Following the departure of Andy Morrell from Keys Park during the week, academy manager Keenen Meakin-Richards took interim charge of the bottom placed Pitmen against high flying Stratford Town.

Hednesford Town started well with Danny Glover and Louis Dodds firing narrowly over and wide respectively. An evenly contested opening half hour did not suggest that the Pitmen would fly into a commanding half time lead with a three goal flurry within five minutes.

On the half hour mark Dan Turner found space in the area to finish Dan Sweeney’s cross from the right to give the Pitmen a deserved lead. Three minutes later Sweeney again found Turner in the box who set up Louis Dodds to place a looping header past Tyrell Belford.

In the 35th minute the provider turned scorer as Sweeney bustled powerfully into the Stratford area producing a low drive to give the Pitmen a 3-0  half time lead.

HT 3-0

The Pitmen continued to control the game at the start of the second half, however the game was far from over with more goals to come in an eventful closing spell. Callum Powell pulled one back for the visitors in the 67th minute with a low finish from a tight angle. During added time Stratford substitute, ex-Pitman Enoch Andoh headed home to set up a tense finish. With seconds left on the clock, Stratford keeper Tyrell Belford came up for a corner, however the Pitmen defence stood strong and when the ball was cleared, Dan Turner raced the length of the pitch to put the result beyond doubt. Jubilant scenes at Keys Park marked a massively improved performance, three points and a convincing start to Keenen Meakin-Richards’ spell as interim manager.

Hednesford Town; Gregory, Griffiths, Lycett, Bailey, Mendez-Jones, Sweeney (Cater 67), Thompson, Glover (Campbell-Gordon 81), Dodds, Turner. Subs not used; Dawes, Preston, Smith.

Stratford Town; Belford, Vann, Isaacs, Fry, Heaven, Williams, Kaziboni, Curtis (Andoh 65), Feyi (Howards 59) , Grocott (Glover 84), Powell. Subs not used; Braimbridge, Muggleton.