Hednesford Town 1 Warrington Town 0 - Report
It was back to Keys Park for a third home game in a week as the Pitmen faced Warrington Town in the Evo Stik Premier.
The visitors started the stronger of the two sides creating the best chances in the opening stages with Bursik tipping the ball over from fierce Tony Gray shot from the edge of the area. A number of committed challenges from both sides lead to an exchange of free kicks without any clear-cut chances created. The Pitmen’s first opportunity came when Sweeney fired wide from a searching cross from Matt Curley.
Sweeney was involved in the next Pitmen chance when his cross was headed back by Dan Cockerline to Hednesford skipper Josh Craddock whose shot was tipped over the bar by Albinson in the visitor’s goal.
Bohan Dixon saw his header beat Bursik and come back off the cross bar however the linesman had already flagged for offside.
The second half was a fiery encounter littered with a number of controversial incidents. Dan Sweeney would prove to be a key player in the second half, going close to opening the deadlock when his neat cut back was nearly tucked away for an own goal early in the second period.
In the 70th minute Sweeney made a jinking run from his own half into the Warrington area where it appeared that his cross was handled by a visiting defender. The referee awarded the Pitmen a corner and perhaps justice was done as Dan Cockerline rose highest to head past Albinson to give the home side a deserved lead.
A clash of heads in the Pitmen area lead to a long delay as Rudy Misambo and David Raven both received treatment before ultimately being able to play on. An on-going feud between Adam Carden and Dan Sweeney boiled over into an unsavoury incident, following another lengthy delay during which the referee consulted his linesman, Warrington’s Carden was dismissed while the Hednesford forward escaped with a yellow card.
Despite eight minutes of time added on the Pitmen held on comfortably despite the visitor’s throwing men forward to claim all three points in a hard-earned victory.
Teams
Hednesford Town; Bursik, Curley, Fox, Mendez-Jones, Misambo, Griffiths, Gatter, Craddock ©, Cockerline, Sweeney (Haabo 80), King. Subs not used Abadaki, Howard, Lycett, Veiga
Warrington Town FC; Albinson, Carden, Whittle, Garrity, Hughes, Raven ©, Mackreth, Beeley (Evans 97), Gray (Amis 78), Dixon, Kirby (Vassallo 64). Subs not used Duggan, Roberts
