Barnett Hits Hat Trick To Sink Poor Clevedon

Tyrone Barnett continued his top draw performances of late with a superb hat-trick to sink relegation threatened Clevedon and send The Pitmen supporters back up the M5 daring to dream of a late play-off surge.

Bernard McNally’s men built on their Red Insure Cup quarter final win over high flying Nuneaton last Tuesday and Hednesford now sit nine points off fifth place Cambridge City with a game in hand. A run of fixtures in March which sees The Pitmen face the majority of teams above them means that should they put a winning run together a coveted play-off place could be a distinct possibility.

This win at a chilly Hand Stadium on a bobbly and uneven pitch tested The Pitmen sternly but yet another quality defensive performance and the confident finishing of Barnett won the three points.

Hednesford’s first opportunity came on eight minutes as Cheyenne Dunkley stole the ball in midfield and Barnett set up Josh Craddock to thump the ball against the brave Gary Colbourne.

Clevedon could have taken the lead twice in succession as on thirteen minutes Nana Baah forced Stuart Brock into an acrobatic save to tip over his header from six yards out. From the resulting corner Baah again tested Brock, this time with a near post flick which the Pitmen keeper stooped low to claw away from goal.

Elliott Durrell was put clean through by Craddock but stumbled at the wrong moment as he advanced on Danny Greaves in the Clevedon goal and poked wide on thirty four minutes. As Hednesford began to dominate the aerial battle Ross Dyer came close to improving his recent lackluster run in front of goal but Greaves made a superb save as he tipped Dyer’s header over the bar.

The deadlock was finally broken on fifty-two minutes when Sean Platt’s long throw floated into the area and Barnett attacked it with real intent and powerfully headed the ball off the crossbar and over the line. Once Hednesford scored the opening goal the day got worse for the committed home side as Chris Hartland was first oddly booked for diving and then a late tackle on Decio Gomes saw Mr Turner have no choice but to show him his second yellow card.

The Pitmen made the extra man count by keeping possession very confidently and Barnett scored his second goal on seventy-nine minutes when he skipped past Sam Main, opened his body up and curled a sumptuous shot over Greaves and into the top corner.

Baah had a goal rightly disallowed for offside two minutes later but as Clevedon tired Barnett wrapped up his outstanding performance with a cool finish after Greaves could only parry a rasping drive by Durrell.

The convincing win means Bernard McNally’s charges are now unbeaten in three in the league and travel south to the seaside once more as they face Tiverton Town away next Saturday 21^st February.

Clevedon Town

Greaves, Main, Walsh, Colbourne, Barnes, Townley, Hartnup (Adams 70), Loxton, Baah, Hartland, Cowan (Romdhane 46),

Subs Not Used

J. Evans, B. Evans,

Hednesford Town

Brock, Platt, Gibson, Bailey, Francis, Gomes, Durrell, Dunkley, Barnett (52, 79, 84), Dyer, Craddock (Proffitt 84),

Subs Not Used

Chapman, Martin, Adkins, Flynn,

Bookings

Barnes, Hartland, Romdhane, Dunkley,

Sent Off

Hartland

Attendance - 165

Star Man – Tyrone Barnett

Words by Chris Brewerton

Images by Colin Rogers