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The Bulls march on
Conditions were potentially difficult for a game of football this evening as fog set in on Edgar Street before the kick off of Hereford United's home game against Forest Green Rovers. However Uniteds first shot on goal, that resulted in the breaking of the deadlock, coincided with the fog thinning and Hereford went on to defeat Rovers 2-1.
Graham Turner made three changes to his side that was knocked out of the cup on Saturday to give some players a rest in a busy period. Tony James was reunited with Tamika Mkandawire in the heart of Hereford's defence and Jamie Pitman replaced Graham Hyde in the midfield. Lee Mills was dropped to the subs bench and David Brown took his place as strike partner to Adam Stansfield.
The Bulls charged into a two goal lead within twenty minutes following a scrappy start. It wasn't until the twelth minute that the game had its first goal and it was with the first shot of the game. Pitman took a free kick about thirty yards from goal, chipped it into the area where Mkandawire rose above his marker heading towards Brown. The ball fell on the edge of the area where Craig Stanley was on hand to smash a stunning volley into the bottom corner.
Stansfield volleyed wide after Williams' pass over the defence before he went one better after twenty minutes. Simon Travis played a low ball from the defence which made its way to Stansfield via a neat touch by Brown and Stansfield made no mistake in firing into the top corner from just outside the penalty area. Brown had a powerful shot blocked as United look as though they could be giving out a thrashing before Scott Rogers scored an excellent goal for the visitors. Following a throw in on the right, Stephen Reed crossed for Rogers who connected with a brilliant over head kick that beat Craig Mawson to his right.
FGR went very close to an equaliser minutes later when a deep cross was volleyed goalbound, but it flew just wide. The 85 travelling supporters erupted with delight only to be silenced moments after when they realised the ball had not hit the back of the net. Danny Williams received a pass over the defence from Brown and had a shot saved by Dean Williams. The rebound fell to him and he poked it towards goal but a defender was well positioned to clear for a corner, which resulted in nothing and the half time whistle soon followed.
Williams was straight back in the action at the start of the second half, but not in the way he would have wanted. He was felled on the edge of the box and had to be stretchered off. He appeared to be holding his lower leg. Graham Hyde was his replacement as Turner re-shuffled the midfield. Stanley moved to the left wing and Purdie switched to the right. Stansfield ran onto Stanley's through ball and crossed from the bye line, winning a corner off a defender. A short corner was used that found its way to Hyde, who fired wide from twenty five yards.
Purdie was back on defensive duties at the right time when he headed a cross from Stuart Roberts at the near post after a counter attack by Rovers. He was then involved in a short corner with Hyde, who crossed for Mkandawire who got a header away but it was deflected by what looked like the hand of Matthew Gadsby for a corner. Brown had a good chance to make it three, but he slid onto Stansfield's cross goal pass just the wrong side of the far post and fired wide. Subs followed for both sides, Rovers bringing on Richie Appelby and Lee Mills being introduced in Brown's place for the hosts.
Top scorer Charlie Griffin caught the Hereford defence out, but was unable to hit the target with his effort that only had to beat the 'keeper. United then almost caught their opponents out with a well worked quick free kick that resulted in Travis crossing for Stanley, whose effort from twenty yards was deflected out of play. With four minutes remaining Danny Carey-Bertram replaced Adam Stansfield and had two good opportunites to wrap up the game for the Bulls. However, moments before it had taken a goal line clearance to prevent an equaliser as former Bull Mark Beesley rose at the far post and headed down from a corner. Carey-Bertram shot wide from twenty yards after a counter attack.
In the last minute of injury time he should have scored with ease once Purdie had flicked the ball beyond the advancing goalie, Williams, but he shot against the defender on the line rather than the rest of the open goal. That did not matter in the end though, as the majority of the 2,166 at Edgar Street left the ground happy having seen their team, in the end, grind out a result and move up one position to third in the table.
HUFC Team: Mawson, Travis, James, Mkandawire, Robinson, Williams, Stanley, Pitman, Purdie, Brown, Stansfield. Subs: Tretton, Scott, Hyde, Mills, Carey-Bertram.
FGRFC Team: Williams, Lyttle, Garner, Searle, Davies, Roberts, Gadsby, Rogers, Reed, Beesley, Griffin. Subs: Windle, Adams, Appleby, Richardson, Danks.
