Occasionally fortune has favoured the Glassboys with dramatic winning goals at the death against the likes of Coalville and more recently Buxton at home. However rather more regularly it has been the other way round and the points dropped along the way in this manner are one of the reasons why Gary Hackett’s men will miss out on the play-offs this season.

So it proved again at Hednesford, with the Pitmen getting back on level terms in stoppage time and the Staffordshire hosts almost snatched victory after that as they twice went close to completing a remarkable turnaround after Stourbridge had had the better of first half proceedings without reward before finally taking a deserved lead through Luke Benbow after 65 minutes.

Stourbridge had been forced into a defensive reshuffle with both Aaron Hayden and Stuart Pierpoint suspended. Aris Christophorou partnered Paul McCone at the heart of the defence with Brad Birch occupying the left-back position with Darryl Westlake reverting to right-back.

Luke Benbow picked up an early caution in a scrappy opening spell before Stourbridge threatened for the first time after ten minutes. Nicolae Carnat was fouled by Anthony Dwyer just outside the box and Benbow sent over a dangerous free-kick from the left that Leon Broadhurst couldn’t quite capitalise on at the far post. Three minutes later a clearance by Ben Bailey into the midfield area was snaffled up by Broadhurst who chested the ball down towards Benbow before continuing his run to take a return pass by Benbow and he then drilled in a shot from 20 yards that drew a sharp parried save by James Wren.

After McCone and Lawrie were booked for some silliness Stourbridge pressed again soon afterwards. A left-wing corner from Chris Gallagher was only partially cleared away by the hosts before Tom Tonks fizzed in a shot that Wren saved well away to his left at the expense of another flag-kick and then on 23 minutes Carnat produced a run down the left flank before steering a low centre into the near post area where Benbow hit a first-time left foot shot the wrong side of the upright.

The home side were forced into a defensive change after 38 minutes with Sam Oji having to be replaced by Tom Thorley who took up a full-back berth rather than his usual midfield role. Moments later a long throw-in from Tonks on the right drew Wren from his line but he missed the ball, however Broadhurst could only head over and then on the stroke of half-time Gallagher dribbled past Darren Campion on the right and sent in a cross from the right that was met by a header from Broadhurst that again cleared the crossbar.

Hednesford offered more after the break and soon after the re-start a Dwyer cross from the right just cleared the head of Danny Glover in the middle. Stourbridge replied with a ball forward by Christophorou being chased by Benbow and he turned in a low cross from the left-hand side of the area that ran through to Broadhurst, but under pressure he stubbed his effort straight at Wren. In the 55th minute a free-kick from Benbow was safely held by Wren before the visitors made their first change of the afternoon with Luke Shearer replacing Aaron Forde meaning that Gallagher moved into the centre of midfield.

Just past the hour mark Birch conceded a free-kick for a foul on Dwyer and the ball was subsequently whipped in by Lawrie with Callum Mendez-Jones getting in a header that went narrowly wide.

The deadlock was broken after 65 minutes as Westlake hooked a ball down the line for Carnat to collect and take on and beat two down the right before seeing his initial cross blocked by James Rea, however the ball rebounded to him and his second cross in was a peach, finding Benbow who beat Wren with a downward header.

Hednesford sought a response. In the 71st minute Dwyer turned a pass back to Joe Fitzpatrick and he clipped the ball into Glover who laid it off for Lawrie to hit a shot that took a deflection off Christophorou, but that took the sting out of the effort and Matt Gould easily collected.

Two minutes later at the other end, a Tonks throw-in on the left enabled Benbow to go on and make room for a cross that Broadhurst got a head to in the centre, but once more he couldn’t direct it on target.

Hednesford pushed again and on 78 minutes Fitzpatrick found Glover and he played a one-two with Lawrie before firing in an awkward 20-yard shot that Gould was unable to hold. Soon afterwards a kick downfield by Wren bounced through to Glover and he headed the ball on to Lawrie and he laid a short pass off to James Fitzgibbon who saw his curled shot saved by Gould above his head.

Brandon Hague came on for Benbow after 84 minutes and at the same time Hednesford sent on Joey Butlin to provide a presence up-front.

The Pitmen pushed once more in the 86th minute with a long throw-in from Bailey on the right being headed out by Broadhurst, but Fitzpatrick worked room for a left-foot shot that drifted past the post.

With the match now in stoppage time, Hednesford levelled matters two minutes into time added on. Dwyer swung in a cross from the right and Butlin stooped to flick a header goal-wards that came back off Gould’s right-hand upright and although Gould smothered Glover’s initial follow-up, the Hednesford striker was able to net at the second attempt and suddenly the Staffordshire side sensed victory. Another long throw-in by Bailey saw Mendez-Jones get in a looping header that Gould had to tip over and then from the resulting flag-kick taken by Fitzpatrick on the right Campion got in a downwards header that Tonks was able to block on the line to ensure that the Glassboys didn’t go away empty-handed and throw away their earlier good work.

Team – Gould, Westlake, Birch, McCone, Christophorou, Forde, Tonks, Broadhurst, Benbow, Gallagher, Carnat

Subs – Shearer (for Forde 56 mins), Hague (for Benbow 84 mins), Timmins, Cooke, Hawk (not used)