Campion Screamer And Superb Hay Set Pitmen On Way
A left footed volley by Darren Campion opened the scoring for Hednesford Town as The Pitmen came out on top in an engaging match in the picturesque surroundings of the Derbyshire Dales and made it eleven wins from fifteen matches.
Both sides played attacking football throughout the match which made sure both sets of supporters watched an entertaining game, full of goal mouth incident, as the pendulum swung from one team to the other.
Hednesford started well and should have taken the lead inside two minutes as a long ball from Dan Crane was superbly headed on by Gary Hay for Nick Wellecomme to advance on goal but the striker lofted his shot over the cross bar.
Jamey Osborne skipped past two Buxton defenders but scuffed his long range attempt straight at Scott Hartley before Buxton, looking to avenge their dramatic 3-2 defeat at Keys Park in August, missed a great chance to open the scoring as Kieran Lugsden headed over from six yards on eleven minutes.
Wellecomme reciprocated the earlier flick on for Hay to shoot into the side netting but Hednesford deservedly broke the deadlock on the half hour mark. Hay deflected Osborne’s snap shot towards goal which was superbly saved by Hartley and, as the resulting corner was cleared, Campion watched the ball drop from the sky and lashed a left-footed volley into the corner of the net.
The Pitmen doubled their advantage five minutes later as a lofted cross from Kyle Haynes found Campion who calmly headed the ball square to Wellecomme clear inside the area who smashed the ball confidently past Hartley.
As the temperature dropped and night drew in it was Buxton who started the second half the better as Hednesford struggled to dominate like they had in the first. Dan Crane was forced into a superb acrobatic save to deny Mark Reed on fifty-eight minutes but three minutes later was powerless to prevent Neil Stevens’ powerful header across goal which halved the deficit.
The alarm bells momentarily rang for The Pitmen’s travelling supporters but the status quo was restored sixty seconds later as Chris Clements picked up a loose ball and side footed the ball into the net.
To their credit, a determined Buxton side continued to make a game of the final twenty minutes and Michael Towey’s shot from the corner of the area had Crane beaten but hit the upright. Lugsden picked up on Reed’s header down with eight minutes to go but shot over the cross bar and, as Stevens saw red late on for dissent, Hednesford shut the game and out and secured an important three points in their continued quest to keep pace with the top three.
With three games in hand, The Pitmen could conceivably be top of the division if their current league form continues as they face their biggest game of the season next Saturday at home to third-placed Chorley.
Buxton
Hartley, Black, Wilde, Williams, Horne (Agus 45), Maxfield, Stevens (61), Towey, Reed, Lugsden, Ridley (Pembleton 67),
Subs Not Used
Johnson, Taylor, Liversidge,
Hednesford Town
Crane, Haynes, Shaw (Bailey 79), Monteiro, Dunkley, Denny, Osborne (Jevons 64), Clements (62), Wellecomme (35) (Durrell 79), Hay, Campion (30)
Subs Not Used
Danks, Gomes,
Bookings
Horne, Black,
Sent Off
Stevens
Attendance – 305
Entertainment Rating – 4 Stars
Star Man – Gary Hay
