Pre-Season Friendly

> 25.7.2008

.

The Pitmen finally got their pre-season programme kick-started with a fine win over a young and disappointing Stoke City side this evening at Keys Park. Following a poor performance the previous week at Belper, manager Dean Edwards had promised changes, with two new names to the starting line-up in the forms of  Ludovic Quistin - a Guadelope International -  and Decio Gomes. He also named a number of triallists on the bench as he looked for a response to two defeats in two pre-season games

And what a response it was, with the Pitmen flying out of the blocks to take a second minute lead. Stuart Brock's long kick caught the Stoke defence out, allowing Tyrone Barnett to fire home from ten yards out to open his Hednesford account

It was all Hednesford in the opening stages, with the front three frightening the Stoke defence with their pace and link-up play. Ross Dyer was next to try his luck, heading narrowly over on eight minutes after being set up by Anthony Maguire

Louie Briscoe continued to impress the masses with his ability on the ball, forcing young Stoke keeper Tom Harrison into a diving save a minute later after jinking his way into the area

Barnett's pace saw him outstrip Matt Cohen down the right hand side on eleven minutes, but his shot flew agonisingly wide of the far post

Back came Stoke, with Louis Moult heading just wide of Brock's far post. Brock also came to the Pitmen's rescue five minutes later, blocking the ball after Danny Harvey attempted to guide the ball back to him

The front three for the Pitmen continued to run the inexperienced Potters back line ragged, and you sensed there was a goal coming. After warning shots from Dyer and Chad Sheppard, the Pitmen moved further into the lead just after the half hour. The ball was moved to the edge of the area after some patient play, with the ball falling to Briscoe, who finished with a fine effort that nestled in the left hand corner of the net

Just a minute later, and Briscoe was celebrating again, with Maguire's cross controlled by Dyer before his lay-off to the former Leek man allowed him to slot home from an angle at the far post

The Pitmen were rampant, and could have added further goals before the break as Stoke simply could not cope with the home side's movement and pace. Sheppard had an excellent chance to score, but fired wide, whilst Dyer could have scored on two separate occasions, had it not been for the shaky-looking Harrison's intervention both times

The Pitmen took their foot off the gas during the second period, but continued to press on during the early stages of the second half. Dyer's pace once again got him goal side of his defender, but found Harrison in the way at his near post

Some poor striking from Barnett and Sheppard failed to grab the fourth goal, before a raft of substitutions for both sides affected the game. On came a number of triallists for the Pitmen, with forward Nélson Veiga replacing Barnett. At that point, with Mario Pedro also making an appearance, it was the most multicultural side ever put out by the Pitmen, with English players playing alongside Portuguese duo Gomes and Pedro, Veiga and Guadeloupe's Quistin

Maguire was lucky not to suffer any reaction to a poor challenge out on the far right with twenty five minutes remaining, as Stoke's frustrations grew. However, it failed to dampen spirits fro the home side, who got the fourth goal their efforts deserved a minute later. Dyer's perseverance got him the goal he craved, getting in amongst the Stoke defenders to bring down a Maguire ball before jinking his way past the keeper to tap the ball home

Veiga could have added a well-deserved fifth goal just moments after coming on, with his hopeful floated effort hitting the crossbar twice, with Dyer ready to pounce on the goal-line

All in all, a very welcome and richly-deserved victory for the Pitmen, who will now move forward with more confidence after grabbing their first win of pre-season. A number of real stand-out performances tonight, with Briscoe once again impressing, but the debutante duo of Gomes and Quistin will be well worth another look at after impressing in defence this evening. More of the same please, Mr. Edwards cds

Sutton Coldfield (A) 

.

.15

.16

.17

..18

.

Images / Information (unless accredited), are © Copyright Pitmenweb 1999-2008                                                                                                         Fixtures & Results