Fleetwood Town FC 2 Hednesford Town FC 1

Saturday August 25th 2007 UniBond League Premier Division

Crowd 642

Goals: FTFC – Phil Denney (63mins), Andy Bell (69mins) HTFC – Peter Knox (35mins)

Fleetwood Town fought back from a half time deficit to inflict retribution on a side that had defeated them twice in a gloomy seven day period last season. The opening half proved to be a scrappy, muddling affair, with both sides conceding possession frequently. Typically, the crucial incident of a lack lustre first 45 minutes led to as sloppy a goal as Fleetwood will concede all season. Shaun Gray sliced a clearance for a throw in at least 20 yards deeper than should have been the case. From the resulting throw, the otherwise admirable Phil Robinson immediately regained possession, only to then put Gray under needless pressure with a misplaced pass towards his own penalty area. Instead of hoofing the ball to safety, Gray attempted firstly to play his way out of trouble before hitting a panicky clearance straight to Hednesford striker Peter Knox who after playing a devastating one-two with a team-mate coolly slid in a precise shot past the advancing Danny Hurst.

Martin Moran was fortunate not to see red following a cynical foul on the edge of the box as the ever dangerous Knox attempted to complete a surging run on goal. Moran’s afternoon soon deteriorated further when a clash of heads resulted in him leaving the field with concussion, so allowing Jonathan Smith a league debut for Fleetwood.

The second half was a vast improvement with Fleetwood in almost total command. The threatened equalizer soon arrived and after a brilliant piece of skill wide on the left by the previously anonymous Richard Allen, Phil Denny gleefully converted Allen’s delightful far post cross from close range. There was no stopping Allen now and his mazy runs on the left flank were beginning to wreak havoc on the formerly solid Hednesford defence. Andy Bell was in irresistible form up front against his ex team but old friendships were forgotten when last seasons top goal-scorer displayed a new found aggression and caught the onrushing Hednesford Rene Gilmartin with a committed, no holds barred challenge after the visitors goalkeeper had clutched the ball at Bell’s feet. After a lengthy delay, Gilmartin continued but there was no denying the hungry Bell who ran on to a defence splitting pass from inside his own half by Ciaran Donnelly before rounding a prostrate Gilmartin and firing in a shot from an acute angle.

Bell was a deserved man of the match, but fine performances too from Denney, Robinson, Smith, skipper Jerome Fitzgerald and a rejuvenated Allen.

Fleetwood Town Team: Danny Hurst, Guy Heffernan, Jez Fitzgerald, Martin Moran [Johnathan Smith], Shaun Gray, Ciaran Donnelly, Michael Brown [Kieran Walmsley], Phil Robinson [Alex Taylor], Phil Denney, Andy Bell, Richie Allen

Hednesford Town Team: Rene Gilmartin, Keenen Meakin-Richards, Ross Adams, Tom Ward, Tom Marshall, Paul Robinson, Ross Dyer, Dave Macpherson, Peter Knox, Dominic Heath, Simon Forsdick, Gordon Simms, Danny Blair, Christopher Adam