The Pitmen found the perfect response to Saturday's narrow defeat to league leaders Buxton tonight, as they blitzed struggling Sutton Coldfield Town in a five-goal display - and it could have been more, but for several missed opportunities in the second half

Despite defeat on Saturday, Hednesford manager Liam McDonald resisted the temptation to make major changes to his side, bringing in right-back Lewis Wright for Michael Williams in the only change to the starting XI as his side went in search of a swift response to the Buxton defeat

Sutton Coldfield started the evening's proceedings second bottom of the Evo-Stik Premier League table, with Neil Tooth's side struggling for form and consistency this term. Defeat at Whitby Town at the weekend saw Tooth make two changes his side of tonight's game, with Lee Smith coming in for Steven Palmer and former Hednesford defender Francino Francis coming in for Danny O'Callaghan. Another familiar face for the travelling Hednesford fans in the Royals line-up was Scott Lycett, with the former Leek man lining up in the midfield

A crisp, clear evening on the 3G pitch at Coles Lane started slowly, with the Pitmen spending the first ten minutes getting to grips with the artificial surface. Sutton, to their credit, started well, forcing a clutch of corners and free-kicks that were well dealt with by Calum Flanagan and Jimmy Mutton

 

In the eleventh minute of the game, Hednesford-based Jordan Nadat drilled a low shot well wide of goal after the diminutive former Alvechurch man had received the ball from ex-Stafford man Stuart McNaught

It took until seventeen minutes for the Pitmen to register a shot in anger, as Danny Glover fired in a long-range shot that was easily saved by James Wren in the Sutton goal

This was the trigger for the Pitmen to take control of the game, as they took the lead with the next attack. A delightful through ball from Glover played Simeon Maye in behind the Sutton defence, with the midfielder nipping in to prod the ball past Wren and into the net via a deflection off the post

It got even better for the Pitmen two minutes later, as Glover grabbed his fifth goal of the season; seizing on the ball just inside the penalty area, the striker controlled the ball well before firing past Wren with a cross-shot

Sutton were not beaten just yet though and came back at the Pitmen with a great run from Nadat on twenty-three minutes, who fired at Crane after getting in behind the Hednesford defence to latch onto a slide-rule ball from Steven Leslie

Nadat was again in action a couple of moments later, firing narrowly over the crossbar as Crane put him under pressure at his near post to force the striker into a rushed effort from an angle

The in-form George Carline went close to adding to his season's tally just after the half-hour mark, heading Cohen Bramall's cross wide of goal rather than test Wren from close range with an uncharacteristic miss with his head

Another good, deep cross from Bramall on thirty-eight minutes found the head of Glover, who stretched to reach a high ball and cleared the crossbar with his off-target effort

Bramall tried to get in on the goalscoring act for the dominant visitors on forty minutes, firing just over the crossbar with a rising shot from long range after he had scampered onto a Tom Thorley pass down the left-wing

The first half ended with Hednesford awarded a late penalty as Gurjit Singh's mazy run was halted just inside the penalty area by Francis as he shaped to shoot. Glover stepped up to fire confidently past Wren for his second goal of the evening and Hednesford's third to put the away side in total control at the break

The Pitmen's dominance continued at the start of the second half, with Carline finally getting the goal his efforts deserved just six minutes after the restart. A corner kick from skipper Thorley was headed firmly home by Carline, going level with Glover on six goals for the season in the process with a thumping close-range effort beyond the reach of Wren

Another Thorley corner almost led to a fifth goal on fifty-eight minutes, as his ball into the box was headed wide by Mutton at the far post with the burly centre-back nodding into the Hednesford fans behind the goal

Ashley Sammons was given a chance to add his talents to the game on fifty-nine minutes, coming on in place of the unusually quiet Joel Logan to play as an inside forward down the right-hand side of the Sutton penalty area

Crane had had very little to do in the game but was on the spot once again on the hour mark to deny Nadat with another smart save to his right to push the striker's low shot away from the goal for a Sutton corner kick

 Tristian Dunkley was given more valuable minutes in his return from injury as he came on in place of Glover on sixty-nine minutes, thus denying the former Port Vale man a chance to complete his hat-trick

Sammons wasted a good opening presented to him by Wright on seventy minutes, scuffing a shot wide from twelve yards out after the full-back had crossed well from the right-wing

The Pitmen were awarded another penalty kick on seventy-three minutes as Carline was fouled by Smith as he made his way into the penalty area. With regular penalty taker Glover no longer on the pitch, Singh stepped up to send Wren the wrong way from twelve yards out and also register his sixth goal of the season

The excellent Carline was given a well-deserved rest by McDonald with fourteen minutes remaining, bringing on forward man Jamie Matthews in his place to warm applause from the visiting supporters

Matthews wasted a superb chance to put a sixth goal past Sutton, but fluffed his lines and bundled a simple chance wide of goal after being found unmarked at the far post by Bramall's low cross. A poor miss indeed when it looked easier to score for the substitute

Crane maintained his clean sheet with a good save in the final minute of normal time to deny the out-of-luck Nadat, pushing the striker's goalbound effort away from goal before Flanagan completed the clearance

The Pitmen move back into fourth place off the back of tonight's fine result and who travel to Dales Lane to face fellow high-flyers Rushall Olympic in fine form at the weekend looking to climb the table further with another win over their local rivals. It had been the first time this season that the Pitmen's forward line had clicked throughout ninety minutes after threatening to do so for several games this term. McDonald will be pleased with the ruthlessness of his team up top and will be looking for more from his exciting side at the weekend

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Sutton Coldfield Town: Wren ©, Green, Delany, l. Smith, Francis (O'Callahan 59), Lycett (Gueyes 59), Beresford, McNaught (Nicholls 59), Keen, Nadat, Leslie       Subs Unused: Palmer, D. Smith

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Hednesford Town: Crane, Wright, Bramall, Maye, Mutton, Flanagan, Logan (Sammons 59), Thorley ©, Glover (Dunkley 69), Singh, Carline (Matthews 76)       Subs Unused: Ransome, Williams

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