Birmingham Senior Cup Round 2 – Pitmen Shock Walsall With Outstanding Comeback
In a game that will live long in the memory of the four-hundred-and-seven who attended at Keys Park, Hednesford Town recovered from 4-2 down with five minutes remaining in normal time to level the scores at 4-4 and then scored two goals in the final five minutes of extra time to astonishingly beat their League One local rivals, inclusive of five first-team squad members, 6-5.
Both teams played a form of cavalier football which guaranteed free flowing attractive fayre and The Pitmen started positively as man-of-the match Elliot Durrell, the smallest man on the pitch, opened the scoring with a determined header on seven minutes before a swift Walsall move was neatly finished by George Bowerman to level the scores four minutes later.
Mark Danks curled a wonderful shot into the top corner to restore Hednesford’s lead on twenty-six minutes before the full-time fitness of the away side told in the second period as two quality goals by Will Grigg and a fourth by Jamie Tank looked to have made the game safe for The Saddlers.
Gary Hay had other ideas as he crossed for Marvin Robinson to head into an unguarded net and then, with time ticking onto ninety-four minutes, Hednesford goalkeeper Dan Crane hit the bar and post before Jay Denny sensationally equalised.
Aaron Williams scored for Walsall in extra time but The Pitmen, incredibly, stretched their tired legs for one last effort, and hero Robinson bundled the ball home on one-hundred-and fifteen and one-hundred and twenty minutes to win it for Hednesford.
Hednesford Town
Crane, Haynes (Monteiro 72), Shaw, Gomes, Bailey (Dunkley 65), Denny (90+4), Osborne, Clements (c) (Hay 65), Robinson (81, 115, 120), Danks (26), Durrell (7)
Subs Not Used: Wellecomme, Campion
Walsall FC
Maher, Westlake, Haynes, Lancashire (c), Tank (78), Botfield, Dobson, Grigg (54, 59) (Butlin 75), Jarvis, Bowerman (11) (Williams 79 (112)), Jones
Subs Not Used: George, Morris, Roberts
Bookings – Tank, Butlin
Star Man – Elliot Durrell
Entertainment Rating – 6 Stars
Attendance – 407
Words by Chris Brewerton
