3 formation for the final minutes

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In the final minute, another ball across the face of the Workington goal - this time from McSweeney - was not taken advantage of by the hosts as both McMahon and Brannan could not arrive in time to turn McSweeney's pull-back home from close-range 

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In added time, Collin ensured he preserved his well-earned clean sheet as he back-peddled to turn Teesdale's looping header from Drysdale's cross over the crossbar for a corner kick

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It had been a thoroughly frustrating ninety minutes for the Keys Park faithful, who had seen their side pepper the Workington goal with shot after shot but fail to make the breakthrough. Time will tell if this is a crucial two points dropped in their Pitmen's fight against the drop, although on a positive note a point today does extend their unbeaten run to four games. Anthrobus's side hit the road again next weekend when they travel to Rockingham Road to face a side still hoping for a late run at the play-offs in the form of Kettering Town

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Hednesford Town: Hateley, Drysdale, T. Marshall (Wright 68), Platt, Teesdale, Barrow ©, Brannan, Briggs, Dyer, McSweeney, Hunter (McMahon 86)      Subs Unused: Beckett, Bragoli, Molloy

 

Workington: Collin, Gray, Green, May, Edmondson ©, Henney, Hewson, Birks, Johnston (Arnison 61), Berkeley (Gordon 80), Hollickin       Subs Unused: Summersgill, Goulding

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