At last! The Pitmen finally chalk up their first league win in fourteen games this afternoon as Harry Harris's Hednesford revolution starts to pick up pace courtesy of a confident and well-deserved win over hosts Bootle

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Last week's defeat against table-toppers Prescot Cables had put a dent in Harris's early work as Hednesford manager, with the Pitmen remaining six points from safety at the start of today's encounter. Harris had once again been busy in the transfer market as he continued to make changes to his misfiring side, signing the highly-rated winger Jai Verma from former club Walsall Wood this week as well as bringing towering centre-back Josh Endall back to the club from Bedworth United. Harris had also overseen two departures as well, with midfielder Desean Martin and Reinaldo Forbes both leaving in search of first-team football elsewhere. On the pitch, both Verma and Endall came straight into the aside for today's game as they replaced the now-departed Martin and Ritchie Sutton, whilst the fit-again Jack Kelly was restored to the left-back role ahead of Tom Armitage. Demetri Brown had served his one-match ban following his red card at Avro and came back on for Jamie Spiers up front, with Joe Thompson the fifth change of personnel as he replaced Jez Abbey

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In-form Bootle had moved into the top seven last weekend courtesy of a 4-0 demolition at 1874 Northwich, extending their unbeaten run in the Northern Premier League West to four games in the process. Manager Mike McGraa - the former Vauxhall Motors boss who made the switch to Bootle last month - made only one change to his side for their return to the Berry Street Garage Stadium as on-loan Chester striker Jake Burton came in up front ahead of Michael Burkey

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It had been a grey day across the country, with the threat of showers throughout but the hybrid 3G/grass pitch at the Berry Street Garage Stadium had held up nicely and was in pristine condition for today's game. It was to prove a slow opening to proceedings, with both defences on top in the first ten minutes of the game. Endall was presented with an early opportunity for the Pitmen as he made his way forward to get on the end of a deep Tom Thorley free-kick, but allowed the ball to run away from him and into the arms of Bootle goalkeeper Tony Thompson from just six yards out

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In the fifth minute, Thompson's opposite number Ryan Brown was called into action at his near post to make a smothering save after a low cross into the box from Burton - aimed towards striker Tom Peterson - was claimed by the young on-loan stopper

 

Bootle created the game's first real opening in the ninth minute as Peterson made a marauding run down the right flank for the hosts, twisting and turning past Kelly before pulling his shot well wide of the post from eighteen yards out as Endall came across to block his route to goal

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The Pitmen were struggling to get a foothold in the game as an attacking unit, although Verma was quickly showing his worth to his new club with several promising runs down the left as he led right-back James Cooper a merry dance. One run and pass through to Demetri Brown in the twelfth minute saw the striker pulled back for a tight offside against him in the build-up

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The visitors were forced into an early change at right-back on sixteen minutes as Lucas Yeomans was forced off with a knock and was replaced by the experienced Michael Williams. The full-back roles have become problem positions for the club this term with no fewer than five players having already played right-back (Wright, Mendez-Jones, Griffiths, Yeomans and Williams) and six players playing at left-back (Kelly, Griffiths, Mendez-Jones, Lloyd, Paddock and Armitage) at various points in a season that is only fifteen games old

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Endall had to be alert to stop top scorer Peterson from getting on the end of a deep cross from Anthony Miley two minutes later as the left-back stood up a fine cross to the far post that the returning centre-back booted clear with the striker breathing down his neck on the penalty spot. The Pitmen struggled to clear their lines and were perhaps thankful for a mis-timed challenge by Ben Hodkinson on Kelly to allow them to finally boot the ball clear from a free-kick

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More tricky wing play from Verma on eighteen minutes saw the slightly-built former Stoke City youngster glide past two challenges and send over a cross that was a touch too far in front of the incoming Morley on the opposite side of the penalty area

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Morley himself was involved two minutes later as he made progress down the right after being fed by Williams, only for his low cross towards Demetri Brown to be hacked away by Scott Sephton for a Hednesford corner kick. Thorley took the resultant kick but played the ball straight into the arms of the grateful Thompson, under no pressure whatsoever from anyone in red inside his six-yard box

