The Pitmen made the short trip to Warwickshire to meet Nuneaton Borough for the second time this season at a freezing cold, windswept Liberty Way stadium. Hednesford Town had won the previous meeting at Keys Park 3-2.
Nuneaton played into a punishing wind in the first half, finding it very difficult to get out of their own half. The Pitmen pressed effectively and looked the most likely to score in the opening stages of the game. However The Boro took the lead when former Pitman Anthony Dwyer finished a cross from Ryan Edmunds in the 22nd minute, the referee would later apologise for allowing the goal to stand as there was a clear push into Wes Atkinson’s back during the build up to the goal. Carter Lycett had an effort cleared off the line by Greg Kaziboni as the Pitmen looked for the equaliser, while Lewis Ison almost finished shooting narrowly over the crossbar from the edge of the box. In the 40th minute, Lycett’s freekick from wide on the right was emphatically headed home to level the score, by defender Kyle Rowley in the 40th minute, who had also found the net in the corresponding fixture at Keys Park.
HT 1-1
The Pitmen dealt with the conditions well in the second half, with debutant keeper Oliver Basey opting to play many balls out from the back rather than booting high balls into the wind. With the Pitmen dominating possession throughout, Basey was only required to make one significant save. Substitute George Cater had the best chance to win the game for the Pitmen, but saw his effort cleared off the line. A competitive game in appalling conditions ended 1-1, not the result the Pitmen deserved for their efforts but a great performance nevertheless.
After the game manager Keenen Meakin-Richards commented; “We made a lot of chances, three or four in the first half and again in the second. The performance was good, the fight was there, we jumped on every second ball. It was a proper non-league day today, it was freezing, the conditions were awful and the lads were superb.”
Nuneaton Borough; Foster, Edmunds, Kaziboni, McCrory, Daly, McManus, Mussa, Dwyer, Midgley, King, Osbourne, Subs; Lita, Benbow, Armitage
Hednesford Town; Basey, Atkinson, Fini, Bailey, Rowley, Richards, Master, Ison, O’Sullivan, Flanagan, Lycett. Subs; Cater, Soleman, Mellor, Clarkson, Pryce
Attendance 409
