The Boxing Day ‘El Staffico” was played out in front of 2503 supporters at a very foggy Keys Park. First chance of the game fell to the Pitmen when Jake Jervis broke through the Stafford defence and crashed a shot into the side netting. In a scrappy opening 20 minutes the only other clear opportunity to score fell to the returning Simeon Maye who shot wide from the edge of the box. Stafford were working hard as a team and managing to largely contain the Pitmen, before they went ahead themselves in the 24th minute. Ryan Brown made a save giving the visitors a corner, the ball was initially cleared but was then fed back into the danger zone, with a deflected effort from Jon Atherton finding the back of the net. Stafford controlled the game well after scoring for a spell and the Pitmen were unable to create any opportunities. As half time approached Dan Trickett-Smith sent a good chance well wide of the post, before the industrious Jervis had a goal bound effort blocked in the 45th minute. Deep into stoppage time Trickett-Smith found himself in space and artfully chipped the ball past Cameron Belford to earn an equaliser.
HT 1-1
Stafford continued to play with some grit and determination after the break and regained the lead in the 59th minute when Maye committed a foul, conceding a freekick to the visitors. Jack Burgess delivered the ball into the box and James O’Neill was first to the ball scoring at the far post. A game changing substitution in the 63rd minute altered the path of the encounter when Manny Duku entered the fray. Within minutes Duku forced a save from Belford and moments later was marginally offside when he appeared to be through on goal. However, the equaliser came in the 71st minute when Dominic McHale provided a cross for Jake Jervis to produce a finish from inside the six yard box. The Pitmen were now on top of the game and the next goal came just three minutes later when McHale danced through the tired Stafford defence and found a superb finish that left Belford stranded. Duku finally got the reward for his efforts in stoppage time when a ball from midfield put him through on goal, Belford came out of his goal wiping out the Hednesford forward. Duku stepped up to take the penalty, scoring a fourth goal which gave the scoreline an accurate reflection and winning the three points and the local bragging rights for the Pitmen.
Hednesford Town; Brown, Morgan, Taylor, Doyle-Charles, Harrison, Johnson, Trickett-Smith (Endall 86′), Maye (Duku 64′), Jervis, McHale (Holness 80′), Sparkes (Bearne 57′). Sub not used; Gwilt.
Stafford Rangers; Belford, King-Harmes (Coyle 81′), O’Hanlon, McQuilkin, McGrath, Burns, Fallon (Fitzgerald 74′), Burgess, O’Neill (Forbes 86′), Anderson, Atherton. Subs not used; Sayer, Morley.
Attendance 2503
