Hednesford marched into round three of this season's F.A. Trophy with a mixed display against Blue Square South play-off hopefuls Welling United this evening

 

Manager Dean Edwards was forced into two changes to the team that last played way back on Boxing Day at Worksop, with Ross Draper missing due to suspension and Rapinder Gill unavailable having played in a previous round for Bromsgrove Rovers. Mark Briggs and Curtis Ujah came in as their replacements for tonight's game - the Pitmen's first of 2009 after their New Years Day clash at home to Ilkeston Town was postponed due to a frozen pitch

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Welling are enjoying a good season in the upper echelons of the Blue Square South and on paper, this seemed a tougher draw than that of struggling Blue Square North outfit Hyde United that the Pitmen faced two rounds ago. The Wings - former Conference opponents for the Pitmen in the 1990s - had beaten local rivals Bromley 3-1 twice over the festive period to lift them into the final play-off place ahead. Manager Andy Ford made two changes to his side for tonight's re-arranged game as Ryan Johnson and Orlando Smith replaced Sonny Cobbs and Moses Ademola

 

The Wings started well, with Charlie Sheringham testing the Pitmen's resolve on eight minutes with a header that glanced off the bar from a left-wing cross

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The Pitmen were stung into action after this early warning sign, and within a minute they got their noses in front. Stuart Brock's long ball over the top caught the Welling defence ball-watching, allowing the in-form Elliott Durrell to collect the bouncing ball, before hammering the ball past a bemused Clark Masters in the Welling goal from fully twenty-five yards -  a typical Durrell strike, and his sixth goal in just three games

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It got even better for the home side, as they proceeded to take Welling apart in a truly memorable first-half display. Just over ten minutes later, and the pressure told once again. An intricate move from midfield culminated in Tyrone Barnett laying the ball into the path of Durrell, who fired high into the net from close range to give the Pitmen a two-goal advantage

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And if that wasn't enough, nine minutes later Durrell completed a fine hat-trick to put the hosts clear of their bewildered higher league opponents. Wings defender Johnson was chased down by Durrell as he attempted to clear the ball, but only succeeded in hitting the ball at Durrell, who took the ball into the area and fired confidently past Masters to give the Pitmen a quite unbelievable score-line after half an hour

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And still there was more! The Hednesford supporters who had braved the cold conditions were given a fourth goal to cheer twelve minutes before half time; this time Durrell turned provider, picking up another long ball that the Welling defence failed to deal with, before playing the ball to Barnett, who swept the ball home for goal nineteen already this term. At this point, a trip to Forest Green Rovers was already being booked by many in the ground

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However, you should never 'count your chickens' against a side further up the pyramid, and although Welling had barely had a sniff up to this point,  you always felt there was enough quality within their ranks to sneak a goal or two. Indeed, Sheringham did reduce arrears just before the break, firing an unstoppable free-kick past Brock from twenty-three yards out

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Despite the cushion of a three-goal advantage, the Pitmen sat back and allowed the visitors to come at them in the second half. With Sheringham a constant threat to the Pitmen's defence with his movement, there was a feeling that the goalscoring was far from over

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After Sheringham had fired wide of goal on fifty-three minutes, the Wings grabbed a second goal four minutes later. Sheringham, perhaps predictably, was involved, heading a right-wing cross towards goal, but found Brock in fine form, making a great save. Unfortunately for the Hednesford stopper, his parry fell straight to Welling defender Sanchez Ming, who had the simple task of rolling the ball over the line from a few yards out

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The away side had their tails up, and on numerous occasions threatened the Hednesford goal. Danny Harvey made two crucial interceptions mid-way through the second half to deny Welling a clear run on goal, and Ujah made two towering headers to deal with threatening balls into the area as the Wings searched for a third goal

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Eventually, the pressure told, just as Hednesford's had done in the first half. A corner from the left was swept into the six-yard box, with Sheringham the last man to touch the ball over the line in a scrap to get to the bouncing ball

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This set up a nervy final few minutes, with Hednesford hanging on to their now-fragile lead and Welling looking for a way to equalise and take the game back to Kent. However, defenders Harvey, Ujah and Tom Marshall stood strong, repelling all of the away side's late pressure to clinch a trip to the New Lawn at the end of the month and a tie against Blue Square Premier side Forest Green

 

A return to league action on Saturday sees the Pitmen hosting Frickley Athletic, looking to complete a league double over the Blues and consolidate their position at the top of the UniBond Premier League table

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Hednesford Town: Brock, Platt, Maguire (Burley 83), Ujah, Harvey, Marshall, Sheppard ©, Durrell, Barnett, Dyer, Briggs       Subs Unused: Hall, Musafiri, Harbutt

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Welling United: Masters, Protheroe (Delano Smith 83), Johnson, Quinn, Andrews (McEntegart 45), Sinclair, Ming, Blackburn, O. Smith, Sheringham, Fazackerley      Subs Unused: Dorian Smith, Stevens, Morgan

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