Hednesford 6 Stamford 1

Hednesford went goal crazy as Ross Dyer grabbed a hat-trick to bury Stamford.

The victory, the Pitmen’s fifth at Keys Park this season, moved Phil Starbuck’s team up to ninth in the UniBond premier division.

David Brown and Linden Dovey opened the scoring with their first league goals of the season before Dyer’s treble. Brown broke the deadlock in the eighth minute after being set up by Dyer before adding another two minutes later.

Ross Adams set up the second with a fine pass as Brown spotted a gap to place his shot in off the post.

Dovey made it 3-0 in the 20th minute when he beat the offside trap after running onto another pass from Adams.

Stamford were awarded a penalty when new signing Wayne Dyer tripped Tyrone Kirk and Tony Battersby sent keeper Rene Gilmartin the wrong way.

But the Pitmen restored their three-goal cushion on the stroke of half-time to go in 4-1 ahead.

Ross Dyer struck the decisive blow, netting at the second attempt after his initial effort was saved by the keeper following a strong run into the box.

Dyer scored his second in the 65th minute when he dummied his man and turned before firing past keeper Chris Sanna.

Gilmartin made two great saves to foil Stamford hopes, the first a one-handed stop to push away Stephen Towers’s header before deflecting a Leon Mettam shot off his chest.

Dyer completed his hat-trick in the last minute from close range.

Hednesford: Gilmartin, Simms, Adams, Sheppard, Marshall, Wells, Brown (Fussell 85), W Dyer, R Dyer, Dovey (Nagington 61), Pedro (Sanders 66).

Stamford: Sanna, White (Maddox 24), Colkin, Piercewright (Hughes 56), Julian, Marshall, Kirk (Wormall 45), Towers, Battersby, Mettam, French.