> 24.8.2002

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Hednesford kept up their flying start to the season with a thrilling last-gasp victory over bottom-of-the-table Cambridge. It was 'as you were' for the Pitmen, with the only change to the squad on the bench, with the returning defender Wayne Simpson replacing young forward Damien Charie

 The first half started with the Pitmen attacking the Cambridge goal, winning a succession of corners and free-kicks in dangerous positions. Indeed, the Lillywhites had their goalkeeper Martin Davies to thank after a string of excellent stops to keep out Darren Simkin, Mark Jones and Derek Rae, all within the first twenty minutes

 Then disaster for the Pitmen. With almost their first meaningful attack of the game, Cambridge scored. Slack defending from the five-man Hednesford defence allowed Leon Gutzmore the opportunity to slam the ball past Mark Gayle to give the visitors the lead

Soon after the game started to take an untidy form, with the referee Mr. Smith of Halesowen losing a grip of the game on many occasions as fists started to fly and tempers started to rage. A handful of players were booked from both sides - some for seemingly petty reasons

Into the second half then, and the same pattern followed - Hednesford throwing the ball forward, only to be caught again by Cambridge, this time on the hour. Tim Wooding punished more uncertainty by firing past Gayle from close range to give City a seemingly unassailable lead

It all  seemed a little strange - Cambridge had had very little of the play, and yet were romping to victory in what looked like a typical away 'smash-and-grab' performance

 But then enter Kevin Francis. The big man had been relatively subdued up to that point, but Hednesford's number nine soon came into his own, after Chris Brindley gave the Pitmen a lifeline on seventy one minutes, looping a header over Davies to reduce the deficit and score his second goal in consecutive games

 Hednesford sensed a comeback - and what a reply from that man Francis. On seventy four minutes, a speculative ball was played up to him. From fully forty yards out, with no apparent danger, Francis controlled the ball superbly before volleying past a bemused Davies from a central position on the park. The Hednesford faithful went wild - it was one of the greatest goals seen at Keys Park, and at last Hednesford were back on level terms

 But still the Pitmen pushed for the winner; Rae saw a goalbound shot deflected away, and Simkin again had a free-kick turned away before Francis got onto the end of a Richard Lucas cross on eighty eight minutes, nodding home at the back post to send the Pitmen fans into raptures. Entertainment, sir? Come to Keys Park!  cds

Moor Green (A) 

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Airdrie

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Piearce

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