Hednesford Town ended Harborough Town’s 16-game unbeaten run with a dramatic late victory at Keys Park on Saturday. The match saw both sides creating opportunities but it was the hosts who ultimately secured the win with a flurry of goals in the final stages.

Harborough Town started strongly and came close to taking the lead when George Carline missed a chance early on. Midway through the first half, the game became more physical, with Samuel Osborne of Hednesford shown a yellow card. Shortly afterward, Conor Kennedy and Aaron Hayden of Harborough were also cautioned. Despite these interruptions, the opening 45 minutes remained largely subdued in terms of clear scoring chances.

Hednesford went close to breaking the deadlock just before halftime when Will Merry nearly converted a chance, only to be denied by a last-ditch defender’s clearance off the line. Harborough responded with a late first-half effort when Britt Assombalonga came close to scoring but was unable to apply the finish.

The breakthrough for Harborough came shortly after the interval. In the 55th minute, Assombalonga rose to head in a corner, putting the visitors ahead and extending their run without defeat.

Hednesford, however, responded swiftly. Merry once again threatened the Harborough goal and forced goalkeeper Elliott Taylor into a smart save that allowed the ball to be poked home for the equaliser. After Merry’s departure from the field, defender George Langston scored an unlikely second goal for the hosts by tapping in at the far post.

The momentum then fully swung in favor of Hednesford. Ahkeem Rose struck the crossbar with a powerful attempt before David Abimbola secured the victory by scoring from the rebound, putting the Pitmen ahead for the first time.

The result marked a significant moment for Hednesford Town, ending Harborough’s long unbeaten streak and demonstrating resilience in a closely contested encounter.