Hednesford Town FC vs Stourbridge FC – First Team Birmingham Senior Challenge Cup (HOME GAME)

The game will take place at Keys Park on Thursday 26th April kicking off at 7.45pm.

This is one of three semi-finals that the Pitmen find themselves in as we head towards the end of the campaign.

Bernard McNally made seven changes from the side that had been defeated at the weekend, with Kyle Patterson making his first Hednesford start in over two years and Adam Thomas also making a welcome return to the starting line-up.

The Pitmen actually took the lead in the third minute as Paul Ennis fired home from the edge of the box after being picked out by Kennedy Digie.

That lead didn’t last long though as Danico Johnson was teed up just inside the penalty area and he shot low into the bottom corner to bring his side level in the eighth minute.

It was 2-1 to the home side in the 24th minute as Ryan Nash was left with a free header inside the six-yard box. The score-line was almost made worse for the Pitmen less than a minute later, only for Johnson to see his shot come back off the bar.

Although Hednesford equalised through a Tyrone Williams header in the 40th minute, less than sixty seconds later they were 3-2 behind when Johnson scored with an overhead kick following a mix-up at the back.

Eight minutes into the second period Johnson completed his hat-trick and the striker soon made it four for him and five for Coleshill on the hour mark as he tucked home through Lloyd Ransome’s legs, following a free-kick whipped into the box

Hednesford searched for a way back into the game and Ben Bailey was denied by an excellent save from the Coleshill goalkeeper after 64 minutes before Ennis saw another chance come and go ten minutes later.

It almost got worse three minutes from time only for Ransome to make another smart block on the edge of the box.

The Pitmen will have to pick themselves up now for Saturday’s away game at Chorley – a traditionally tough hunting ground over the years.

Hednesford Town: Ransome, Disney, James (Perry 54), Bailey, T Williams, Patterson (Regan 46), McQuilkin (S Williams 68), Digie, Modest, Ennis, Thomas
Subs not used: Obeng, Thorley

Hednesford Town bowed out of the Birmingham Senior Cup at the quarter final stage as West Bromwich Albion, fielding numerous first team players, sneaked a 1-0 victory despite being given a stern test by their Vanarama Conference North opponents.

The Baggies, their line up swelled by the experienced Jonas Olsson in defence with Sebastien Pocognoli, Cristian Gamboa and Jason Davidson also starting, scored the winning goal on 50 minutes when Adil Nabi showed a rare moment of class with a reverse pass into Alex Jones who beat Andy Todd to the ball and finished past Dan Crane.

It was the home side who belied the gap in the league pyramid with a spirited performance led by the ever lively Marvin Robinson in attack and backed up by an assured performance in central midfield by Tom Thorley.

Robinson saw a goal disallowed in stoppage time when he was flagged offside despite sending a superb header past Jack Rose after a quality ball in by Adam Thomas and the forward had legitimate claims for a penalty waved away by the referee when he beat Kyle Howkins to a near post cross and looked to have been felled by the defender.

The Pitmen showed great desire throughout the 90 minutes to match their opponents with Nick Rushton improvising with an overhead kick which found Rose’s hands early on and Robinson again coming close when he rifled a venomous shot on the turn just before the break.

Olsson, playing his way back into fitness after a long lay-off, looked rusty at times but his experience of over 200 first team games for Albion meant the home side never really had the veteran defender on the turn.

Hednesford manager Rob Smith will no doubt be proud of his squad and can take solace in the effort and attitude shown by his in-form team against a fit and professional team who will go on to play Nuneaton Town in the semi-final.

The only negative from The Pitmen’s night was a worrying looking foot injury to centre back Paul McCone in the first half and they now look ahead to welcoming Brackley Town to Keys Park on Saturday, right in the mix for promotion via the play-offs from the Vanarama Conference North.

Hednesford Town
Crane, Hurst ©, Walker, Bailey, McCone (Todd 33), Thorley, Osborne (Batchelor 64), Thomas, Robinson, Rushton (Diggin 70), Kerry,

Subs Not Used: Melbourne

West Bromwcih Albion
Rose, Atkinson, Pocognoli, Birch, Howkins, Olsson, Gamboa, S Nabi, Jones (50), A Nabi, Davidson,

Subs Not Used: Wedderburn, Pace, Barrow, Cleet, Palmer,

Bookings – Kerry

Star Man – Marvin Robinson

Entertainment Rating – 4 Stars

Attendance – 360

The Pitmen have Jamey Osborne returning from suspension and Richie Batchelor from illness to join the squad that won in style at Guiseley AFC last Saturday.

Admission prices are as follows:
Adults: £8.00
Concessions: £6.00
Under 16’s: £2.00

Kick off is at 7.45pm

The winners of tonight’s game will be away to Nuneaton Town FC in the Semi-Final.

Smith has led his team to a semi-final versus Tamworth last season and, during the club’s superb promotion season from the Evo-stik Northern Premier League in 2012/13, Darren Campion held the trophy aloft after a 4-1 victory over Sutton Coldfield Town at the Banks’s Stadium so the Hednesford faithful have had their fair share of thrills and spills historically.

‘I think everyone knows that we take this competition very seriously, our record in the past two seasons speaks for itself. I want to win every game I play in and tonight’s match will be no different.

‘West Brom will have a lot of possession but you expect that playing against a quality side. We played them in pre-season so have a good idea as to what to expect from them.’

A decent crowd is expected at Keys Park for a midweek game but The Pitmen will be without captain and leader Darren Campion after the left back picked up an injury during Saturday’s victory against Chorley, while Chris Westwood is still struggling for fitness.

George McGee, a player who has started his month loan spell from Birmingham City very positively, is cup-tied having played for the Blues in a previous round but Nick Rushton and Jack Thomas are both eligible for selection.