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A great chance fell to Burton midway through the first half as a powerful run down the right from Cooper saw him clip a great ball into the danger zone, where Burton arrived late in front of Williams but headed wide from a promising position six yards from goal

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More wizardry from Verma on twenty-seven minutes saw the winger drift inside from the left flank, taking the ball past two half-hearted challenges before laying the ball off to James McQuilkin. The veteran midfielder took a touch too many on the edge of the box and wanted too much time to decide on a shot or pass and was soon crowded out by blue shirts

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Verma looked to pick the incoming Demetri Brown out with a fine cross on thirty-two minutes, getting himself to the byeline and playing a low ball into the six-yard box that Tony Thompson claimed at the second attempt at his near post with Brown and Morley bearing down on him

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Bootle continued to press through Burton, whose run into the box was not checked by Williams on thirty-five minutes as he picked up a pass from Miley, but got the ball caught between his legs somewhat and was robbed of a chance to shoot by an aggressive challenge from skipper Sam Griffiths

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With seven minutes of the first half remaining, the men in red got their noses in front with the game's opening goal of the afternoon; Demetri Brown's ball in was not dealt with by the hosts, who made a real hash of clearing their lines and allowed the ball to drop to Morley, who drove a fine half-volley beyond the reach of Thompson from fifteen yards to give his side the crucial advantage; it was Morley's first-ever senior goal for the club across his two spells at Keys Park and a very timely one at that

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The hosts looked for an immediate response with successive corner kicks at the other end of the pitch, but Ryan Brown and his defenders looked solid and confident in dealing with the high balls into the box, something they have not done in many of the recent games

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Good approach play from Miley earned the home side a free-kick with two minutes of the first half remaining after being brought down by Wiliams. Burton assumed responsibility for the resultant kick but clipped his effort straight into the arms of Ryan Brown once more from twenty yards out

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In the final minute of the half, Verma went on a run down the centre of the pitch and tried his luck with a shot from the edge of the box that was blocked by Sephton, who took a blow in a place on his body that perhaps he didn't wish to

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It had been another glimpse at the Pitmen's improved confidence and belief that Harris appears to have brought to the club since his arrival last month, with the players looking fitter, more organised in defence and taking one of the few chances that fell their way in the first half through Morley's strike. Debutant Verma was proving a real star turn on the flank, terrorising Cooper throughout with his pace and trickery and will very quickly become a fan's favourite if he continues in this kind of form

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Bootle emerged with more purpose at the start of the second half and were camped inside the Hednesford third of the pitch for much of the first ten minutes after the restart. Ryan Brown had to be alert to deny Hodkinson on fifty-one minutes after the former Marine midfielder had made a run at the Hednesford defence and driven in an angled shot at goal from the right-hand corner of the penalty area, forcing the goalkeeper into a one-handed save before he did enough to put the incoming Peterson off with a follow-up save from close-range

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Three minutes later, Burton went agonisingly close to levelling matters once more as Hilton's run and cross picked the on-loan youngster out, only for his flicked header across goal to drop the wrong side of the post

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There were muted calls for a penalty kick from the home supporters on fifty-five minutes as Kelly challenged Hodkinson just inside the Pitmen's penalty area, with the Bootle man going down in the process. Referee Mr Daniels gestured to the midfielder to get back to his feet and Kelly completed the clearance

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Recent signing Callum Niven was handed his first chance to impress for the Pitmen sixty seconds later as the former Burton Albion striker came on up front in place of the tiring Demetri Brown

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Ryan Brown was once again proving his worth to the Pitmen, making another fine save just after the hour mark to claim a bouncing ball across his box from the lively Hodkinson after he had broken clear down the right wing and looked to pick out the unmarked Peterson in the six-yard box

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Holdkinson turned provider for Miley midway through the second half as he got to the right-hand byeline and pulled the ball back into the path of the incoming Jack Lenehen, only for a timely block from Griffiths to deny the former Chorley midfielder a sight at goal

