Second placed Hednesford Town headed to Bamber Bridge who sat just outside the play-off places in eighth position. It was the hosts who got off to a great start when Isaac Abankwah got on the end of a cross from Michael Potts and headed the ball past Tony Breeden at the far post in the sixth minute. The Pitmen tried to get back in the game quickly with Akheem Rose heading over the bar before Ollie Harrison played a long ball forward into the box for Montel Gibson who was judged to have fouled his defender. Jack Baxter had a good effort blocked for Bamber Bridge and minutes later Kofi Moore won a corner for the home side which came to nothing as Nathaniel Knight-Percival committed a foul in the box. A break in play allowed Breeden to change his boots and Pitmen manager Kelvin Davis get some messages to his players. In the 18th minute a foul on Max Sheaf gave the Pitmen a freekick on the edge of the box, Omari Sterling-James stepped up and sent the ball past Aidan Dowling to equalise for the Pitmen. Sheaf had a shot go narrowly over the bar from a Pitmen corner, while Breeden needed to be alert at the other end to put Moore’s effort behind for a corner. Joel Taylor delivered a long freekick into the box finding Elliot Johnson who saw his shot go over the bar. The Pitmen took the lead in the 31st minute when Sterling-James sprang the offside trap, and delicately lobbed the ball over Dowling, Rose was on hand to smash the ball into the net. Bamber Bridge fought back with a series of corners which the Pitmen were able to successfully defend, Baxter had another shot at goal blocked, before Breeden made a superb save from Olly Molloy’s looping header.
HT 1-2
The Pitmen carved out a good chance at the start of the second half when, following some good work from Rose, Chris Hussey was able to stand the ball up at the far post for Gibson who forced a good save from Dowling. The Pitmen had a shout for penalty denied following a challenge in the area from Knight-Percival before Sterling-James whipped in a dangerous cross that evaded everyone. Bamber Bridge pressed hard for an equaliser and Breeden did well to gather in a shot that had taken a deflection, minutes later Jordan Hodkin had a decent shot which Breeden parried, the Pitmen were forced to clear the ball off the line as a shot came back in from Ewan Bange. Bange went close with a header for Bamber Bridge as the game approached the 80-minute mark. Pitmen substitute Jake Jervis had been lively since coming on, and it would be his goal that put the game beyond doubt in the 87th minute. Jervis was waiting on the halfway line as the Pitmen broke from defence, he was able to run in on goal, go around Dowling and produce an excellent finish to spark jubilant scenes amongst the travelling Pitmen fans. The Pitmen were able to see out the rest of the game and the five minutes of added time to claim three valuable points in a hard-fought encounter against a strong Bamber Bridge side.
Bamber Bridge; Dowling, Abankwah, Baxter, Churchman, Knight-Percival, Lang, Allen (Benns 74), Potts (Bange 60), Poilly, Molloy (Hodkin 60), Moore. Sub not used Forbes.
Hednesford Town; Breeden, Morgan, Taylor, Hussey, Harrison, Johnson, Sheaf (Doyle-Charles 62), Kinsella, Gibson (Jervis 70), Sterling-James, Rose (Hylton 82). Subs not used Walker, Watson.
Attendance 555
