Hednesford Town recovered from conceding a goal after just two minutes to record a vital win against Kendal Town to move within five points of leaders North Ferriby, ahead of a tricky game away to Marine on Saturday.
The Pitmen couldn’t have wished for a worse start to a game that was played in bitterly cold conditions, as Jack Cook picked up a loose ball, accelerated past Ben Bailey and finished confidently beyond Dan Crane to give Kendal Town, a team who had lost their previous ten matches, an early lead.
The Pitmen, without the suspended Dave MacPherson and injured pair Nathan Woolfe and Neil Harvey, initially struggled against their lowly opponents and it looked as if their exertions over the Easter weekend were the cause of a relatively lethargic first half performance.
Kendal battled hard and pressured in midfield but Jamey Osborne always looked dangerous running with the ball from deep and it was a free kick drawn by him on six minutes which saw Kris Taylor act quickly and hit a shot inches wide of the post.
Osborne dragged a left footed shot wide when well placed and Hednesford goalkeeper Dan Crane saved at full stretch from a Danny Mitchley header before The Pitmen equalised five minutes prior to the break.
A Francino Francis header beat Craig Dootson and Michael Lennon nodded in from a yard out to restore parity and after the break the home side always looked likely to score the winner.
The second goal duly came through Michael Lennon again as the forward scored a wonderfully placed header from a pinpoint Taylor cross on 70 minutes and, despite considerable pressure from The Pitmen, the sense of relief was palpable at the sound of the referee’s final whistle.
Hednesford Town
Crane, Disney, Campion (c), Bailey, Francis, Barnes, Osborne, Durrell, O’Connor (Rey 69), Lennon (40, 60), Taylor,
Subs Not Used
Patterson, Wright, Shearer, Meer
Kendal Town
Dootson, Overson, Hoctor, Freeland, Brown (c), Lee, Vickers (Taylor 85), Cook (2), Mitchley, Wilson (Rawnsley 79), McGeechan,
Subs Not Used
Eastwood, Foster, Robinson
Attendance – 344
Star Man – Jamey Osborne
Entertainment Rating – 3 Stars
Match Action
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