Second from bottom Atherton Collieries were the visitors to Keys Park as the twelfth placed Pitmen sought to get more league points on the board following their FA Cup exploits.
The opening phase of the game saw Hednesford’s Dan Trickett-Smith play a great ball to find Jack Bearne in the area who saw his shot blocked for a corner. Atherton had a chance on ten minutes from a corner which was headed towards goal only for Sion Spence to make a goal line clearance. The Pitmen had a shout for a penalty in the 25th minute when Bearne appeared to have been pushed over, but nothing was awarded. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute when Bearne got the ball after some good work from Stevenson, evaded two defenders before firing a shot into the top corner of the net. The lead only lasted five minutes until Ollie Harison brought down Pa Bouba Jenkins in the area to give Atherton a penalty, Tom Bentham made no mistake from the spot slotting the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
HT 1-1
Trickett-Smith saw a freekick saved early in the second half for the Pitmen. Bearne made a great run from midfield which was clumsily ended by Bobby Bjork who received his marching orders for a second yellow card in the 56th minute. Sol Honor made a decent low save from the subsequent Trickett-Smith freekick. Atherton set up defensively following their reduction in numbers and while the Pitmen dominated possession they did not create any clear cut chances for long spells of the second half. The Pitmen had a corner in the 88th minute from which Atherton broke in numbers, Jenkins found substitute Alfie Belcher who took his time and swept the ball past Jack Rose and off the post to give Collieries an unexpected win on a disappointing afternoon at Keys Park.
Hednesford Town; Rose, Rowe, Taylor, Spence, Harrison, Johnson, Trickett-Smith, Holness (Jervis 76), Stevenson (Duku 90), McHale, Bearne. Subs not used; Endall, Alamu-Tajudeen, Gwilt.
Atherton Collieries; Honor, Bjork, Warren, Lambert, Lafferty, Gallagher, Solomon-Davies, Jenkins, Bentham (Bardsley-Rowe 58), Adams (Rawsthorne 82), Riding (Belcher 74). Subs not used; Sheppard, Kershaw.
