The Pitmen progressed to the Second Qualifying  Round of the Emirates FA Cup with a convincing win on the road at Melton Town. The Pitmen got off to a lively start with Jake Jervis having three half chances in the opening 10 minutes, firstly a one-on-one with the Melton keeper went in the favour of Josh Barnes, before seeing a shot blocked and just being unable to get on the end of a cross from Joel Taylor. The Pitmen dominated large spells of the game early on and created plenty of chances without scoring, Rob Stevenson headed over from a corner, Dominic McHale headed a Taylor cross wide before Kory Roberts also went close from a corner. The inevitable goal came on the half hour mark when Stevenson took a low shot from the edge of the box which thundered past Barnes to give the Pitmen a deserved lead. Two minutes later Stevenson had the ball in the net for a second time, however the referee spotted a hand ball and disallowed the goal. A second goal duly arrived in the 45th minute when a foul on Stevenson allowed Dan Trickett-Smith to deliver a dangerous freekick into the area which was headed into the net by Roberts. Melton Town replied in first half stoppage time when Keenan King followed up on a save from Ryan Brown to find the net, despite a suspicion of offside, the referee allowed the goal to stand.

HT 1-2

Any chance of a Melton fightback were quickly killed off at the start of the second half. Stevenson slammed home his second at the far post following a corner in the 47th minute. A minute later McHale latched onto a save from Barnes and was able to find the time and space in the box to dispatch a shot into the Melton net. The Pitmen continued to flow forward, trying to score more goals, Melton defender Sam Beaver almost scored an own goal before Jervis headed another cross from Taylor on to the roof of the net. Jack Bearne forced a save from Barnes and then provided a cross which Stevenson went close to finishing. In the 72nd minute Bearne dribbled through the area to the byline and pulled the ball back for McHale to tap in his second goal of the afternoon from close range. Taylor went close to adding to the scoreline when his cross went close to finding the top corner of the net, Zidan Sutherland provided an emphatic finish to a superb Pitmen move, however the goal was chalked off due to an offside decision. Substitute Manny Duku got on the score sheet in the 88th minute when he found himself some space in the area and applied a low finish into the bottom corner of the net. Fellow substitute Sion Spence went within inches of adding a seventh, when he broke through the Melton defence, however his  shot was narrowly wide in what would prove to be the last significant action in an excellent performance from the Pitmen.

Melton Town; Barnes, Beaver, Hirst, Y Gore, Fearon, McCrory, Calver, King, Fura, Hayes, Edwards-John. Subs; Brailsford, Alexander, K Gore, Gilchrist, Mulvany, Manship, Norcross

Hednesford Town; Brown, Rowe, Taylor, Johnson, Roberts, Maye (Holness 72), Trickett-Smith (Spence 72), Stevenson (Sutherland 73), McHale (Gwilt 73), Bearne, Jervis (Duku 73). Subs not used; Alamu-Tajudeen, Rose

Attendance 502