Hednesford Town 1 Mickleover Sports 3 - Report

It was the visitors who started the game very much on the front foot and they looked dangerous in the opening exchanges with Callam Mendez-Jones denying them in the 15th minute with a fine tackle inside the penalty area.

Three minutes later they would be ahead though when a Pablo Mills sent in a looping header from a corner that deceived Town goalkeeper James Wren and found the back of the net.

In the 25th minute James Lawrie saw a header saved in front of goal saved by Lewis King in the Mickleover goal before some last minute blocks inside the Pitmen penalty area denied Sports on more than one occasion three minutes later.

Hednesford thought they had drawn themselves level in the 34th minute when Jack Rea broke forward with the ball finding its way to Joey Butlin who rifled a shot into the back of the net – however the striker was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out.

Two minutes before the halftime break the home side went close again when Louis Harris flicked a ball onto Reece King with the midfielder looping a header onto the crossbar with no-one able to turn the rebound home.

Although it was Hednesford who started the second half on the front foot it would be Sports that would double their lead in the 53rd minute. Some good football from the visitors saw William Norcross pick out Matthew Barnes-Homer was able to slide the ball home from six yards out.

Three minutes later King kept his sides two goal lead intact three minutes later when Anthony Dwyer broke forward and unleashed an effort that was flying into the roof of the net before the goalkeeper tipped the ball over the crossbar.

Dwyer would see another shot blocked away in the 59th minute as Hednesford continued to look for a way back into the game.

This would all be extinguished in the 74th minute though when Barnes-Homer turned Mendez-Jones before unselfishly squaring the ball to Norcross who drilled a low effort into the goal.

Hednesford did reduce the arrears with ten minutes to go when some good play saw Dwyer drive in a low cross into the box which Danny Glover was able to fire home into the top corner of the net.

The home side now woke up again and King went close again before Glover was ruled to have fouled the goalkeeper as Lawrie looked to fire home into an unguarded net.

It would be Sports who went closest though with Louis Briscoe seeing an effort strike the post on the way behind.

Hednesford Town: Wren, Thorley, Curley, Bailey, Mendez-Jones, Rea (Glover 62), Dwyer, King, Butlin, Harris (Fitzpatrick 62), Lawrie

Subs not used: Campion, Fitzgibbon, Veiga

Stourbridge: King, Grocott (Hickman 67), Turner, McGrath, Mills, Morris, Dales, Belgrave, Barnes-Homer (Garnett 87), Philips, Norcross (Briscoe 76)

Subs not used: Williams, Morrison

Attendance: 216