With a huge league game on Saturday against Worksop, Pitmen boss Rob Smith chose to blood no less than six youngsters in his starting eleven, but it was the greasy pitch, saturated by an early evening downpour, which caused the most problems for both sides.

Ultimately what would prove to be the winning goal came on 15 minutes when a cross from the right was cleared as far as Craddock who expertly waited for the ball to drop and executed a superb right foot volley which flew past the helpless Sam Hornby.

The Pitmen youngsters struggled to impose themselves in the opening forty-five minutes with senior players Michael Lennon, Sean O’Connor and Alex Melbourne showing more poise in the tricky conditions and Joel Purkiss twice had opportunities to double The Pics’ lead but for wasteful finishing and a strong save by Hornby.

The second half was shaded by The Pitmen with Asa Wright particularly burly and tireless in midfield, but Lennon twice spurned one-on-ones against Matthew Coton and O’Connor saw his shot deflected over.

As the away side chased the game substitute Luke Bottomer should have won it for Rushall as Hornby bravely smothered his shot and then Lennon curled a shot inches wide for Hednesford in the final minute.

Despite exiting the competition, Rob Smith will take heart from the battling performances from the group of players finding their way at this level in difficult conditions and can now concentrate on exciting times as the chase for promotion hots up.

Rushall Olympic
Coton, K Haynes, J Haynes, Smith, Tolley (c), Bridgwater (Bragoli 61), Landell (Bottomer 69), Craddock (15), Islam, Purkiss, Stephens

Subs Not Used
Beckett, Clarke, Caines

Hednesford Town
Hornby, Recci, Disney, Barnes, Fincher, Wright, Suckling (Woolfe 66), Melbourne, Lennon (c), O’Connor, Shearer (Durrell 84)

Subs Not Used
Bailey, Morris

Bookings – Melbourne, Wright

Attendance – 112
Entertainment Rating – 3 Stars
Star Man – Asa Wright

The League Cup has been called numerous different sponsor-related names in the past and The Pitmen have a relatively impressive record in the competition both in its Northern and especially Southern guises.

The club won the Red Insure Cup in April 2011 beating Hemel Hempstead in a two legged final and also reached the semi-final in 2009, only to lose against Cambridge City but Pitmen boss Rob Smith is taking a realistic view of the competition and, with a big game against Worksop Town on Saturday, admitted he will be taking the opportunity to look at some youngsters during Tuesday’s match.

‘I will be blooding a number of youngsters tomorrow night as I look to keep our squad fresh for the league campaign ahead and I’m sure the supporters will understand that my primary focus is on Worksop.’

The Pitmen squad travelling to Rushall gives supporters an opportunity to see youngsters such as the live-wire Luke Shearer who impressed against Burton Albion in the Birmingham Senior Cup earlier this season, Omar Recci, Asa Wright and former Barnet FC youngster, Jordan Fincher. It will also be interesting to see which squad players will stake a claim to a starting berth this Saturday.

Pitmen Form – WWLWLW
Previous Result – Hednesford Town 3 Chorley 1 – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 5th January 2013
Next Fixture – Worksop Town (A) – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 12th January 2013
League Position – 2nd

Rushall Olympic Form – DDWLWD
Previous Result – Frickley Athletic 3 Rushall Olympic 3 – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 5th January 2013
Next Fixture – Eastwood Town (H) – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 12th January 2013
League Position – 14th

KO – 7.45pm
Address of Ground – Dale End, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1LJ

In the Birmingham County FA Senior Challenge Cup, Alvechurch FC from the Midland Football Alliance beat Wolverhampton Wanderers FC this week and so will be the next visitors to Keys Park in this competition.

We have confirmed Tuesday 15th January 2013 as the date for this Quarter Final tie with a 7.45pm kick off.
In the Staffordshire FA Senior Challenge Cup we have agreed with Stafford Rangers FC that the game will be played on Tuesday 29th January 2013, 7.45pm kick off, here at Keys Park.

Smith made four changes from the side who drew with Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday and it showed as new signings Liam Blakeman and Mark Beesley bedded in and new central defensive partnership Ben Bailey and Cheyenne Dunkley found their feet.

