Bulls strike lucky in seven goal thriller
Hereford United were very lucky to come away from Hilton Park with all three points this afternoon following a thrilling end to the game. Leigh will feel they should have collected at least a point from the match, especially when they equalised for the third time in the eighty nineth minute but Adam Stansfield found the bottom corner to give United the win in added time.
The Bulls must have thought that the game would be a walk in the park when they took the lead in the seventh minute, but Leigh didn't let their heads dropped and battled on. Simon Travis collected the ball after Lee Mills had a shot blocked, and crossed for Mills who headed into the top corner at the far post. It was easy to notice that Hereford took their foot of the gas soon after and Leigh took full advantage of it.
Hereford started playing some sloppy football and didn't seem able to get any passing moves together. Alex Meechan first threatened for Leigh, but his shot was just too high. Danny Williams and Mills both went close with long shots but Leigh should have equalised with their next attack. Graham Hyde, deputising for the injured Jamie Pitman, was dispossesed deep in his own half and the cross was headed down by an unmarked Karl Rose at the far post, but Johnathan Gould excelled and tipped the ball wide.
Andy Tretton had to concede a corner to deny Rose, but the corner resulted in a good United attack. Travis collected the loose ball and sprinted the length of the pitch and won a corner. Meechan made another chance after poor defending by Mark Robinson, but again he shot over from twenty yards. Mills came closest to doubling Hereford's lead on the stroke of half time, but he lifted Robinson's cross just over the bar.
Leigh were looking even more dangerous as they started the second half and Rose's header that looped just over was a warning for Hereford. Ex-United right back Chris Lane crossed in for Rose, who headed the ball down in the box for Warren Peyton to tuck in the equaliser. It was what Leigh deserved. United reacted to the goal and went straight on the attack. Mills went close with a header once again before he grabbed his second of the game.
David Brown skipped a challenge in the midfield and then set his strike partner through on goal and Mills made no mistake when one on one with Ian Martin from the right of the box, slotting the ball into the far bottom corner. However, Leigh hit back and within two minutes a second corner in quick succession was superbly headed home by former Hereford man Gareth Stoker.
Tretton denied Meechan by deflecting his shot over as Leigh continued to take the game to Hereford. Rose forced a save out of Gould before they Railwaymen thought they'd taken the lead. Meechan latched onto a ball over the top of the defence and calmly placed the ball in the back of the net, but the assistant referee had already raised his flag for offside.
Graham Turner made his first change of the game after sixty seven minute. Williams was replaced by Adam Stansfield and Brown dropped back into the midfield as United looked for more options in the attack. Gould was lucky only to be booked when he gathered a loose ball just outside of the box. Brown linked up with sub Stansfield who used his pace well to win a corner but Mills headed the cross from Robinson over. Craig Stanley played an awesome through ball to Stansfield who should have netted, but instead his tame effort was easily gathered.
The Bulls won a corner in the eigthy second minute which Robinson swung in. Man of the match Stanley hit a volley that was blocked, but it fell kindly to Stansfield who turned it into the back of the net for 3-2. Still, Leigh wouldn't give in and they tested Gould with a twenty five yard volley from substitute Steve Smith. Smith got a second chance a few minutes after from a similar range and this time made no mistake. A corner was only half cleared and Smith hit a low drive that travelled through a crowd of players and caught Gould unaware as it flew past him. The home supporters must have though they had surely gained a well earned point now.
In injury time Stanley lifted a pass through to Stansfield who was too quick for the defence and he tucked the ball into the far bottom corner to the delight of the 300 or so away fans in a crowd of 585. Graham Turner is going to have a difficult task in deciding whether to start Stansfield for the next game, he has netted six times this season. Leigh had yet another chance to equal in the last minute of injury time when they won a corner. Brown was replaced by Tamika Mkandawire to help defend the corner which United did successfully.
Hereford will not be happy with their performance; it was woeful to say the least. Jamie Pitman was missed in the midfield and, if he is injured for too long, it won't be a surprise if Turner makes new additions to the squad. United will be thankful that luck was on their side this afternoon, and Leigh will wonder how they failed to take anything from the game.
HUFC Team: Gould, Travis, James, Tretton, Smith, Robinson, Stanley, Hyde, Williams, Brown, Mills. Subs: Mkandawire, Scott, Gwynne, Stansfield, Carey-Bertram.
LRMIFC Team: Martin, Lane, Stoker, Miller, Gaunt, Meechan, Peyton, Byrne, Fitzpatrick, Roscoe, Rose. Subs: McGuire, Smith, Mitchell, Simms, Morton.
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