MATCH PREVIEW: The sleeping giant has stirred

Over 2,000 supporters attended Hednesford Town’s opening home game of the season on Tuesday with The Pitmen registering their second league win of the new season.

They were worthy winners against Warrington Town and are strong favourites to bag three more points at Workington’s expense on Saturday (3pm).

And the last team Reds would want to face after Tuesday’s crushing defeat at Stockton, is another promotion favourite in Hednesford. A case of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

After being given a reprieve from relegation at the end of the ’23-24 season, Town haven’t looked back and were promoted from NPL Division One West last season – albeit via the play-offs.

They had finished runners-up to Widnes, after obtaining 82 points, then disposed of Vauxhall Motors (3-1) and Congleton Town (2-0) in the play-offs to clinch a return to Step 3.

Almost 7,000 spectators attended those play-off matches, confirming that Staffordshire’s sleeping giant had stirred.

The former FA Trophy winners have played in both Northern and Southern Premier leagues, winning titles and promotions along the way, and can also reflect on time spent in the National League.

Reds and Town have met eleven times in the past – four meetings in National North, once in the FA Trophy and, most recently, six occasions in the Northern Premier League. Honours are even to date with both teams recording four victories and playing out three draws.

Our only success at Keys Park was during the 2016-17 campaign when Kyle May and Nathan Waterston netted second half goals in a 2-0 victory.

With Reds suffering injuries in the first week of the season, two players still on holiday and others missing Tuesday’s game because of work, Darren Edmondson has boosted the squad by adding Hayden Atkinson on a Youth loan from Carlisle United.

Hayden Atkinson and Steven Swinglehurst

The talented teenager captained a United team at Borough Park a fortnight ago in the final pre-season encounter.

Workington have lost their opening two league games and, in thirty-nine seasons of NPL football, that’s only happened once before, forty-one years ago!

Mileage: 199 miles

Postcode: WS12 2DZ