Ben Jevons could have opened the scoring for The Pitmen as he broke through and saw his shot saved by Lewis Fenney but Rushall took the lead when Dan Crane slapped a cross to the feet of Richard Blythe who couldn’t miss on thirty minutes.

A superb pass down the left channel by stand-in left back Chris Clements set Andre Landell away who skipped past Spittle and crashed a shot in off the bar to level on thirty-seven minutes to equalise for The Pitmen.

Parity lasted just two minutes as Hednesford allowed Alex Melbourne to pick up a short corner and crash a shot beyond Dan Crane.

Hednesford introduced Nick Wellecomme, Gary Hay and Lewis Suckling into the fray to chase the game in the second period but found Fenny in top form as he acrobatically denied Hay and, in the final minute, goalkeeper Crane saw a header cleared off the line.

The Pitmen supporters won’t remember this as a classic but with Nantwich away on Saturday and league leaders Chester on the horizon there will be considerably more important tests to come.

Rushall Olympic
Fenney, Tolley, Haynes, Gomes, Spittle (c), Dacres, Melbourne (39), Blythe (30) (Forde 88), Adaggio (Wilkes 58), Keenan (Brady 71), Fitzpatrick

Subs Not Used
Gemmell, Booth

Hednesford Town
Crane, Haynes, Blakeman (Wellecomme 78), Dunkley, Bailey, Jevons, Osborne, Clements, Landell (37), Beesley (Hay 55), Durrell (Suckling 68)

Subs Not Used
Denny, Robinson

Bookings – Dacres, Osborne
Star Man – Decio Gomes
Entertainment Rating – 2 Stars
Attendance – 209

The draw is as follows :-

Bradford Park Avenue v Loughborough Dynamo
Chorley v Burscough or FC United of Manchester
Lancaster City v Woodley Sports or Kendal Town
Matlock Town v Frickley Athletic
Newcastle Town or Nantwich Town v Northwich Victoria
North Ferriby United v Worksop Town
Rushall Olympic v Hednesford Town
Witton Albion or Stafford Rangers v Buxton

Ties to be played on the home clubs normal midweek night w/c 9th January 2012.

All ties to be decided on the night with extra time and penalties if required.

Sixteen year-old Amani Allen scored his first ever competitive goal for The Pitmen to seal a victory for Hednesford Town against a Chester side who, had they shown the same calmness and quality of finishing of the young player, would have been in front by half time.

Both sides were reduced to ten men as Wellecomme and George Horan scuffled in the penalty area and saw red for their troubles after twelve minutes.

The Pitmen reacted better to the sending offs and could have scored seconds after the incident as an Elliott Durrell free kick was flicked onto the angle of post and bar by Chris Shaw. The home side hit Chester on the counter attack on nineteen minutes as Durrell advanced determinedly down the right flank and drilled in a cross for Mark Danks to tap into the roof of the net.

Chester controlled possession after the first goal and wasted numerous opportunities as Luke Holden and Iain Howard failed to hit the target when very well placed before deservedly equalising on forty-one minutes when Robert Booth headed over Dan Crane from a corner.

A superb run by Jamey Osborne set up Danks to shoot through Adam Judge just after the interval and despite the away side coming close through the impressive Howard it was left to the exuberance of youth to shine through as Allen skipped past Judge and confidently slotted into an empty net to finish the match.

Hednesford Town
Crane, Haynes, Shaw, Monteiro ©, Bailey, Grice (Dunkley 61), Osborne, Jevons (Denny 76), Wellecomme, Danks (19) (Allen 79 (90+3)), Durrell,

Subs Not Used
Forbes, Campion

Chester
Judge, Baynes, McGinn, Horan ©, Smith, Ormrod, Booth (41), Holt (Grace 75), Ellison, Holden (Miller 56), Howard,

Subs Not Used
Brown, Brownhill,

Bookings – McGinn

Sent Off – Wellecomme, Horan,

Attendance – 251

Entertainment Rating – 3 Stars

Star Man – Ben Bailey