The Pitmen's season is very quickly descending into a major crisis as Danny Glover's side suffered an eighth defeat in ten games to leave them adrift at the foot of the Northern Premier League West table after losing to fellow strugglers City of Liverpool this afternoon



 

Last week's defeat at Vauxhall Motors, coupled with Trafford's draw against Runcorn Linnets in midweek, had dumped the Pitmen to the bottom of the league ahead of today's game, making this a very much 'must-win' game for the club as they looked to stay in touch with the clubs above them in the table. Glover had made more moves into the transfer market during the week, bringing popular and experienced midfielder James McQuilkin back to the club after a short spell at AFC Telford United and signing left-back Brett Lloyd from Sporting Khalsa. Both players came straight into the side for today's trip to Merseyside as they replaced Jacob Gwilt and Joe Morley respectively. Lucas Yeomans' red card last week saw him join fellow defenders Desean Martin, Michael Williams, Jack Kelly, Sam Paddock and Lewis Wright on the sidelines and was replaced by the fit-again Callam Mendez-Jones, whilst Wembanvuanda Star Mayemba came in for the departed Max Dixon as the final of the four changes



 

The Purps  - sitting just above the Pitmen in the table in eighteenth place - were unbeaten in their last two league games after their 2-2 draw against Trafford last weekend, with manager Paul McNally making three changes to his side for today's third home game in succession; Michael Simpson, Kenny Strickland and Danny Mitchley all came back into the side ahead of Anthony Miley, Ishmael Sonko and Xenon Bahula



 

Despite the substantial dumping of rain on the playing surface at Bootle's Berry Street Garage Stadium from Storm Babet, the hybrid surface had dealt well with the inclement conditions and was largely clear of standing water, with only a couple of areas in the centre of the park still affected at kick-off. Roared on by yet another superb away following, the Pitmen, the visitors looked to get on the ball early on as McQuilkin and Tom Thorley looked to get the ball forward to Glover and Mayemba. In the third minute, Lloyd's first contribution was to launch a long throw from level with the penalty area into the box, where Glover's flick-on towards Demetri Brown was cleared by former Marine man Mike Grogan

Two minutes later, the Pitmen approached the City of Liverpool penalty area down the right flank through Mendez-Jones, who took McQuilkin's pass down the flank and sent over a low cross into the penalty area that was poked away from the boot of Glover by Adam Rooney as the player/manager looked to lay the ball back to McQuilkin

The hosts - who have been tenants at Bootle's home ground since returning at the start of last season from a spell at Vauxhall Motors - felt that they should have been awarded a penalty kick with their first attack of the afternoon in the sixth minute as Jawad Jebrin made a darting run into the penalty area and went to ground under a challenge from Ritchie Sutton, only for referee Mr Roots to wave away the former Witton Albion midfielder's pleas

Ryan Brown was alert to the danger posed by the Purps in the twelfth minute as he confidently held a corner kick from the left wing that was swung into the far post by Michael Simpson, under pressure from Mitchley and Grogan

Mayemba's willingness to run down the right saw him escape the attention of Jack Hont two minutes later, taking McQuilkin's pass on as he entered the penalty area before getting the ball stuck between his legs and allowing Grogan to clear the danger

Another long throw from Lloyd - closer to the corner flag on this occasion - was launched into the City of Liverpool penalty area in the fifteenth minute, where Glover's flick was headed into the air by Sam Griffiths before a combination of Grogan and Adam Rooney managed to hack the ball clear

Despite a real lack of attacking intent from the hosts, a quick break down the right led to City of Liverpool taking the lead against the run of play in the nineteenth minute as Simpson and Josh Quarless combined to cross for the incoming Strickland, who struck a superb first-time shot from the edge of the Hednesford penalty area that was too good for Ryan Brown as he found the bottom left-hand corner of the net

 

A minute later, skipper Mitchley went close to doubling City of Liverpool's advantage as he rose highest to meet a deep Simpson cross but headed narrowly over the crossbar from eight yards out

