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Jay Denny

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Buxton (A) 12.11.11

There will be no cup run for the Pitmen this season, as Rob Smith's side fail to find a way through a stubborn Matlock side in tonight's F.A. Trophy replay at Causeway Lane

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Having drawn a blank for the first time this season in the first tie at Keys Park, Smith took the opportunity to bring in the creative talents of Jamey Osborne, available again after suspension and injury. Gary Hay was ruled out due to work commitments, so Nick Wellecomme came back into the side alongside Marvin Robinson in a powerful-looking forward line

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Top scorer Chris Clements tried his luck early on with a long-range free-kick, floating in a ball that Matlock stopper Jon Kennedy watched just over the crossbar. Matlock responded with a chance for Steve Warne, who had his effort smothered by Dan Crane after Liam King had laid the ball into his path

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Both sides enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening quarter but failed to turn it into any real chances as neither keeper was tested. The game came alive in the eighteenth minute, as the Pitmen stole into the lead. Elliott Durrell, enjoying a run in the side after his injury nightmare last term, threaded a superb ball into the path of Robinson, who fired past Kennedy from six yards out

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However, the lead lasted little more than a minute, as Matlock struck back with their next attack. The Pitmen conceded a free-kick out on the left, allowing Chris Bettney to find James Lukic in the box. His header down found Ian Holmes, who saw off the attentions of Pedro Monteiro to square the ball back to skipper Lukic, who fired home to equalise

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Clements was wasteful with a free-kick two minutes later, winning the kick twenty-five yards out but firing wide after his initial shot came back to him off the wall

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Robinson was offering his usual threat up front for the Pitmen, giving the Matlock defence a rough time with his power. On thirty minutes, he slipped the ball into the net following a short corner, but the referee pulled the big striker up for handball in the build-up and disallowed the goal

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Durrell was lucky only to incur a yellow card for a cynical challenge on thirty-eight minutes, bringing down Gareth Davies in a tackle that has earned a red card in other circumstances

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A poor couple of minutes for the Pitmen got worse on forty minutes when Robinson went chasing after a ball and pulled up holding his thigh. He was immediately replaced by Mark Danks

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The change affected Hednesford's shape, as they offered less of a threat without the physical Robinson up front. In the final minute of the half, they were made to pay as Matlock took the lead for the first time in the tie. Bettney got the better of Monteiro before crossing for Holmes, who had to the simple task of heading past Crane from close range

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The Pitmen emerged with purpose in the second half and pushed Matlock onto the back foot in the early stages. Clements found a gap on forty-seven minutes, firing in a low shot that Kennedy easily fielded

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Wellecomme went even closer to equalising two minutes later, getting the better of Adam Yates as he raced onto the ball but striking the crossbar with his rising shot from the edge of the area

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The Pitmen continued to dominate the early stages, and Durrell was next to test Matlock's resolve with a deflected shot that clipped the crossbar on fifty-two minutes

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Matlock finally managed to escape the constant Hednesford pressure with a chance for King on fifty-eight minutes, heading straight at Crane after getting on the end of Bettney's cross

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Durrell wasted a good opportunity to grab his first goal of the campaign on sixty-two minutes, skying his shot after the ever-dependable Jay Denny had found him with a through ball

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Substitute Danks almost got on the end of a flowing move involving four players on sixty-six minutes, but was denied a tap-in from Osbourne's cross by a brilliant last-ditch clearance from man of the match Lukic

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Hednesford were finding it difficult to create genuine openings as the game entered the final twenty minutes, with Matlock looking to shut up shop by switching to a 4-5-1 formation. Campion's marauding run down the left saw him drive the ball back across goal, only just missing the onrushing Kyle Haynes at the far post

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Matlock were still creating chances of their own going forward; Ben Algar made a run down the left wing before crossing towards Holmes, who just failed to connect with the ball under pressure from Monteiro

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Crane was called into action with ten minutes remaining, saving low down to deny Kris Bowler - sent off for diving on Saturday - in a one-on-one chase

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And that, unfortunately, was pretty much that, as the final minutes saw the game fizzle out as a contest. The Pitmen failed to create a single chance against the well-drilled, organised Matlock defence, with Matlock's attacking players pulled back to defend their lead also. Another Trophy journey ends, and leaves the Pitmen looking to continue their fine league form as they push for promotion to Blue Square Bet North, the ultimate goal for Smith, Larry Chambers and the players. It's a swift return to these parts for the club on Saturday as they make the trip to Matlock's great rivals Buxton, currently occupying a lower-mid-table position in the Evo-Stik Premier League table

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Haynes, Campion ©, Monteiro, Dunkley, Denny, Osborne, Clements, Robinson (Danks 40), Wellecomme, Durrell ▆       Subs Unused: Gomes, Bailey, Shaw, Jevons

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Matlock Town: Kennedy, Harcourt, Radford, King, Yates (Bowler 79), Lukic ©, Bettney (Nightingale 76), Warne, Holmes, Davies, Algar.     Subs Unused: Joynes, Witcombe, Buxton

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