> 3.5.2003

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The Pitmen wound up their eventful Southern League season with a convincing win over rock-bottom Folkestone Invicta at Keys Park - with question marks hanging over not only most of the players on show, but also the future of Hednesford's current management team

Before the game, 'Brinna' was awarded the Supporter's Player of the Year trophy for his playing contributions, but it is his managerial contribution that will be subject to intense scrutiny in the coming weeks. He stuck with the same XI that had grabbed a 2-2 draw at Chelmsford the week before, and saw his team clinch a win that hauled them up into the dizzy heights of eleventh place

 It was Brindley himself who led the charge, playing a telling role at the back in a dreary first half before scoring just before the break

He almost scored with an early header that fell wide of goal, before skipper Steve Piearce wasted a good chance on sixteen minutes by firing straight at the keeper when in space

David Moss and Darren Simkin linked up well to set on-loan Luke Corbett away on the half hour, but he fired the ball high and wide with only the keeper to beat

With both sides already knowing their fate for next term, it looked as though there was an element off resignation about the game, but the home side did grab a goal on forty three minutes. Anthony Maguire's corner was headed onto the bar by Brindley, only for the ball to fall kindly for him on the rebound for him to knock the ball home from close range

 In an unusual change, Hednesford took off both full backs at the break and introduced two attacking players in the forms of Damien Charie and Ashley Dodd. Dodd was making his full debut for the Pitmen

 Charie thought he had headed the Pitmen further into the lead on the hour mark, but he was adjudged to have been offside by the assistant referee

 Despite running the show, the Pitmen were still only one goal to the good, and invariably they were made to pay for not taking any chances, when Andy Morris equalised for the visitors on eighty minutes, scrambling the ball home following an Invicta corner

 Hednesford pressed for a second goal, and found one on soon after. A David Berks free kick was knocked on by Brindley to Mark Jones, who made no mistake from six yards out

 To cap a frantic finish, David Moss got on the end of a Jones cross on eighty eight minutes, heading the ball home to complete what has been a very up-and-down season for the Pitmen  cds

Top Scorer

1

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1

Jones

Williams

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Small

.15

Corbett

1

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