Hednesford Town start a pivotal run of three home games in four matches on Tuesday night as The Pitmen welcome in form AFC Fylde to Keys Park, once again with an opportunity of piling pressure on their rival promotion contenders.

North Ferriby and FC United face tricky away fixtures at Whitby and Matlock respectively on Wednesday night, but Hednesford boss Rob Smith is keen to talk only about his team and their impressive desire to rescue points at the end of games, after Ben Bailey scored with two minutes to go at Witton Albion to secure an important point on Saturday.

‘I’m getting used to the never say die attitude of the lads, time and time again this season we have looked beaten but come back and Saturday was no different.

‘I’m tired of talking about other teams around us though; it’s simple. If we don’t look after ourselves everything else is irrelevant.’

Smith was also keen to stress that the point on Saturday was very much one gained in the context of the title race, and the manager is positive his team will perform on Tuesday night.

‘The pressure at the top of the division doesn’t change the fact that a point at Witton is more than acceptable. It was frustrating that we didn’t take advantage of the extra man in the second half but we will go again on Tuesday.’

Team news wise, Alex Melbourne serves the second game of his suspension and Nathan Woolfe, back to his mercurial best on Saturday and unlucky not to have scored one and set up another, is a major doubt with a hamstring injury.

Despite the manager’s understandable desire to focus the minds of his players only on doing their own jobs, the Pitmen faithful, helpless as they look on nervously from the side-lines, will be fully aware how important three points could be on Tuesday night against a team who have won five matches in a row.

Manchester United vs. Real Madrid might be important in the Champions League but, to those of a black and white persuasion, no game is bigger than Hednesford Town vs. AFC Fylde in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division.

Pitmen Form – WWDWWD
Previous Result – Witton Albion 1 Hednesford Town 1 – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 2nd March 2013
Next Fixture – Matlock (H) – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 9th March 2013
League Position – 2nd

AFC Fylde Form – LWWWWW
Previous Result – Blyth Spartans 0 AFC Fylde 5 – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 2nd March 2013
Next Fixture – Eastwood (H) – Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division – Saturday 9th March 2013
League Position – 8th

KO – 7.45pm
Address of Ground – Keys Park, Keys Park Road, Hednesford, WS12 2DZ