Admission Prices are as follows:
Adults: £8.00
Concessions: £6.00
Under 16’s: £2.00

The Pitmen made the perfect start to the game as, after Richard Batchelor had seen an effort tipped over superbly by goalkeeper Matthew Sargeant, the shot stopper could do nothing to stop Paul Sullivan’s delightful curling effort in the third minute to open the scoring.

Hednesford could have doubled their lead in the 11th minute as a free kick was flicked on into the path of Ben Bailey, but the centre-half saw his snapshot hit the crossbar and bounce away to safety.

The visitors would rue this missed chance as seven minutes later the home side equalised when the ball was squeezed through to former Hednesford man Robbie Thompson-Brown and he slotted home under goalkeeper Dan Crane.

Halesowen had a chance to make it 2-1 in the 33rd minute as a short backpass let in Tom Tonks and although he was able to round Crane his pullback couldn’t find a teammate and the ball was cleared away.

Four minutes into the second period Hednesford were dealt a blow when Tom Thorley was forced off injured, being replaced by Glenn Walker.

The game was still very much end-to-end and the home team almost edged ahead as a cross was flashed in front of goal but Nicky Campbell was unable to get on the end of it.

It would be Hednesford that would regain the lead though in the 61st minute as Jamey Osborne drove forward through two challenges before firing home right-footed from the edge of the box.

A second Pitmen player was forced to be substituted in the 63rd minute as Sullivan hobbled off to be replaced by Steve Diggin.

It didn’t take the forward long to make an impact though as an in-swinging corner was parried onto the shoulder of Diggin who forced the ball home to make it 3-1 in the 71st minute.

Hednesford were now attacking with will as they looked to add to their tally in the final quarter of the match.

This they were able to do with four minutes remaining when another Walker corner caused trouble with Bailey heading home unchallenged at the back post.

Although the home side were well beaten, they continued to attack until the final minutes of the game but were unable to find any kind of way back into the game as Hednesford continued their impressive run in recent years in a competition which they won back in 2013.

Halesowen Town: Sargeant, Lait, Turner (Watson 74), Mackenzie, Robinson, Tilt, Kettle, Tonks, Campbell, Thompson-Brown, Bragoli

Subs not used: Hull, Forde, Green, Griffiths

Hednesford Town: Crane, Melbourne, Campion, Bailey, Francis, Thorley (Walker 49), Osborne, Love, Sullivan (Diggin 63), Robinson, Batchelor

Subs not used: Hurst, Price

Attendance: 151

Star Man: Jamey Osborne

Entertainment Rating: Four Stars

The full draw, with ties to be played on or before Saturday 24th October, is as follows:

1 A F C WULFRUNIANS F.C. -v- SOLIHULL MOORS F.C.
2 COVENTRY SPHINX F.C. -v- REDDITCH UNITED F.C.
3 ROMULUS F.C. -v- BIRMINGHAM CITY F.C.
4 ALVECHURCH F.C. -v- CAUSEWAY UNITED F.C.
5 HEDNESFORD TOWN F.C. -v- TAMWORTH F.C.
6 SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN -v- WALSALL F.C.
7 LYE TOWN F.C. -v- TIPTON TOWN F.C.
8 RUGBY TOWN F.C. -v- BURTON ALBION F.C.
9 STRATFORD TOWN F.C. -v- WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS F.C.
10 BEDWORTH UNITED F.C. -v- COLESHILL TOWN LTD F.C.
11 CONTINENTAL STAR F.C. -v- BANBURY UNITED F.C.
12 HALESOWEN TOWN F.C. -v- COVENTRY CITY F.C.
13 BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS F.C. -v- LEAMINGTON F.C.
14 TIVIDALE F.C. -v- NUNEATON TOWN F.C.
15 STOURBRIDGE F.C. -v- RUSHALL OLYMPIC F.C.

West Bromwich Albion FC received a bye into Round 2

It was Hednesford who started the better and took the lead when Marvin Johnson floated in a left footed free kick and Francino Francis was given the freedom of the area to head home powerfully on nine minutes.

Charlie Anagho-Ntamark almost doubled Hednesford’s lead on 23 minutes with a volley just wide after a flowing passing move by the visitors and Johnson tested the goalkeeper after the individual moment of the half saw the tricky winger slalom through the Tamworth midfield.

Jack Evans’ free kick from 20 yards was saved at full stretch by Crane as Tamworth began to come back into the game and on 44 minutes Francis conceded a penalty with a high foot on Jessy Reindorf and Thornton confidently converted.

Tamworth took the lead through Reindorf 60 seconds after the restart, The Pitmen then equalised through a John Disney penalty on 50 minutes but the usually dependable full back was hesitant shortly afterwards and Kaiyne Woolery restored the home side’s lead with ease just four minutes later.

Despite bringing on Michael Lennon, Kris Taylor and Marvin Robinson, The Pitmen weren’t able to gain any real foothold in the game and Tamworth saw out the victory with a goal each from Thornton and Batis-Cande.

Tamworth FC
Belford (capt), Evans, Reindorf (46) (Chadwick 76), Richards-Everton, Kerry, Thornton (37, 65), Caprice, Peniket, Woolery (54), Batis-Cande (90), Keane,

Subs Not Used
Hoban, Baker, Vanderhyde, Morgan

Hednesford Town
Crane, Disney (50 pen), Campion (capt) (Lennon 72), Bailey, Francis (9), Melbourne, Riley, Johnson, Sullivan (Robinson 64), Anagho-Ntamark (Taylor 59), Thorley,

Subs Not Used
McCone, Thompson-Brown

Bookings – Bailey, Thorley, Chadwick,

Entertainment Rating – 3 stars
Star Man – Richard Thornton
Attendance – 545

Match Action

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Photos by Colin Rogers