> 9.10.2006

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Hednesford moved back up to second place in the UniBond Premier League following a fantastic home performance to soundly beat Ilkeston this evening, easily their best showing of the campaign at Keys Park so far

 There was only one change to the starting line-up following Saturday's win over Kendal, with Iain Screaton fully fit again, replacing Tom Franklin. Joint top scorer Darren Alexander played despite having a number of stitches in his shin following a collision in the Kendal game. After a typically bright start, the Pitmen thought they had gone 1-0 up on ten minutes when Mario Pedro poked home, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside

 They did take the lead on eighteen minutes when Chad Sheppard scored his second gal in forty eight hours, once again from the spot following a foul on Alexander in the area by Ilkeston's Barry Miller

Despite Alexander's injury, he and Ross Dyer were giving the Ilkeston defence a torrid time with their pace and power. Indeed, Dyer could have doubled the Pitmen's advantage a few minutes after the goal after a typically surging run from the youngster ended up in him firing into the side netting

At the other end, Ilkeston offered very little in the way of an attacking threat, although former Pitman Leon McSweeney should have done better with a glancing header that drifted wide of goal

 The half ended on a serious note when Ilson's Rick Brewer was stretchered off after a collision with Sheppard, requiring him to be taken to hospital. Back on the pitch, and the dominant Pitmen doubled their lead just after the break. Dyer got his head to the ball, looping a header towards goal. The ball struck the bar but fell kindly for Alexander, who bundled the ball over the line

 For the away side, Terry Henshaw single-handedly denied them a goal on the hour, making a magnificent last-ditch tackle on former Aston Villa striker Martin Carruthers as the striker was about to score from close range

On came Phil Hadland for the quiet Pedro, and the speedy winger made a real name for himself in his seventeen minute cameo with a number of probing runs, including one occasion  where he took the ball forty yards before setting up Dyer who fired wide

Just before the end, Hadland sealed the win a wonderful goal that his efforts deserved. Picking the ball up on the left, Hadland made an angled run before unleashing a shot from outside the area that Ilson keeper Ben Scott got nowhere near to complete a magnificent performance by the Pitmen and send another good crowd home happy  cds

Mossley (A)

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