Clements Inspires Pitmen In Solid Ferriby Victory
Hednesford Town kept pace with the top four teams in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division as Rob Smith’s men came from a goal behind to beat managerless North Ferriby United and register their seventh win of the season.
Chris Clements continued his good run of form as the classy central midfielder scored The Pitmen’s equaliser following a superb goal by North Ferriby’s Gary Bradshaw and set up the eventual winner from a corner for Chris Shaw.
The Villagers started positively as they searched for only their fourth win of the season but it was Hednesford who came closest in the opening exchanges as Marvin Robinson, freshly restored to the starting line up to partner Gary Hay in attack rolled Sam Denton superbly and crashed a left footed shot off the outside of the post.
North Ferriby played some eye-catching passing football during the middle part of the first half and took the lead on twenty-six minutes when Bradshaw picked the ball up twenty-five yards out and rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net.
The Pitmen, despite struggling to contain Bradshaw, got a foothold in the game with Clements, Darren Campion and Jay Denny impressing in midfield and equalised on thirty-seven minutes when Campion hung up a superbly flighted left footed cross for Clements to run onto and strongly head into the net past Steve Wilson.
Following their equaliser Hednesford continued to create opportunities and Robinson could have given Rob Smith’s side the lead on forty-three minutes but the strong striker miskicked and Wilson was able to claw the ball clear.
The North Ferriby goalkeeper and captain was again called upon just before half time when Campion’s well controlled shot had to be dealt with but The Pitmen got the vital breakthrough two minutes into first half stoppage time when a perfect corner kick by Clements was met at the back post by Shaw to coolly head his side into the lead.
Bradshaw continued to threaten for North Ferriby in the second period but it was an innocuous long ball which caught out Pedro Monteiro that almost led to an equaliser as Sam Mulready advanced on goal, only to be smartly denied by a hitherto untroubled Dan Crane.
There was a real edge to a combative second half as The Pitmen defended stoutly and could have made the game safe as a deep cross by Denny was headed narrowly over the bar by a stooping Robinson on sixty-five minutes.
The expected onslaught from North Ferriby came in the final ten minutes as they desperately searched for an equaliser but Hednesford defended doggedly and as the final seconds ticked on Nick Wellecomme was denied a third goal by a good save from Wilson.
North Ferriby United
Wilson ©, Wright (Williams 82), Larvin, Peat, Denton, Greaves, Harsley, Fry, Mulready, Bradshaw, Brooksby,
Subs Not Used
Stirland, Leonard, Wright, Moy,
Hednesford Town
Crane, Haynes, Shaw (45+2), Monteiro, Dunkley, Denny, Osborne, Clements (36), Robinson (Wellecomme 75), Hay (Quinn 81), Campion ©,
Subs Not Used
Gomes, Benjamin-McFarlane, Clarke,
Bookings – Denton, Harsley, Bradshaw, Denny, Hay, Clements,
Star Man – Chris Clements
Entertainment Rating – 4 Stars
Attendance – 226
Words By Chris Brewerton