Demetri Brown was having a good old-fashioned tussle with veteran defender Grogan throughout the first period, taking down a long Griffiths punt forwards on twenty-two minutes and holding off the 34-year-old's challenge before playing Mayemba into space down the right. Once again, the Congolese forward got his long legs tangled up as he tricked his way past Hont but ran into a cul-de-sac as Strickland picked up the bouncing ball and cleared

A minute later, McQuilkin was brought down thirty yards from goal by Max Allen, prompting an angry reaction from the returning midfielder who quizzed Mr Roots on why he failed to book the former Warrington Rylands man and earned himself a ticking off instead for dissent. The 34-year-old took the resultant free-kick but completely wasted the chance as he tamely placed the ball straight into the arms of City of Liverpool goalkeeper Calvin Hare. Another terrible set-piece to add to the countless terrible set-pieces from this season so far from the Pitmen

It was turning into another frustrating afternoon for the visitors, who yet again enjoyed plenty of possession but simply had no vision or penetration in the final third to make it count against yet another well-organised and unwieldy step four defence which was well-marshalled by Strickland and Grogan, who had a previous defensive relationship from their time at Marine together. A corner kick from McQuilkin on twenty-seven minutes was swung into the near post, where Glover's flick-on was smothered by Grogan before Hont completed the clearance ahead of Mayemba

Mendez-Jones's low cross into the box from the right on the half-hour was aimed at the boot of Demetri Brown, only for Grogan once more to do the mopping up at his near post. The Pitmen recycled the ball well through Thorley and Mendez-Jones, only for his cross to drift just over the crossbar and onto the roof of Hare's net

The Pitmen's pressure finally told as they managed to force home an equaliser on thirty-three minutes through Demetri's Brown second goal in two games; after working the ball down the left through Lloyd, Glover's low shot at goal was spilt horribly by Hare, who made a horrible hash of the effort as he fumbled the player/manager's effort straight into the path of Mayemba. The youngster's rebounded effort hit the goalkeeper and looped up towards goal, allowing Brown to finally apply the final touch to turn the ball into the empty net from close range as he followed the ball in

The away side pressed with intent after the boost of their equaliser, with debutant Lloyd involved once more down the left two minutes later as he got the better of Simpson and looped a cross towards the near post from the byeline that was hacked clear by Grogan ahead of Hare

Mayemba looked to break clear of the City of Liverpool defence with seven minutes of the first half remaining as McQuilkin's beautifully weighted pass played the forward in on goal down the right, only for a tight and highly dubious offside call from the assistant on the far side to halt the former Oxford City man's progress

Ryan Brown came to the Pitmen's rescue shortly before the half-time break as he made an outstanding save to keep the game level as City of Liverpool won a free-kick twenty-five yards from goal. Quarless took the kick and curled a superb effort over the wall and towards goal, forcing the young loanee into a superb flying save to tip the ball over the crossbar for a corner kick to the hosts


The Pitmen had given as good as they had got in the first half, reacting well to going behind through Demetri Brown's equaliser and creating some decent openings throughout the first forty-five minutes, but had struggled to turn many of their decent opening openings into clear-cut chances

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It was the Pitmen's turn to appeal for a penalty kick just ninety seconds into the second half as Mayemba did well to control the bouncing ball inside the City of Liverpool penalty area, taking it towards the byeline before appearing to be clearly tripped by Grogan. Despite the youngster's appeals and a strong protest from Glover, Mr Roots again waved away the incident and allowed City of Liverpool to clear their lines

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Two minutes later, the Purps could have put the game out of sight but for the acrobatics of Ryan Brown once more as Strickland's deep corner kick from the right was met by the head of Hont, whose powerful effort was tipped over the bar by Brown as he conjured up a superb one-handed save to his right

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The game was a little more open than it had been in the first half, with both sides recognising the benefit of three points against their fellow strugglers. On fifty-four minutes, the lively Mayemba forced Hare into a superb stop as his driven shot from the edge of the penalty area had the stopper scrambling across his goal to push the shot away to his left for a Hednesford corner kick

