Hednesford exacted revenge on an out-of-sorts Worksop Town this afternoon, matching the Tigers' 4-0 win at Keys Park in September with a confident, dominant second-half display at Sandy Lane

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With Saturday's 3-1 win against Chorley fresh in the mind, manager Rob Smith made the no-brainer of a decision to stick with the same side as last weekend, including the same players on the bench

 

Worksop came into the game off a two-game losing streak, with reverses against Ilkeston and Stafford halting their run towards the play-offs since the turn of the year

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Hednesford stopper Dan Crane was the first of the keepers to be called into action after just two minutes, making a smart save from Leon Mettam as the home side looked to him and the towering presence of 6ft 6" striker Tom Denton, who caused the Pitmen problems in the reverse fixture at Keys Park

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Denton went close three minutes later, with a deep free-kick from Ryan Clarke on the right-hand side found Denton, who headed narrowly wide of goal

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The Pitmen countered with a free-kick from Elliott Durrell, whose wicked ball in was headed weakly into the hands of Worksop keeper Paul Bastock by Neil Harvey

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A minute later, Harvey appeared to limp out of a challenge on him near the edge of the Worksop penalty area, with the striker attempting to run off the injury

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Another good save from Crane on seven minutes kept the scores level, saving well with his legs from Mettam after he ran onto Denton's flick-on

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Winger Nathan Woolfe - amongst the goals earlier in the season - had gone eleven games without a goal up to today; he looked to change that with a long-range effort on fourteen minutes that fizzed just over the crossbar

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Harvey eventually succumbed to his leg injury on fifteen minutes, with Michael Lennon replacing the big striker up front

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Another effort from Woolfe midway through the half went even closer than his first effort, as his left-footed shot was well fielded by Bastock

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The winger finally found his range two minutes later, giving the Pitmen the lead with another long-range effort. Durrell's initial shot was blocked by Bastock, with Woolfe lashing home the rebound from twenty yards out

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Durrell himself went close to adding to his tally for the season four minutes later, firing just wide of Bastock's left-hand post with a thunderous shot from range

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Worksop were forced into a substitution of their own on thirty-seven minutes, as Lee Ridley had to be replaced by Lee Potts. Luke Shiels also came off worst in a challenge from Dave MacPherson and limped his way through the remainder of the half

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The final minute of the half saw Hednesford extend their lead, as Durrell grabbed his nineteenth goal of a prolific campaign. Wizardry from Woolfe saw him jink his way through and cross the ball in from the left, with the clearance only succeeding in finding Durrell. In acres of space, he steadied himself and powerfully fired past Bastock

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The Pitmen had grown into the game throughout the course of the first half and went on to totally dominate the second period as they created chance after chance on an excellent, flat grassy pitch at Sandy Lane. Shiels' game was brought to an abrupt halt at the break, as he was replaced by Adie Hawes

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Durrell went close to doubling his tally six minutes after the restart, firing wide of goal with one of his trademark low drives. A minute later, the excellent Aaron Rey had Bastock scrambling across his goal with a curling shot that was also just wide of the mark

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Three Hednesford players incurred the wrath of the referee in quick succession, as a keenly fought midfield battle saw MacPherson, Jamey Osborne and Darren Campion all booked for challenges

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Veteran Bastock, a campaigner of twenty-five seasons in league and non-league football for a variety of clubs, proved he still had what it takes at forty-two years old on the hour mark, making a superb stop to turn away a shot from Rey when it looked as though the striker's effort would find the net

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Two minutes later, the Pitmen somehow failed to add to their goal tally as a combination of luck and timing saw Worksop hack three goalbound shots from Durrell, Ben Bailey and Osbourne away from danger in quick succession

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The rampant Pitmen finally grabbed the third goal their efforts deserved on sixty-five minutes, with Durrell moving on to twenty goals for the current campaign. Another rasping effort from twenty-five yards out caught Bastock out, as the wicked spin on the ball meant the keeper could only parry the ball upwards. the ball dropped behind him and spun over the goal line

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Unselfish play from Lennon on seventy minutes saw him miss out on the goal he craves to get back on track. Winning the ball out wide, Lennon made his way into the area and shaped to shoot past Bastock. However, he elected to square the ball to Rey, who seemed so surprised at the lay-off he failed to connect with the ball and allowed it to run across the face of goal

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It was to be another frustrating afternoon in front of goal for Lennon, as he was denied by Bastock once more with fifteen minutes remaining. He robbed Kern Miller of the ball and made a beeline for the Worksop goal. Bastock was quickly out of goal, making a good save with his legs to turn Lennon's shot away

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And still the chances continued to come Hednesford's way, as another flowing move opened up the Worksop defence once more on seventy-nine minutes. Rey picked the ball up and attempted to take it around Bastock, but was foiled by a touch from the keeper to divert the ball away from Rey as he shaped to shoot

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Worksop's one and only real effort of the half came from a Steve Towers corner, with Mettam heading wide from a good position

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This was to be but a brief respite for the overworked Worksop defence, as Woolfe went agonisingly close to adding a fourth goal with six minutes remaining. A deep cross from the winger towards Lennon drifted in towards goal and bounced off the top of the crossbar as it dipped

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That was to be Woolfe's final act of the game, as he left the field to a standing ovation as ex-Worksop man Sam Craven replaced him for the final minutes

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That richly deserved fourth goal came in the final minute of the game, as Rey grabbed the goal his efforts merited. Robbing Potts of the ball thirty yards out, this time the striker made no mistake as he sidefooted the ball past Bastock from fifteen yards out

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Rey's game was also ended prematurely, as he was immediately withdrawn by a delighted Rob Smith and replaced by Sean O'Connor

There was still time for Bastock to deny Durrell a hat-trick in added time, making a fine save to push a twenty yard shot from the midfielder away from goal as it headed for the top corner

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An impressive win over a useful side has brought the Pitmen within four points of league leaders North Ferriby, whose game at Whitby was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. A home game against a slowly sinking Matlock Town side follows next weekend, with Hednesford looking to continue their excellent form and close the gap further on the Villagers

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Worksop Town: Bastock, Clarke, Ridley (Potts 40), Young ▆ (Telling 74), Shiels (Hawes 45), Miller, Jackson, Towers ©, Denton, Mettam, Burbeary      Subs Unused: Modest, Beeson

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Melbourne, Campion © ▆, Bailey, Francis, MacPherson ▆, Osborne ▆, Durrell, Harvey (Lennon 16), Rey (O’Connor 90), Woolfe (Craven 85)       Subs Unused: Disney, Barnes

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