An incredible comeback from Hednesford Town grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat as two injury time goals from Sean O’Connor and Elliott Durrell won a vital game at the top of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division.
The Pitmen, fresh from another comeback against Grantham Town on Saturday, again showed superb character after conceding a sucker punch goal to Witton with nine minutes remaining.
As the home side pushed up chasing an opening goal a superbly judged through ball by Matthew Wood evaded Francino Francis and set substitute Ashley Stott away to finish calmly through the legs of Dan Crane.
The Pitmen had shaded proceedings in the first half but Witton always looked dangerous in the second period with Ben Harrison heading wide after Crane had struggled to hold a rasping free kick on seventy-eight minutes.
Francis had the home side’s best chance on forty minutes as Durrell’s corner was headed at goal from two yards by the defender only to see it somehow blocked on the line by Matthew Cooper.
All looked lost as the vocal away following celebrated their side’s goal but the Pitmen roared back in dramatic fashion.
Woolfe smacked a shot against the post before O’Connor scored his second goal of the week when a deep cross from Melbourne fell invitingly in the box a minute into stoppage time.
The euphoria at Keys Park at the equaliser was raised a notch higher as the crowd peered through the dense fog that had enveloped the pitch and saw Harrison haul down Michael Lennon in the box and receive a straight red card.
Durrell stepped up, under huge pressure with what was effectively the last kick, and coolly slotted his penalty into the left corner to send the Pitmen third in the table.
Hednesford Town
Crane, Melbourne, Campion, Bailey, Francis (Barnes 85), MacPherson (c), Osborne (Rey 82), Durrell (93), Harvey (Lennon 70), O’Connor (91), Woolfe
Subs Not Used
Bottomer, Hornby
Witton Albion
Cooper, Gardner, Wood, B Harrison, Glover, Sheehan (c), Hancock, Cross, Tuck (Stott 66 (81)), Foster (Fallon 88), Andrews
Subs Not Used
Booth, J Harrison, Clayton
Bookings – Sheehan, Osborne, Durrell
Sent Off – B Harrison
Star Man – Sean O’Connor
Entertainment Rating – 5 Stars
Attendance – 371
