> 9.11.2002

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 The Pitmen twice had to come from behind to earn a draw against mid-table Bath at Keys Park this afternoon. Making their Hednesford debuts were former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Michael Bingham and ex-Aston Villa left-back Bryan Small - out went Adam Jenkins and Wayne Simpson to make way for the new boys

However, it was Bath who took the game to the home side, and took the lead on eleven minutes through Jason Eaton. The former Cheltenham man took advantage of some poor Hednesford defending to fire the visitors in front from close range

 The goal appeared to wake the Pitmen up, and the rest of the half was dominated by the hosts. Darren Simkin wasted a good free kick on twenty two minutes, firing into the wall twice despite a poor set-up from Bath

 Kevin Francis glanced a Stewart Airdrie cross over the bar on twenty four minutes as Hednesford cranked up the pressure on the visitors, using the big man's height to their advantage in getting knock-downs for the in-form Steve Piearce

 A minute later, it all paid off as a cross from the right caused all sorts of confusion. In the following melee, Kevin Francis's touch was scrambled over the line by Steve Piearce for his ninth of the season - not bad considering the heckling the guy gets from many quarters

 Hednesford sensed another before half time, but a combination of poor finishing from the likes of Airdrie, Piearce and Francis saw the half end all level

The second period continued in much the same vein, and with Shaun Wray on for Ashley Williams, the Pitmen had more of an attacking option

Indeed, it was Wray who fired in a tremendous twenty five yard shot that was somehow turned away for a corner by Bath keeper Mark Bryant

Against the run of play though, the Pitmen fell behind again on seventy two minutes. A well-worked move saw the Hednesford defence stretched again, allowing Andy Williams to score from ten yards out

But the reply was instant: A cross from the right by Wray again caused problems, slicing off Gary Thorne's head and dropping into the net for the equaliser

Wray was to depart injured late on as the game became scrappy, but a draw was a fair result in what was an average game at best for both sides  cds

Newport County (A) 

Wray

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Rae

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