Leamington 4 Hednesford 2
Hednesford Town failed to clear their first hurdle in the FA Trophy as Leamington produced a stirring second-half performance.
The home side struck three times in the second period of the third qualifying round tie to tip the contest in their favour and secure an upset.
The Southern Premier League high-flyers took the game to their higher-level opponents, and the Pitmen, struggling for form in the National League North, wilted in the Warwickshire rain.
In the opening period Hednesford look set on putting talk of an upset firmly away as, with a strong wind on their backs, their midfield, specifically Paul Ennis and Sean Williams, did well to stifle any early threat from the home side and made the better of the first 20 minutes.
An Ennis free-kick drifted into the penalty area and as the Leamington defence stood and watched the ball cannoned back off the top of the upright before Ahmed Obeng's follow-up was superbly blocked by a sprawling defender.
Ennis had another shot bravely blocked just a minute before the first goal of the afternoon was scored by Andy Todd after 14 minutes.
Most of the work was done by captain Ben Bailey, whose long throw found its way back to him on the left wing and he executed a superb turn, lobbing the ball over the defender before hitting a powerful volley which took a deflection before being steered in past the desperate lunge of Tony Breeden by Todd.
Unfortunately, just six minutes later Leamington levelled when the first of several aerial challenges were lost as the Pitmen struggled with the commitment of their opposing forwards. Lee Moore headed the ball back into the six-yard box over Dan Crane and Rob Ogleby finished from a yard out.
Ennis saw a free-kick at the death of the first half fly just over the bar as both teams went in to the interval feeling a place in the next round was theirs for the taking.
Unfortunately for the Pitmen it was Leamington who showed that desire more in the second half as former Walsall midfielder Richard Taundry volleyed home from the edge of the area on 58 minutes and after that point, despite substitute Kyle Perry spearheading what became a three-man attack, Hednesford were never really back in the game.
The home team's third goal came when Crane struggled to deal with a ball in the box and Ben Mackey lashed the ball in on 70 minutes. Bailey quickly reduced the arrears but as the Pitmen chased in vain for an equaliser Mackey scored from the spot to end matters with 15 minutes to go.
Leamington: Breeden, Fry, Kelly, Magunda, Hood, Tank, Ogleby, Taundry, Mackey, Edwards, Moore. Subs not used: Green, George, Chilton, Baldwin, Caviezel-Cox.
Hednesford Town: Crane, T Williams, James, Bailey, Regan, Dyer (Trainer 50), Williams, Thomas (Perry 55), Obeng, Ennis, Todd. Subs not used: Johnson, Disney, Digie.
Attendance: 308
