> 18.8.2007

The Pitmen's UniBond Premier League campaign got off to a flying start with a confident win over Frickley Athletic this afternoon at Keys Park. There was a first league start for a number of players, including youngster Keenan Meakin-Richards at right back 

Ross Dyer went closest to opening the scoring early on, picking up a ball from Peter Knox, but sending his shot high over the Hednesford End stand. For Frickley, Nathan Hotte's free kick dropped just wide of the post after a Dyer foul had set up the opportunity

Hotte was again in the action on twelve minutes, firing over the bar after a Tom Marshall ball was seized upon by Danny Walsh, who laid the ball to Hotte on the edge of the penalty area

Alan Nagington, one of those league debutantes for the Pitmen, could have scored the Pitmen's first goal of the season on fifteen minutes, but shot was just wide

The opener did arrive soon after, with summer signing Simon Forsdick the man to score it. Dyer's ball across seemed to have missed everyone, but the ball finally fell to Forsdick, who controlled the ball and fired past Jon Hood in the Frickley goal

The Pitmen thought they were celebrating a second goal just ten minutes later, when Forsdick curled a shot past Hood following a short corner. The referee disallowed the goal for offside, although there appeared to be no-one in an offside position at the time

Just before the break, the home side had a good chance to extend their lead when Peter Knox managed to get a shot in, but only found the side netting

Frickley emerged with real purpose at the start of the second half, and should have equalised straight from the kick off; Lee Morris was left all alone twelve yards from goal, but with the frame of the goal  in sight, he spooned his shot wide of Rene Gilmartin's goal when he really should have found the target

The Pitmen, with skipper Dave Macpherson and Forsdick running the show, made it 2-0 on sixty-six minutes. A move involving five Hednesford players culminated in  Alan Nagington playing the ball through to Forsdick, who fired across Hood and found the far corner of the net for his, and the Pitmen's, second

As is so often the case, two goals is not a big enough cushion, and Frickley reminded the Pitmen of this with fifteen minutes to go. Morris's volley was brilliantly saved by Gilmartin, who once again looked the part between the sticks for the Pitmen

Hednesford wrapped up victory on seventy seven minutes when Forsdick's corner caused confusion in the Frickley ranks, allowing Dyer to force the ball home to open his account for the season

Nagington missed a simple opportunity to add to the three already in the bag, but his effort nine minutes from time, arguably the easiest chance of the game, missed the net by inches. Forsdick forced Hood into a save late on as he looked for a hat-trick goal

As it was, it proved to be an excellent first game for the Pitmen, who will look forward to the trip to new boys Buxton on Tuesday night with confidence  cds

Buxton (A)

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