Hednesford Town 2 Barwell 3 - Report

The opening exchanges saw little between the two sides with neither side really testing the opposition goalkeeper.

The first half chance on goal came in the 15th minute when Nigel Julien fired in a shot from 30 yards that rippled the side netting with James Wren flying across the goal.

Four minutes later a freekick into the Barwell box found its way to Jordan Graham who saw his looping effort land on the roof of the net.

The visitors forced a number of corners during the first period with Brad Hickey seeing their best chance come and go as his free header at the back post was put well wide of the goal.

In the 39th minute the clearest opening of the half arrived for the Pitmen when a freekick fell to Graham and who had time to fire in a shot from 10 yards which he got wrong and it dribbled wide.

Six minutes later Graham did well again and this time his cross picked out Glover who saw his shot saved on the line by Liam Castle.

Right on the stroke of halftime Hednesford would take the lead when some lovely football from the home side saw the ball find its way to Graham who curled an effort home from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.

Just two minutes into the second half Barwell were level though when Wren palmed away a shot from Craig Reid and Matthew Stenson was on hand to fire the ball under the goalkeeper and into the net.

The visitors would edge ahead in the 51st minute as Callam Mendez-Jones and Sam Oji both failed to clear the ball away and Stenson capitalised to grab his second goal in the space of four minutes.

It was almost a hatrick for the dangerous winger in the 63rd minute when he cut inside and curled in a shot that struck the upright before being cleared away.

A minute later and the away side would get their third goal though as Charlie Gatter miss-kicked and Mitchel Piggon squeezed a shot into the far corner of the net.

In the 74th minute Hednesford almost reduced the arrears when a lovely ball in from Joey Butlin saw James Lawrie power in an effort on goal only to see it tipped onto the crossbar by Castle.

Wren was forced into a smart save in the 77th minute as Barwell continued to press before the Pitmen tried to produce some late drama as they reduced the score in the 89th minute.

Graham did great again but as his shot hit the crossbar Tom Thorley was on hand to fire the ball into the net.

Although Hednesford forced a late half chance the visitors should really have added a fourth with Wren stranded upfront however Lawrie cleared Jake Heath’s effort off the line.

Teams

Hednesford Town: Wren, Mendez-Jones, Curley, Fitzpatrick (Law 74), Oji, Gatter, Walsh (Harris 62), Thorley, Glover (Butlin 62), Lawrie, Graham Subs not used: Bailey, King

Barwell: Castle, Whitmore, Nisevic, Stanley, Kay, Julien, Towers, Piggon (Story 74), Reid (Bates 84), Hickey (Heath 84), Stenson Subs not used: Warmington, Percival

Attendance: 373