Pre-Season Friendly

> 17.7.2007

A largely experimental Hednesford side were well beaten by UniBond Division One side Kidsgrove this evening at the Stan Brown Stadium. Manager Phil Starbuck made sweeping changes to the side that were beaten by Stockport County on Saturday, with no fewer than ten changes to the starting line-up - only Tom Marshall survived from the weekend match

 Kidsgrove, who are amongst the favourites for the UniBond Division One title this season, started well, and triallist keeper Andy Wheeler made a good save to deny one half of Kidsgrove's talented forward line in the form of Matthew Rhead. At the other end, youth team graduate Greg Dickinson fired in a shot after being set up by Jay Birch, but his effort was blocked en route to goal by a Kidsgrove defender

It was inevitable that the home side would find a way through the inexperienced Hednesford defence, and on fifteen minutes they did, courtesy of the other Kidsgrove hotshot Michael Lennon. He beat of the challenges of two Pitmen defenders before shooting past Wheeler from twelve yards out. Former Pitman Phil Hadland nearly doubled the home side's advantage, but his effort was blocked by Marshall

The Lennon/Rhead partnership was working well for Kidsgrove, with both players having more opportunities throughout the first half. Lennon hit the top of the net with a lob that just dipped over the crossbar on twenty five minutes, before Rhead played Lennon in, only for Wheeler to smother the ball at Lennon's feet. Rhead did join Lennon on the scoresheet three minutes from half time when Wheeler saved from Hadland, only for the ball to drop to Rhead, who fired home

The Pitmen made a number of changes at half time, with striker Craig Marshall returning to Hednesford on trial after a season away at Stourport Swifts. He got himself back into the thick of the action by making a good run and getting in a shot that Kidsgrove keeper James Coates saved well. During the early stages of the second half, many changes were made by Starbuck, upsetting any rhythm the Pitmen had or were going to have. In all, ten changes were made, with only Wheeler staying on for the full ninety minutes for the visitors

Lennon was continuing to cause the Pitmen problems, even with the experienced pairing of Gordon Simms and Paul Robinson on the pitch by now. He saw Wheeler smother another good chance just after the hour mark, but could not be denied a second, and Kidsgrove's third soon after as the striker beat a static Hednesford defence to fire past the exposed Wheeler 

Coates denied Peter Knox with fifteen minutes left as the Pitmen struggled for any cohesion going forward. Reece Styche, the star of the show against Stockport, had come on by now, and he tried his luck with a swinging free kick that was goalbound until a deflection off the wall took it wide. The Pitmen did get the ball into the net late on, but Knox's untidy effort was ruled out for offside by the linesman   cds

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