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The Pitmen were proving a tough nut to crack for the hosts despite the pressure, defending resolutely and looking to catch them on the counter-attack through Morley and Verma at every opportunity. One such break on sixty-seven minutes saw Verma make a run down the left and switch the play to Morley, only for the youngster's final touch to let him down as he entered the penalty area and allowed Tony Thompson to claim the ball

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At the other end, Ryan Brown made another superb stop to deny Bootle on seventy minutes, making a brilliant one-handed save to deny Burton after his corner kick was returned to him and he was allowed to cut inside by Kelly before drilling in a low angled drive that the stopper pushed away with his right hand

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Morley did force Thompson into a save on the counter-attack seeing his low shot from just inside the box pushed away by the stopper down to his right after good approach play from McQuilkin and Verma to set him up

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Verma should have marked his debut with a goal on seventy-three minutes as he danced past Cooper once more and cut across the ball with an angled drive from the corner of the box that flew inches over the crossbar with Tony Thompson struggling to get anywhere near the ball

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The Pitmen grabbed that all-important second goal to give themselves breathing space on seventy-seven minutes, with Morley on the mark once more for the men in red; an incisive through ball from McQuilklin found Morley in space, with the youngster chipping the ball over the onrushing Thompson and into the net to make it 2-0

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Before the game could restart, Bootle made what was to be their only change of the afternoon at right-back as Cooper was replaced by former Wigan Athletic youngster Arthur Lomax

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The game wasn't over just yet, however, as Bootle reduced the deficit on eighty-one minutes through Burton. Hodkinson was the provider as he made a run down the right before playing the ball into the path of the striker, who coolly slotted the ball past Ryan Brown from sixteen yards out. Game on once more

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Burton went looking for a free-kick from Mr Daniels on eighty-four minutes as he made a run across the face of the penalty area before being taken down by Joe Thompson's challenge. Despite the pleas of the player and the home fans, the game continued

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A minute later, Bootle switched play from right to left through Holdkinson and Burton before setting up Lenehen, who was leaning back and lifted his twenty-five yards effort high over the crossbar

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Substitute Lomax made a mazy run into the box from the right-hand side on eighty-six minutes but cut across the ball with his shot and skewed his effort from twelve yards out well, well wide of the post in the process

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On eighty-nine minutes, Ryan Brown was on his toes to deny Burton as the striker's low free-kick from the left looked to be sneaking in at the near post, forcing Brown into a smothering save down low to push the ball away

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Morley put all nagging doubts aside in the final minute of the game as he secured his first-ever senior hat-trick and all three points for the Pitmen with a well-struck effort from the edge of the penalty area, firing low past Tony Thompson to his right-hand side after Thorley, Verma and Niven had all played their part in working the ball across the pitch from left to right and into the feet of the youngster, sparking wild celebrations amongst both supporters and officials alike

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A superb win for the Pitmen and one that had been richly deserved over the ninety minutes after a fine team display; Morley and Verma received the plaudits from the travelling support after a dazzling show from the wingers to set the away side on their way. Three crucial points lift Harris's men up to within striking distance of Trafford, 1874 Northwich and Nantwich Town, albeit having played at least a game more than everyone directly above them in the table. However, the tough run of games continues for Hednesford next week as fifth-placed Clitheroe make their first-ever trip to Keys Park looking to arrest their recent downturn in form that has seen the former league leaders lose their last two games. For the Pitmen, this represents a chance to build on today's excellent result and perhaps finally chalk up that first home win of the season in the process

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Bootle: T. Thompson, Cooper (Lomax 77), Smith, Hughes, Sephton, Miley, Hilton, Lenehan, Peterson, Burton, Hodkinson      Subs Unused: Carney, Bentley, Buxton, Flight

 

Hednesford Town: R. Brown, Yeomans (Williams 16), Kelly, Thorley, Griffiths ©, Endall, Verma ▆, McQuilkin, D. Brown (Niven 56), J. Thompson, Morley     Subs Unused: Spiers, May, Gwilt