Pre-season friendly

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9.8.2009

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Next Game

  Hednesford completed their pre-season campaign with a good work-out against a young Birmingham City side - but no goals. Manager Dean Edwards was without Ross Dyer once again, as the forward man continued to recover from a serious virus, and had to juggle his substitute's bench after the departures of Ben Rix and Danny Harvey in midweek. For Blues, only goalkeeper Colin Doyle had any first team experience, as manager Alex McLeish had struggled with injuries to his first team squad throughout pre-season

On a warm, sunny Sunday in Hednesford, it was the away side that made all of the early running. Jake Gervais was given the task of playing up front on his own for the Premiership side, and his persistence saw Richard Walker hurried into two quick clearances

Justin Nisbett was clearly in the mood to continue his fine form from Stafford the previous week, as he darted through the Blues defence on six minutes after racing onto Tony Dinning's through ball. Defender David Joyce did well to block the striker's shot as he looked to fire across Doyle's goal from the right hand side of the area

Walker was on the end of the corner kick the Pitmen won from Joyce's black, but the Hednesford skipper headed over the bar when he should have taken advantage of Doyle's flap at the near post

Blues clearly had some talented youngsters in their side, with Luke Hubbins causing Aaron Gibson some trouble down the Hednesford left. However, the young left-back stuck to his task manfully and denied the teenager on two occasions

It was the same two players who came together just before the half hour that caused the half's biggest talking point. Both players went up to meet a ling ball, resulting in a nasty clash of heads and lengthy treatment for both players. Gibson fared the worst of the two, with blood streaming out of a head wound above his left eye. He was taken off for medical attention and was replaced by Scott Lycett. Hubbins struggled on but was also replaced a few minutes later

Indeed, the clash was one of a number of times the physios were on the pitch during the first half, as both sides suffered with players going down

Young centre-back Ben Bailey was enjoying another fine match in defence, rarely putting a foot wrong as he and Walker snuffed out any Birmingham attacks with consummate ease. In midfield, Dinning and Carl Palmer were using all of their experience to dominate the young Blues midfield

In the final minute of the half, Blues' Ashley Sammons fired in a shot from just outside the area, but it lacked power or direction, and was watched over the bar by Gavin Ward. This was closely followed by a plethora of long range efforts from Tyrone Barnett, all that were blocked by some dogged Blues defending

In added time, Nisbett got on the end of a ball from Dinning, but only succeeded in firing straight at Doyle, who comfortably fielded the ball

With both sides remaining unchanged at the break, there was very little change in the pattern of the game, as neither keeper was forced into a save. Bailey's header from Dinning's lopping free kick sailed harmlessly over the bar just three minutes after the restart

Blues' best attempt fell to Gervais, who found some space on fifty five minutes, but Walker's presence forced the youngster into a hurried shot and he pulled it well wide of Gavin Ward's goal from twelve yards out

Despite Barnett and Nisbett's best efforts, they were well shackled by a resolute Birmingham defence, and it came as no surprise when Nisbett was replaced on the hour mark by triallist forward Gomez

Blues had also decided on changes, although many of their substitutions were down to injuries rather than tactical reasons, with Jared Wilson and Jacob Rowe both requiring treatment after being taken off by the away side, added to the long-departed Hubbins

Gomez was on hand to have one of the Pitmen's clearest opportunities of the game with fifteen minutes left; after winning a corner out on the Hednesford right, he got his boot to the corner kick, but could only watch as Joyce got a critical block in just a yard from goal. The ball ran to Sean Platt, who fired towards goal, but found Doyle in the way of his effort and the chance was gone

With Barnett and Gomez failing to fire up front, it was down to the experienced Dinning to try and win the game for the Pitmen - his eighty third minute free kick lacked power or direction, dropping into the grateful arms of Doyle after the ball had bobbled under the defensive wall

The Pitmen will be pleased with a hard run-out against professional opponents, although a lack of firepower will be a concern to Edwards, who will hopefully welcome back Dyer for the curtain raiser against Tiverton on Saturday cds

Tiverton Town (H)

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Lycett

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Bandurak

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Gomez

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63

Gibson

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Nisbett

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Durrell

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Action from Keys Park:  1. Carl Palmer makes a burst forward against Blues  2. Skipper Richard Walker, flanked by boss Dean Edwards, watches on  3. Justin Nisbett has his hands full with three Blues players in attendance

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