Shifnal Town force FA Cup replay against Hednesford Town
HEDNESFORD Town face a replay against lower-ranked Shifnal having lived dangerously in this stalemate.
Kory Roberts walloped the bar early on for the Pitmen who had more power and play without creating much else but the hosts stayed strong and created the better opportunities, hitting the bar themselves five minutes from the end.
Sion Spence’s corner swirled into the heart of the box where Roberts crashed a close-range header against the woodwork and while Hednesford continued to edge territory and possession, there was a lack of conviction, their efforts summed up when Manny Duku nodded back across goal for Jack Bearne to slip at the vital moment.
Shifnal showed resilience and went within a killer touch of taking the lead in the 32nd minute, Joe Thomas recycling a half-cleared ball to the back post for Kevin Monteiro to glance wide having got the right side of Roberts.
Substitute Omar Holness squared for Duku to clear the bar from the edge of the box early in the second half but Monteiro had another great chance to fire Shifnal in front, Thomas sliding into his run but keeper Jack Rose raced out at his feet and smothered his prodded effort.
Dom McHale flashed wide with a fierce 25-yard strike on the move and Bearne miscued a volley at the far post when a corner dropped to him through the crowd but Hednesford had a lucky escape when ex-Brighton, Norwich and Shrewsbury playmaker Elliott Bennett’s dipping arced effort came back off the face of the bar late on with substitute Tom Hill just unable to sort out his feet to find a gaping net on the rebound.
Hednesford (4-1-2-1-2): Rose; Rowe (Holness, 49), Roberts, Johnson, Taylor; Maye; Bearne, Spence; McHale (Alamu-Tajudeen, 90); Stevenson (Jervis, 62), Duku.
Unused subs: Trickett-Smith, Brown, Endall, Gwilt.
