Hednesford Town made progress in the Staffordshire Senior Cup on Tuesday night, although Chasetown were left wondering how they didn’t get at least one goal after a number of saves from home stopper Dan Crane kept the clean sheet intact for Bernard McNally’s side.
The Pitmen started on the front foot and after Ahmed Obeng was denied in the fourth minute they took the lead ten minutes later. Paul Ennis was able to nick the ball off a Chasetown defender, although the away side called for a foul, and he fed Andy Todd who fired home from the edge of the box.
Jonathan Gould almost grabbed an immediate response for the visitors, only to see his shot whistle over the bar before Tyrone Williams headed an effort wide when under pressure from the visiting defence.
Chasetown didn’t let their heads drop though and almost grabbed an equaliser in the 36th minute, only for Crane to deny Francino Francis not once, but twice, on the line as the defender looked for a goal against his old club.
This would prove crucial as Town doubled their lead two minutes before the break when Danico Johnson muscled his man off the ball and slotted home past John Bateman.
Into the second period and as the gale of Storm Barney continued to blow around Keys Park, both sides tried to play football – forcing a number of corners at either end of the pitch.
Just after the hour mark came a real turning point as Crane was forced into two saves in quick succession, first from Stan Mugisha and secondly from Gould – with the home side knowing that a goal at that point would have let the visitors back into the tie.
Crane was called into action soon again as former Pitmen forward Paul Sullivan was denied with fifteen minutes to go.
Twelve minutes from time Hednesford secured the victory when Ahmed Obeng got down the right and he picked out Todd who fired home from inside the six-yard box.
Hednesford Town: Crane, T Williams, James (Disney 65), Bailey, Regan, Trainer (Digie 59), S Williams, Ennis (Perry 75), Johnson, Obeng, Todd
Subs not used: Robinson, Ransome
Chasetown: Bateman, Williams (Turton 75), Edwards, Thompson, Francis, Brown, Mugisha (Robinson 66), Washbourne, Wynter, Dance (Sullivan 54), Gould
Subs not used: Kiembi, Slater
Attendance: 282
Star Man: Andy Todd
Entertainment Rating: Four Stars
