Hednesford lose two to injury

Hednesford’s injury jinx struck again as they lost two more players as a young side bowed out of the Staffordshire Senior Cup at Rocester.

Luke Hook was carried off and taken to hospital with a suspected knee cartilage problem, while Lewis Nicholls limped out of the action with a suspected broken toe.

It added to boss Phil Starbuck’s problems, after seeing a number of first team regulars struggling with knocks over the last few weeks.

Starbuck made 10 changes to the side that defeated Stamford at the weekend and saw them slip two goals down within the opening 10 minutes - despite his young line-up starting brightly.

In the opening minute 16-year-old Ben Harbutt forced Rocester keeper Dean Latham to push over his 30-yard drive over the bar.

The teenager then turned provider by setting up Hook, whose low drive from the edge of the box was well held by Latham.

Despite the Pitmen’s early possession it was the home team who took the lead when Guy Jones failed to hold Nicholas Ward’s header, allowing the ball to spill into the net.

The goal rocked the young Pitmen and they were soon two down when Ishmael Reid received the ball on the left wing.

The exciting winger took the ball on and from the left side of the penalty area hit an unstoppable shot past Jones into the far side of the net.

The goals spurred the home team and David Shaw was unlucky when his hook shot was deflected onto the outside of the post.

With Reid causing probleems, Rocester continued to create chances and it needed a desperate tackle by Jordan Francis on Andy McMahon to prevent Hednesford going further behind.

Nicholls replaced Nagington at the start of the second half and showed why he is being tipped as the next youth team player to make the grade at Keys Park as he made an immediate impact at the heart of two Hednesford attacks.

But when the Pitmen did create an opening through Ryan Edwards, Ben Harbutt skied his shot well over the crossbar.

Hook was then stretchered off after he pulled up chasing a loose ball, before a goal line clearance from Tim Sanders prevented Rocester increasing their lead.

Tom Ward, who replaced Hook, had two chances to set up a grandstand finish but wasted both.

First he cut in from the left to fire an angled drive over the bar, before glancing a header from a corner wide of goal soon afterwards

Jones pulled off a fine save in injury time to deny Rocester a late third, but of more concern to Starbuck after this defeat was having two more players sidelined by injury.