It was September 2020 when the two clubs last met in this famous competition when the Pitmen won 3-2. Midland League side Long Eaton equalised twice but Hednesford striker Danny Glover scored his second goal of the game deep into injury time to fire the Pitmen into the next round. Long Eaton had won seven of their eight Midland League games that season when the league was suspended and eventually abandoned due to the Covid pandemic. Last season the club were affected by the reorganisation of the pyramid as they were laterally moved to the United Counties League Premier Division North. Their stay in that league lasted just one season as they lost only one game out of 34 and scored 106 goals to win the league and promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One East.
Long Eaton’s season started with an extra preliminary round FA Cup tie on 6th August where a late goal from Rod Orlando-Young secured a 2-2 draw and an FA Cup replay against Sherwood Colliery, which they won 3-0. Two more goals from Orlando-Young earned the club this tie against Hednesford with a 4-1 home win over Quorn in the preliminary round. In the league they have won one game, drawn two and lost one to leave them in 12th place. Their league campaign started with 1-1 draws away at Bridlington Town and at home against Grantham Town and over the Bank Holiday weekend Long Eaton beat North Shields 3-1 at home and then lost 2-0 against Carlton Town.

Hednesford Town have added goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks to the squad, joining on loan from Notts County until January 2023. In addition winger Chay Tilt has rejoined the Pitmen just a few weeks after leaving the club.

If this game is anything as good as the last one between these two teams then we should be in for a cracking FA Cup tie. If the match ends as a draw there will be a midweek replay at Long Eaton’s Station Road ground on a date to be confirmed.

HT 0-1

The second half was only 7 minutes old, when for the second time during the tie a Cleethorpes substitute would provide the equaliser, when Tim Lowe headed home the leveller from a lofted cross. A post prevented the Pitmen from regaining the lead, while Alex Flett went close for the Owls. Cleethorpes went ahead for the first time in the tie, thanks to a headed goal from defender Oli Donald in the 66th minute. There would be no further addition to the scoreline, although Brody Robertson perhaps should have done better with an opening in the 82nd minute that would have put the result beyond doubt.

After the game Keenen Meakin-Richards commented; “We have a lot of players out and the journey did not help but we need to be more courageous on nights like this. We were in the first half and went a goal up, we needed to be the same in the second half against a strong, direct team and we weren’t. As a management team we will look at what this squad needs to win games like this.”

Cleethorpes Town; Jackson, Cooke, Walker, Donald, Topliss, Middleton, Flett (c), Venney, McKay, Robertson, Batty Subs: Lowe, Smaller, Oglesby, Stead, Pettinge

Hednesford Town; Wycherley, Webb, Lycett, Bailey, Rowley, Ison, Parker, Richards, Brown, Landell, Chambers. Subs; Morley, Hanna, Griffiths, Wollaston, King-Harmes.

Attendance 404

Hednesford Town vs Cleethorpes Town FC

Southern League Premier Central for Hednesford Town FC Fans Travel

(Based upon a minimum 25 passengers per coach attending each game)

The following list is ran by P&D York (https://www.pdyorktravel.com/) who can be contacted directly on 01902 790273 or info@pdyorktravel.com.

All bookings will run directly via P&D York, and all timings for leaving and return will be set by the coach operator directly.

In any eventuality that the minimum number of travelling fans do not book, then we understand that full refunds will be issued.  In the eventuality that games are rearranged, again the operator will contact you directly to either move your ticket purchased or offer a refund.

Any away games not listed in the below which may occur will be also ran, but we request you contact the operator directly for pricing & bookings.

The following is a full list of their pricing for each game.

29^th September – Banbury – £15.00 – leaves at 5.45pm from the Ground

17^th October – Rushden & Diamonds – £17.50 – leaves at 11.45am from the Ground

24^th October – Royston Town – £20.00 – leaves at 11.00am from the Ground

3^rd November – Redditch Utd – £12.00 – leaves at 5.45pm from the Ground

17^th November – Nuneaton Borough – £12.00 – leaves at 5.45pm from the Ground

21^st November – Peterborough Sports – £20.00 – leaves at 11.30am from the Ground

5^th December – Hitchin Town – £20.00 – leaves at 11.30am from the Ground

8^th December – Coalville Town – £12.00 – leaves at 5.45pm from the Ground

19^th December – Needham Market – £22.50 – leaves at 10.00am from the Ground

2^nd January – Tamworth – £10.00 – leaves at 12.45pm from the Ground

16^th January – Stratford Town – £12.00 – leaves at 12.30pm from the Ground

23^rd January – Bromsgrove Sporting – £12.00 – leaves at 12.30pm from the Ground

6^th February – Leiston – £22.50 – leaves at 9.30am from the Ground

20^th February – Biggleswade Town – £20.00 leaves at 11.30am from the Ground

6^th March – Stourbridge – £12.00 – leaves at 12.30pm from the Ground

20^th March – Kings Langley – £20.00 – leaves at 11.00am from the Ground

5^th April – Rushall Olympic – £10.00 – leaves at 12.45pm from the Ground

17^th April – Barwell – £12.00 – leaves at 12.30pm from the Ground

1^st May – St Ives Town – £20.00 – leaves at 11.30am from the Ground

8^th May – Alvechurch – £12.00 – leaves at 12.30pm from the Ground

#OneClubOneBadge

#YourThe12thMan

#TravellingPitmen

This afternoon’s Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round Draw has seen the Pitmen handed a HOME tie against Halesowen Town.

The match will take place on Saturday 3rd October, with ticket information announced soon.

Winning clubs at this stage of the competition pick up £3375 from the prize fund with losing clubs collecting £1125.

