Reece Styche came back from injury to score a hat-trick for Hednesford in the first half an hour agaunst Boldmere.
He ended the game as the season’s joint top goal scorer as he added a fourth in a 5-3 home win.
The Birmingham Senior Cup tie nearly did not get underway as half the opponents’ team got lost on the 14-mile trip along the Chester Road to Brownhills.
They were immediately caught napping for Styche’s first goal, when he turned two defenders on the half-way line before running into the penalty area to slide the ball into the far side of the net.
Boldmere Captain Tom Stevenson tried his luck from 30 yards a few minutes later but luckily for the Pitmen the ball went just wide of debutant keeper Guy Jones’s left hand post.
But Styche made it 2-0 in the 15th minute when he chased a long through ball and, when the on-rushing keeper slipped, the striker was able to stab the ball home into an empty net.
Chris Adam, who was seeing a lot of the ball in the opening exchanges, had the ball in the net in the 20th but was flagged for offside.
Despite the onslaught, the visitors did not let their heads drop and after Ricky Baker had easily beaten Adam Fussell on the by-line it needed a good point blank save from Jones to deny the lively Boldmere winger.
But two minutes later the Pitmen went three up, with Styche completing his hat trick after tapping home a Dave Brown cross from inside the six yard box.
Boldmere’s endeavour was finally rewarded in the 40th minute when Kirk Smith scored after being put through by Jason Holmes.
Peter Gould then rocked the Pitmen with a 25 yard shot which stayed low and gave Jones little chance.
Pedro restored the home team’s two goal lead moments later when he scored from 20 yards, his shot-cum-shot deceiving Daniel Cobb.
Debutant Jones then gave away a penalty on 65 minutes after clumsily bringing down Jason Holmes.
Smith desp[atched the spot kick.
A few minutes later Holmes missed a golden chance to equalise when he missed a good cross from Ricky Baker and instead of levelling the scores the visitors were soon two goals behind as in the next Pitmen attack Styche scored his fourth and the teams fifth goal after he got on the end of a Tom Ward pass.
Using his pace he beat off the defenders to score past the advancing Daniel Cobb.
Styche became provider in the 78th minute as he made a right wing run, his pass into the penalty area was taken by Tom ward who slipped a pass to sub Ben Harbutt.
The youth team striker who looks to be another good find hit a fierce shot which Cobb saved at the near post, conceding a corner kick in the process.
The visitors continued to press for another goal but in the end the Pitmen held on for an entertaining win.
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