An epic encounter at Keys Park saw Hednesford Town bow out of the Emirates FA Cup, losing 5-4 on penalties, after a thrilling run in the competition.
The match was only five minutes old when the Pitmen registered the first score of the game, Dan Trickett-Smith broke energetically from midfield, squaring the ball for Manny Duku who beat the keeper to give Hednesford an early lead. A dipping shot from Fraser Preston hit the cross bar as Gainsborough went close to making a quick reply. However the next goal was again from Hednesford, this time Omar Holness beat Dylan Wharton with a looping shot from outside the box finding the top corner of the net in the 22nd minute. Five minutes later the Pitmen had the first of two penalty claims turned down when there appeared to be a handball in the area. Undeterred by the apparent injustice, the Pitmen continued to attack Gainsborough, Duku got on the end of a cross from Taylor and forced a decent save from Wharton, before Dom McHale saw an effort cleared off the line. An injury time corner taken by Jack Bearne almost saw the Pitmen extend their lead as Trickett Smith went close to grabbing a goal, only to be thwarted by a save from Wharton.
HT 2-0
The second half began with Duku hitting the post for the Pitmen, and following a sustained spell of Hednesford pressure McHale added a third goal with a shot from just inside the box in the 49th minute. Despite being three goals down, Gainsborough began to come back into the game, Jack Rose made a great save from Preston’s freekick and a timely clearance from Korey Roberts prevented Gainsborough scoring from a corner. The turning point in the half came in the 66th minute when the Pitmen,once more on the attack, were denied a second apparent handball in the area from a Gainsborough defender. The ball broke for Gainsborough following this incident and with men committed forward the Pitmen were unable to prevent Declan Howe from pulling a goal back for the visitors. The Pitmen also lost Simeon Maye to an injury just after the goal went in which proved decisive in the midfield battle as the game progressed. A spell of Gainsborough pressure saw a series of corners and Rose making another impressive save from Javelle Clarke. Eventually Howe broke through the Hednesford defence to bag his second goal of the game in the 76th minute to set up a grandstand finish. The Pitmen faced up to the relentless pressure from the visitors and were almost able to see the game out, however six minutes into added time a superb finish from Will Lancaster saw the game tied at 3-3 and heading for extra time.
FT 3-3
The Pitmen started extra time the stronger of the two sides, and it looked like it could be their day when McHale hammered the ball home from a tight angle to give the Pitmen the lead in the 96th minute. It was not to be as Clarke produced an equaliser for Gainsborough in the 109th minute. There would be no more goals from open play and the game duly went to penalties, and after nine attempts each Jordan Helliwell scored the decisive spot kick to give Gainsborough the victory 5-4 on penalties.
Hednesford Town; Rose, Roberts, Taylor, Maye (Spence 66), Endall (Rowe 90),E Johnson, Trickett-Smith (Gwilt 89), Holness, Duku (Stevenson 72), McHale (Sparkes 105), Bearne. Subs not used; Sutherland, Brown, Alamu-Tajudeen.
Gainsborough Trinity; Wharton,A Simpson (B Johnson 45), Jackson (Mcloughlin 119), Conway (Stacey 45), Lancaster, Cogill, Butroid (Tuntulwana 45), Helliwell, Clarke, Howe (Hornshaw 105), Preston. Subs not used; K Simpson, Sykes.
Attendance 3866
