FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round
Bogey Team Matlock Shut Out Pitmen
Hednesford Town bowed out of this seasons FA Trophy following a frustrating defeat in a replay which was underpinned by a superbly determined defensive performance by Matlock Town.
Similar tactics had restricted The Pitmen to their first blank since Rob Smith’s first game in charge in September 2010 last Saturday and, to give Matlock credit, they once again defended like the proverbial lions.
Hednesford took the lead on eighteen minutes when Elliott Durrell set up Marvin Robinson with a perfectly judged through ball but a defensive lapse on the right wing let in Matlock captain James Lukic to equalise two minutes later.
Jamey Osborne’s deflected shot was saved well by Jon Kennedy before Robinson had a goal rightly disallowed for offside as The Pitmen showed attacking intent. However the away side always looked like struggling once Robinson limped off with a suspected muscle strain and Ian Holmes headed in from two yards to give Matlock the lead on the stroke of half time.
The home sides’ one goal advantage was always going to be difficult to break down for Hednesford and, in a similar vein to the first match, the ball just wouldn’t fall their way.
Nick Wellecomme and Durrell both hit rasping drives against the woodwork in the second half but, without the aerial threat of Robinson, The Pitmen faced an impenetrable wall of blue as Matlock’s 4-5-1 formation secured their path into the next round and left Rob Smith and his team to concentrate on a promising league campaign starting with a trip back to the Derbyshire Dales against Buxton this Saturday.
Hednesford Town
Crane, Haynes, Campion ©, Monteiro, Dunkley, Denny, Osborne, Clements, Robinson (18) (Danks 40), Wellecomme, Durrell,
Subs Not Used
Gomes, Bailey, Shaw, Jevons,
Matlock Town
Kennedy, Harcourt, Radford, King, Yates, Lukic © (20), Bettney (Nightingale 76), Warne, Holmes (45), Davies, Algar,
Subs Not Used
Joynes, Bowler, Witcombe, Buxton,
Bookings – Durrell
Star Man – James Lukic
Entertainment Rating – 3 stars
Attendance – 279