Long Eaton entered the FA Cup in the extra preliminary round as they beat Grimsby Borough (3-1) and Bottesford Town (on penalties).

The game will be 7.45pm kick off on Tuesday 22nd of September at the PRG Stadium, Keys Park Road, Hednesford, WS12 2DZ.

Ticket are available from the following links –

Home Tickets @ https://www.hednesfordtownfc.com/events/hednesford-town-fc-vs-long-eaton-united-home-tickets

Away Tickets @ https://www.hednesfordtownfc.com/events/hednesford-town-fc-vs-long-eaton-united-away-tickets

Lets get behind the Pitmen, as we commence on our FA CUP journey.

#oneclubonebadge
#upthepitmen
#FACup

As a reward for their victory over Barwell FC last Saturday, The Pitmen have once again been drawn at home, this time against either Blyth Spartans or Curzon Ashton in the third qualifying round.

Both sides play in the Vanarama National League North, with Curzon currently sitting in 19th position in the league table, whilst Blyth Spartans are bottom.

Their replay is scheduled for tomorrow (24th September) after a thrilling 4-4 draw on Saturday.

The third round qualifying ties will take place over the weekend of 05-06 October
Winning clubs will receive £11,250 from The FA prize fund while losing clubs will collect £3,750.

Full confirmation of all the ties can be found HERE

This tie means that The Pitmen will have seven home fixtures in eight games in either league or cup matches!

Hednesford Town’s FA Cup hopes were ended for another year after a hat-trick from Alfreton’s Jordan Robertson saw the away side through in a six goal thriller which also saw the Pitmen playing with ten men for well over an hour.

The Pitmen started brightly and could have gone ahead inside the opening minute when the ball fell to Andy Todd in the box, but his hard driven effort was deflected behind for a goal-kick.

Following a flurry of corners in the tenth minute, the ball came out to Sean Williams on the edge of the box and his cross picked out Matt Regan, but the defender just couldn’t quite get enough on the ball.

Hednesford finally made their pressure pay off in the 13th minute when Ahmed Obeng cut inside and fired a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, past Matt Duke.

It took the visitors just six minutes to respond as the Pitmen failed to properly clear the ball at the back and Ryan Wilson’s header back in was fired home by Robertson from inside the six-yard box.

Things went from bad to worse for the home side as two minutes later it was 2-1 when a long ball forward was misjudged by the Hednesford keeper Dave Parton and Dan Bradley took advantage to slide it home into an empty net.

A mad ten minutes for the home side was completed in the 27th minute as Bradley broke clear and was adjudged to have to been brought down by Parton inside the box and he was dismissed with a straight red card.

Substitute goalkeeper Lloyd Ransome made his way on for striker Nathan Modest, but his first action was to pick the ball up out of the net as Robertson fired in his second from the spot.

Bernard McNally’s side didn’t let their reduction in numbers affect their game and they continued to attack at every chance, had it not been for a good block on a Williams shot just before half-time then the scores could have been closer going into the break.

After Ransome was forced into an early second half save the home side really put the pressure on the visitors with Obeng seeing a shot blocked before being tripped inside the area, only for it to go unnoticed by the officials.

On the hour mark there was another call for a penalty from the home side as Tom Thorley was felled inside the box, but a free-kick was awarded instead.

Hednesford were dealt a further blow as Alfreton scored their fourth in the 62nd minute. Substitute Jamie Jackson broke clear and he found Robertson in the box, who after composing himself, fired home to complete his hat-trick.

The Pitmen responded though and earned a penalty of their own as Adam Thomas was brought down. The resulting John Disney spot-kick was saved by the legs of the keeper, but he managed to slide home the rebound.

Although there were 15 minutes remaining and the home side had a lot of possession, there was little in the way of clear-cut chances and after playing out four minutes of added time it would be Alfreton that would progress into the next round.

Hednesford Town: Parton, Disney, Regan, Bailey, Todd (Thomas 71), Trainer, Williams, Thorley, Modest (Ransome 27), Obeng, James

Subs not used: Perry, Digie, Ennis, McQuilkin, Patterson

Alfreton Town: Duke, Moyo (Jackson 46), Galinski, Allan, Heaton, Jordan, Wilson, Thanoj, Bradley, Jones, Robertson (Ironside 79)

Sub not used: Draper

Attendance: 569

Star Man: Jordan Robertson

Entertainment Rating: Four Stars

Bernard McNally’s side will be looking to emulate their counterparts of two years ago when Hednesford made it through to the First Round Proper.  The manager himself was, of course, part of the team that had that famous run to the Fourth Round Proper in 1997 before narrowly losing 3-2 to Premier League side Middlesbrough.

Following his first victory in the league last week since returning as manager, McNally is hoping to make it three wins on the bounce and five games unbeaten. He said:

“This is a big game for us with it being the FA Cup, and we know what Alfreton Town have to offer having faced them quite recently.

“They are a strong and physical side and we know we will be in for a battle. We will give it our best shot though and if we remain positive then we will be looking for a similar result to last Saturday.”

The Pitmen are set to be without striker Marvin Robinson who suffered a calf muscle injury last week but apart from Adam Thomas who continues to make his comeback, the manager will have a fully fit squad to choose from.

With the game falling on Non-League Day, we look forward to welcoming some new faces to Keys Park on Saturday for the game that kicks off at the usual time of 3pm.

Admission Prices
Adults Seating £13
Concessions Seating £8
Adults Terrace £12
Concessions Terrace £7
U16s £3

NOTE:
Should this match end in a draw, the replay will take place at the Impact Arena on Tuesday October 13th with a 7.45pm kick-off.
If the result remains a draw after 90 minutes, extra time and then penalties would decide the final outcome.