Brackley Town 0-1 Hednesford Town 

Tim Carroll

Having trounced table-topping Farnborough 4-0 in midweek, a powerful Hednesford Town side arrived at St James Park full of confidence borne of a fine defensive record having conceded just one goal in four games.  But the story of this dour, tight game was painfully simple as the visitors snatched victory with a late winner.  On a raw but bright afternoon Hednesford were well marshalled, strong and committed and for all of Brackley’s endeavour and energy they could find neither a way through on goal nor the clean sheet to secure a point.

The afternoon had begun in sombre mood as St James Park remembered longstanding supporter Bill Haynes who passed away this week and Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander who died suddenly in the week aged 53.  Brackley players wore black armbands as a mark of respect.

Hednesford fielded an unchanged eleven and Brackley were able to select goalkeeper Ryan Harrison following a late fitness test, the combative Kearns continuing in midfield paired with Magunda.  The few early chances there were to speak of fell to the visitors as on 9 minutes when Tyrone Barnett headed wide from a difficult angle following a corner and when the always lively Elliott Durrell, hat-trick hero from midweek, shot over on 20 minutes.  Brackley’s only threat came from Ben Mackey’s fine header from Tom Winters’ free-kick that flashed just over and Josh Green’s header that fell wide on 39 minutes direct from Winters’ superb corner kick.

And so an even, well contested but largely uninspiring and uneventful first half ended goalless.  In the closing moments of the half Mark Rawle sustained an ankle injury requiring lengthy treatment and, although he appeared for the second half, within minutes it was clear that he could not play on and he limped off to be replaced by wide-man Ollie Burgess.  As the second period progressed Brackley slowly gained the upper hand, pegging the visitors back and creating half chances.  Most notably on 69 minutes Owen Story’s battling play in midfield worked the ball to Tom Winters who ran on but shot just wide and with just ten minutes remaining fine interplay between Story and Burgess brought a shot from Burgess that goalkeeper Brock pawed gratefully away to retain parity.

With 85 minutes played Hednesford created a first threat of the half as a fierce drive by Josh Craddock hit his own team-mate Zak Martin and cannoned wide of the Brackley goal in a let-off for the home side.  A minute later and Hednesford had the lead as highly rated Ross Dyer, on as a second half substitute for Dorryl Proffitt, collected a through ball, shrugged off the challenge of the final defender Josh Green and netted in fine fashion.

There was no way back for a dejected Brackley who deserved something from the game for a battling second half performance when Mackey, Winters, Story and Burgess in particular held the ball well and began to apply some pressure on the visitors’ goal but without finding the net.  Unable to conjure that killer moment, The Saints themselves fell victim to a sucker punch of a fine counter-attacking winning goal that served to emphasise the strength and power of this athletic and transformed Hednesford Town team.  Humbled 4-1 in the August home game against Brackley when the speed and sharp finishing of Winters, Rawle and now departed Anderson had exposed them so cruelly, Hednesford may yet mount a serious challenge for the play-off places.

As this game reminds us all, take nothing for granted, not in life and certainly not in football.  With twelve games remaining there will be many twists and turns to come before we reach the season’s final denouement.  As Jon Brady will remind his men, our best endeavours cannot come off every time and most important of all, as every Brackley Town supporter will know, you have to be in it to win it – and this season Brackley Town is very much in it, in the mix at the sharp end of the season, in it to relish the challenge, to get knocked down but come back fighting.

“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career.  I have lost almost 300 games.  On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot …. and missed.  And I have failed over and over and over again in my life.  And that is why …. I succeed.”  (Michael Jordan).

Next up are games at Bashley (Tuesday 7.45pm) and at home versus Nuneaton (Saturday 3pm).

 

Brackley Town:
Harrison, Travis, Gould, Kearns (Joyce 86), Willmott, Green, Story, Magunda, Rawle (O Burgess 48), Mackey, Winters.
Subs unused: Morris, Langdon, C Burgess.

Hednesford Town:
Brock, Platt, Martin, Bailey, Francis, Gomes, Durrell, Craddock, Barnett, Proffitt (Dyer 51), Dunckley.
Subs unused: Chapman, Flynn.