A late, late show from Marvin Robinson rescued a point for the Pitmen this afternoon after Rob Smith's side struggled to break down a stubborn, well-drilled ten men of Guiseley at Keys Park

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Following Tuesday night's narrow win over basement club Hyde, manager Smith made only one change to his starting line-up as Francino Francis was passed fit to return to the side. Paul McCone dropped to the bench, with Ben Bailey also making the substitute's list after missing the Hyde game

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Guiseley started the season as many people's favourites for the Vanarama Conference North title, with Mark Bower having built a strong, experienced outfit that went within ninety minutes of promotion last term but lost in the play-off final to Altrincham. Veteran goalkeeper Steve Dickinson, who played once for the Pitmen back in 2012-2013 was named amongst the Guiseley substitutes in the only player link between the two sides

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Striker Danny Glover went close to adding to his season's tally in the very first minute of the game, as his lobbed effort almost caught Guiseley keeper Steve Drench out. The highly-rated stopper did enough, however, to get back and turn Glover's shot over the crossbar

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Guiseley's response came on eight minutes, as Ryan Toulson's free-kick was headed narrowly wide of goal by Josh Wilson

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On thirteen minutes, a quick free-kick from Adam Boyes nearly caught out the Hednesford defence, with Gavin Rothery firing wide after being teed up by the striker

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Three minutes later, a flick on by Glover found striker partner Tom Peers, who got in behind the Guiseley defence but failed to test Drench with a scuffed shot into the ground

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Glover took a Wilson free-kick full in the face as he defended resolutely for the Pitmen, deflecting the ball away from goal for a Guiseley corner kick

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James Hurst's return to action has seen him impress many at the club with his accurate passing and dangerous crosses from the right, with one such ball in on twenty-two minutes finding Peers at the far post. The youngster tried his luck with an acrobatic effort from eight yards out but cleared the crossbar with a miscued shot

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Glover tried his luck from a free kick on twenty-six minutes after Jamey Osborne had been bundled to the floor just outside the penalty area. His effort was one target, but a nick off the Guiseley wall turned it behind for a corner kick

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An inch-perfect free-kick from Kris Taylor on thirty-one minutes saw the midfielder find his former Walsall team-mate Chris Westwood. The veteran centre back met the ball at the far post and headed over the crossbar, but could have left the ball to Glover, who was in a far better position to head home after making a run into the back post

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The Pitmen had had much the better of the chances in the opening period as the game approached half time, with Hurst trying his luck from fully twenty-five yards out but clearing the crossbar with a stinging effort

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Westwood came off worst for the Pitmen on thirty-eight minutes as he defended a Guiseley corner, eventually succumbing to injury and limping off. Bailey came on in his place, linking up with long-term defensive partner Francis once more

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Another excellent cross from Hurst on forty-two minutes was headed over the crossbar by Osborne, under pressure from Danny Ellis as he rose at the far post to meet the out-swinging cross

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The second half started with a real bang, as Guiseley were reduced to ten men two minutes after the restart; Peers was put clean through on goal by Osborne, with Ellis resorting to pulling the youngster back right on the edge of the penalty area as he ran past him. The referee was left with little option but to show the centre back a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity for Peers, despite half-hearted protests from the Guiseley players

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Guiseley made a swift tactical substitution to counter the loss of Ellis, taking off striker Wilson and bringing on club captain Andy Holdsworth in midfield

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Another speculative effort from Hurst on sixty-two minutes cleared Drench's crossbar, as the Pitmen struggled to break down the two banks of four that Guiseley had put in front of them since the Ellis red card. The visitors were now playing the Pitmen on the break, with Boyes playing as a lone striker to keep Bailey and Francis on their toes

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With his side struggling to find the gaps in the watertight Guiseley side, Smith made a tactical substitution of his own on sixty-seven minutes, taking off the tireless Peers and bringing on the muscle and power of big Marvin Robinson

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With frustration building on the pitch and the terraces with the Pitmen's lack of bite up front, Guiseley took full advantage by snatching an unlikely lead on seventy-three minutes;  a loose ball in the Hednesford penalty area fell at the feet of Boyes, who lashed a first time shot beyond the reach of Crane and into the top corner of the net

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The Pitmen went oh-so-close to an immediate response sixty seconds later, as Melbourne picked up the ball on the right-hand edge of the penalty area and fired the ball back across the face of goal. Despite Drench narrowing the angle, Melbourne's effort missed the target by a matter of inches

Melbourne's game ended two minutes later, as Paul Sullivan was brought on to add more creativity to the forward line as the game entered the final fifteen minutes

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The Guiseley defence was, however, standing firm in the face of the growing Hednesford pressure, with giant centre back Jake Lawlor having a fine game for the away side by heading away from several crosses

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Substitute Bailey fired over the crossbar from Taylor's corner as the game entered the final minutes, with the Pitmen seemingly running out of ideas as they tried to rescue a point

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However, Robinson has proved time and again in two spells at Keys Park that he is the man for the big occasion, turning up with timely strikes that have made him a fan's favourite over the years. deep into added time, the big man did it once more, as a scramble in the Guiseley six-yard box saw Robinson steady himself after bringing the ball under control before firing under Drench and a number of Guiseley players on the goal line to equalise for the Pitmen

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No doubt then, that this was a point earned rather than two lost, as the Pitmen huffed and puffed their way through a tepid second-half display and will be pleased with having rescued anything from a game that looked to have got away from them. Guiseley have the qualities to claim the league title on this showing, with the Pitmen still looking to get their season into gear with a run of consistent form. It gets no easier for Smith's troops as they travel to newly-promoted Chorley next weekend, with Gary Flitcroft's side currently following the Pitmen's trajectory from last term and enjoying an excellent start to life at step two level

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Hurst, Campion ©, Francis, Westwood (Bailey 38), Taylor, Osborne, Melbourne (Sullivan 77), Glover, Peers (Robinson 69), Thorley       Subs Unused: McCone, Ashmore

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Guiseley: Drench, Toulson, Parker, Lowe, Ellis ▆ (47), Lawlor, Brooksby, Boshell, Boyes, Wilson (Holdsworth 52), Rothery       Subs Unused: Forrest, Stockdill, Johnson, Dickinson