The Pitmen recorded their third win out of three with a professional performance at home against Workington AFC. The Pitmen were dominant throughout the first half, creating a number of opportunities without breaking the deadlock. Dominic McHale had the first chance of the game shooting wide from the edge of the box. The Pitmen followed up with a couple of corners and a freekick taken by goalkeeper Tony Breeden from the half way line, which were all dealt with by the Workington defence. David Symington shot high and wide for the visitors before the best chance of the half came when Joss Labadie played an excellent ball for Chris Hussey, whose cross narrowly evaded the advancing Jonny Edwards. A Workington freekick taken by Symington from 25 yards was easy for Breeden to collect, before the same player shot wide for the visitors. Akheem Rose sent a fierce shot across the face of the goal for the Pitmen as the home side controlled the remaining minutes of the first half, winning a series of corners that tested the Workington defence. Simeon Maye saw a couple of goal bound efforts blocked before the half time break, while a freekick from Hussey saw Ryan Wynter have his effort cleared off the line.
HT 0-0
The deadlock was broken early in the second half following some good work from Rose, it looked like the Pitmen forward had been fouled in the area, with the referee waving play on rather than awarding a penalty. Rose stayed on his feet, taking the ball to the bye line and pulling it back for Maye to fire home from close range to give the home side the lead that their dominance deserved. Edwards went close to doubling the lead a minute later when he went close to dispatching a dangerous cross from Hussey. The Pitmen’s lead was doubled in the 54th minute when Edwards was felled in the area by a Workington defender, Edwards got up to calmly slot home the spot kick past Alex Mitchell in goal for the visitors. A series of substitutions by both sides disrupted the flow of the game, although the Pitmen remained largely in control of proceedings. In the 75th minute Pitmen keeper Breeden fell foul of a new rule, when he held onto the ball for more than eight seconds, allowing the referee to award a corner to Workington. The resulting corner was taken by Symington and headed over the bar by Steven Rigg. In the dying minutes of the game Workington substitute Thomas Dawson headed wide, as the Pitmen held out for a comfortable win.
After the game Hednesford manager Gavin Hurren said; “It was a professional performance from the lads, we had to be patient as Workington did not set up as we expected, so we had to tweak our game plan. We have rotated the squad today and I felt that we dominated the game, we got the three points and kept a clean sheet so hopefully the supporters will go home happy.”
Hednesford Town; Breeden, Morgan, Johnson, Wynter, Harrison (Watson 68), Labadie, Rose (Trickett-Smith 56), Maye, Edwards (Blissett 68), McHale (Turner 59), Hussey. Sub not used; Brown
Workington AFC; Mitchell, Barnes, Leslie, Casson, Dickinson, Atkinson, Symington, Ellis, Rigg, Park (Dawson 68), Galloway (Bell 68). Sub not used; Swinglehurst, Chapman, Reid
Attendance 1740
Match Highlights and Reaction
