Pre-Season Friendly

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3.8.2010

Brown 24, 55

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Next Game

Hednesford's tough pre-season programme continued with defeat at the hands of local rivals Telford at Keys Park this evening. The Pitmen have now suffered four defeats in five games, scoring in only two of those in the process

Before kick off, the home side was boosted with news that their main spearhead up front, Mark Bellingham, was to return to the side after a two week holiday. Liam Francis made his second home debut for the club after returning to Hednesford this week. Jamey Osbourne's fine run of form saw him given his first start of the pre-season programme in midfield. Manager Bernard McNally was without key players such as Elliott Durrell, Cheyenne Dunkley, Dave Bridgwater, Alfie Carter and Josh Craddock

Hednesford were first to threaten on an overcast early evening in Staffordshire; Jay Denny's free kick swinging in towards goal, but none of the onrushing players could get their heads to it, with the ball dropping harmlessly wide of Ryan Young's goal

Telford's approach to the game early on was physical one, with a number of free kicks conceded in midfield by the visitors for over-zealous challenges. Indeed, if the game had been a competitive fixture, one of two United players would probably have been booked for late tackles on Denny and Ben Bailey

Osbourne was enjoying his chance to impress, making two surging runs into Telford territory in the first quarter before teeing up Dorryl Proffitt on the second occasion, only for Proffitt to b crowded out on the edge of the penalty area by a resolute Telford defence, well marshaled by Shane Killock

Telford's physical approach slowly subsided as they got hold of the ball more as the half progressed. and a neat move saw them take the lead midway through the first half. The ball was worked across the pitch to Shaun Newton, who crossed for Andy Brown to glance a header past Dan Crane and into the far corner of the net from eight yards out

The Pitmen responded with a neat move of their own down the right hand side; Denny played in skipper Sean Platt, whose slide-rule pass split the Telford defence and into the path of Proffitt. However, former Hednesford stopper Young was quick to spot the danger and dived onto the ball before Proffitt could get a toe to the ball

Proffitt seemed to be involved in everything going forward, and a rampaging run down the right on the half hour mark saw him beat two Telford defenders for pace before whipping in a superb cross that Killock managed to head away for a corner before it could find it's way through to Bellingham, who was lurking at the far post

Osbourne again went on a run through the Bucks' defence eight minutes before half time, but failed to slip Bellingham in as he looked to make one of his incisive runs inside the penalty area

Half time saw McNally make a change in defence, with Scott Fuller being withdrawn in favour of Louis Keenan, who slotted into the left side of central defence alongside the impressive Liam Francis

Telford took the game by the scruff of the neck in the early stages of the second half, pushing the Pitmen back into their own third. Brown forced Crane into a smart save early on in the half, with the new keeper making a smart save low down to his left to deny Telford's scorer

Alas, it was only to be temporary respite, as the visitors moved further into the lead ten minutes into the second half. Brown made a move inside the area before being hauled down by Keenan. The striker brushed himself down before calmly sidefooting past Crane for his second of the game

Despite falling further behind, Hednesford rolled their sleeves up and started to create chances of their own. Aaron Gibson's run down the left saw him cut the ball back in to the path of Chris Clements, who elected to play in Proffitt rather  than shoot, allowing Telford to hack the ball clear

Mcnally gave triallist Justin Burgher a chance to impress on the hour mark, with the former Boldmere forward replacing the out-of-luck Proffitt up front

Burgher was busy in and around the area once on the pitch, and was involved in a great chance for Bellingham on sixty eight minutes. An angled ball through from Platt was played into Bellingham's path by Burgher, with 'Bello' holding off Killock's challenge before turning in a flash and firing inches wide of Young's far post

Young was in action again five minutes later, denying Bellingham with a fine save low down to his right as the striker reacted quickest to the ball as it bobbled around the six yard box

The final quarter saw another triallist enter the fray, with former Bromsgrove man Aaron Roberts brought on in place of the tiring Osbourne, who had had a quiet second half

Telford felt they should have been awarded a penalty with ten minutes remaining, as Bucks debutant Greg Mills was allegedly brought down by Bailey, but this time the referee waved away Telford's protests and carried on with the game

Telford were much the stronger side in the final few minutes, playing the ball around with confidence and creating a handful of late chances. Steve Abbott put the ball wide from close range with five minutes remaining, followed closely by Alex Meechan, who struck a shot inches wide of the post as a tiring Hednesford defence failed to pick him up

The best team won on the night in most people's eyes, with McNally's team again struggling to create a good number of chances. Francis was the pick of a workmanlike Hednesford team, who play Kidderminster Harriers at Keys Park on Saturday in their final friendly  cds

Mins On

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  Keenan

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Roberts

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  Burgher

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45

Fuller

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Osbourne

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