Hednesford Town will compete in the National League North next season for the first time in a decade after securing successive promotions. Jubilant manager Kelvin Davis praised his players for maintaining composure during the intense play-off final, which culminated in a dramatic penalty shootout victory.
Dramatic Final at Keys Park
The Pitmen equalized in the 90th minute against Warrington Rylands at a packed Keys Park before triumphing 5-4 on penalties. The victory capped a successful first three months for Davis, who took over at the helm and guided the team to promotion from the Northern Premier League at the second attempt, following a last-day miss of the title.
“We spoke before the game about play-offs being big games,” said Davis, a former goalkeeper for Wimbledon, Ipswich, and Southampton. “It's about controlling your emotions and remembering what got us this far. There's a process, a team shape and plan in place, and to try not to deviate too far from that. When you get into a game you get fatigued, it's about being able to make decisions automatically.”
Key Moments
Defender George Williams emerged as the late hero with the equalizer, while captain Joe Doyle-Charles netted the winning penalty after Rylands’ George Waring hit the crossbar. The Cheshire visitors had also struck the woodwork seconds earlier in the dying stages of extra time.
“We lost our way a couple of times but we brought it back,” Davis added. “The work ethic has been absolutely top, the fitness levels and tempo in training have gone right up. I think it took us right into the last minutes to win the game. Everyone has been very welcoming to us and our ideas, and now we can enjoy this as a reward for hard work.”