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However, the Pitmen were once again to pay the price for not taking their chances as City of Liverpool took the lead once more through the in-form Quarless on fifty-eight minutes. Neat build-up play from the Purps opened up the Hednesford defence once more as Jebrin made another good run into the box, taking the ball past Griffiths and setting up the burly former Mossley man, who turned the ball past Ryan Brown with a low finish under the young goalkeeper's body from close range; it was Quarless's fourth goal in three games and left the Pitmen with another mountain to climb once more to get themselves back into the game

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Three minutes later, play was held up for a couple of minutes as Rooney and Mayemba challenged for a high ball just inside the City of Liverpool half and clashed heads, requiring a lengthy spell of treatment for both players

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A typically route one ball from the 'home' side on sixty-four minutes saw a long, searching ball forward from Strickland look to pick out the run of Mitchley in behind the Hednesford defence; the striker did well to hold off the attentions of Sutton as he barged his way into the penalty area but scuffed his shot on the run wide of Ryan Brown's left-hand post from ten yards out

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The second City of Liverpool goal had really affected the Pitmen's confidence, as they struggled to make any inroads into the Purps penalty area. Mayemba's hard running saw him make another run down the right on sixty-eight minutes as he outpaced Hont to a crossfield pass from Thorley, taking on the left back but overplaying a little as he tried to work the ball onto his right foot and allowed the defender to turn the ball behind for a corner kick





The visitors elected to make their first substitution of the afternoon a minute later as winger Mikey Nelson continued his return to full fitness with a twenty-plus minute run-out as he replaced the tiring Demetri Brown





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City of Liverpool looked to catch the ragged Hednesford defence out with another punt over the top on seventy-two minutes as Quarless's chip played Callum Scorah in on goal, taking the ball past Griffiths but firing wide of the post as he looked to find the far corner of the net with a shot across the face of Brown's goal

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On seventy-three minutes, Mitchley got goal side of Sutton momentarily as he raced onto a slide-rule pass from Jebrin, but lifted his first-time shot high over the crossbar from twelve yards out

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The home side's first substitution of the afternoon came on seventy-six minutes as the tricky and sprightly Jebrin was taken off and replaced by young winger Xenon Bahula

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With eleven minutes remaining and the Pitmen still chasing the game, they made their second and final change of the afternoon as the tricky Reinaldo Forbes came on in place of McQuilkin to add a little more flair to the plodding Hednesford attack





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There was a control and calmness about the home side's play as they continued to ease the Pitmen out of the game as we entered the final ten minutes. Successive McQuilkin corner kicks on the left on eighty-one minutes were dealt with by Grogan and Hare respectively as the visitors showed their familiar failings of not being aggressive or assertive enough in the final third

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With two minutes remaining and the Pitmen clearly out of ideas at this stage, City of Liverpool could afford to make a late change as skipper Mitchley was replaced by the hugely experienced former Lancaster City midfielder Simon Wills

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Defeat here leaves the Pitmen staring down the barrel once more, much like they were at this point last term as the gap to safety continues to grow. Having played at least two games more than all of those around them and with an incredibly tough-looking run of fixtures, it's difficult to see where things are likely to improve. Glover's position as manager is looking increasingly untenable as he struggles to get the results and performance levels from some of his more experienced players that will be required to lift them away from the drop zone. Next week sees in-form Stalybridge Celtic visit Keys Park, kicking off a nightmarish-looking run of games that sees the Pitmen play five of the current top six through October and November

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City of Liverpool: Hare, Simpson, Hont, Rooney ▆, Grogan, Strickland, Scorah, Allen, Mitchley © (Wills 88), Quarless, Jebrin (Bahula 76)       Subs Unused: Sonko, Cannon-Noren, Jones

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Hednesford Town: R. Brown, Mendez-Jones, Lloyd, Thorley, Sutton, Griffiths ©, McQuilkin (Forbes 79), Thompson, Glover, D. Brown (Nelson 69), Mayemba      Subs Unused: Abbey, Gwilt, Richards

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