> 5.10.2002

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Hednesford claimed a point against former Nationwide Conference rivals Dover this afternoon, but manager Ian Painter will not have been impressed with the way the Pitmen threw away a 1-0 half time lead at home

 Painter had made two changes to the starting XI that played at Hucknall, with Steve Piearce and Derek Rae returning in place of Stewart Airdrie and Wayne Simpson

 Hednesford were slow to start, and could have fallen behind in the second minute when Matt Carruthers latched onto a poor Darren Simkin clearance, only for Stuart Ryder to clear his goalbound shot off the line

 Carruthers again threatened on thirteen minutes, picking the ball up out wide before curling a shot just wide of the far post

 But it was the Pitmen who took the lead a minute later when Paul Ware fired in one of his trademark long range shots, picking up a lay-off from Piearce and hammering the ball home low into the bottom corner of the net

 Dover continued to press despite the setback, with Carruthers a constant threat to a stretched Pitmen defence. Nicky Dent should have equalised just after the half hour, somehow firing a rebound over the bar after seeing his initial shot saved by Mark Gayle

For the home side, Piearce should have done better when he was presented with the ball ten yards out, but scuffed his shot wide as the half drew to a close

Into the second half, and finally Dover's pressure paid dividends near the hour mark when Danny Chapman fired home from close range after Richard Lucas had headed Nicky Humphrey's header off the line

Dover sensed a second, and got it on seventy three minutes when Carruthers deservedly got his goal, beating his man before curling the ball past Gayle and into the far corner of the net

The Pitmen continued to press, with substitute Shaun Wray dancing down the wing and crossing for Ware, whose shot dipped narrowly over the bar

 The difference between this Pitmen side and ones from the previous two years is a fighting, never-give-up spirit and that was in evidence again in injury time, when the Pitmen launched one last attack. After a spell of pinball in the box, it was partially cleared to the edge of the area. The ball fell to Ryder twenty five yards out, before the former Walsall man fired in a stunning volley that found the net to claim a point for the home side   cds

Tamworth (A)

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