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Hereford United, having disposed of Mansfield Town in the first round, knocked out a second league side in the second round of the LDV Vans Trophy Northern Section at Edgar Street this evening. Injury struck League One outfit Port Vale were the opponents and the Bulls overcame them after extra time.
Two changes were made from the side that beat Dagenham; Andy Williams and Tony James were rested meaning recalls to the side for Danny Carey-Bertram and Dean Beckwith, who performed well at the back alongside stand in skipper Tamika Mkandawire. Guy Ipoua showed the first goal scoring intentions but sliced wide early on and then, following some great link up play, Jamie Pitman fired over from outside of the box.
United, who'd started the better, took the lead with fourteen minutes on the clock, when a free kick move paid off. Pitman had layed the ball onto Jon Brady whose shot was turned into the air off a defender, and Carey-Bertram watched the ball closely and volleyed into the back of the net, via the post, from ten yards out. Vale, who were pretty poor for a League One side, got back into the game and dominated the rest of the half, but Uniteds' defence reduced them to just a few long range efforts. Chris Cornes and Andy Porter shot wide, while inbetween a free kick from Tony Dinning was blocked by Craig Mawson and cleared behind by Mkandawire.
The first chance from close range for Vale fell in the single added minute at the end of the first half, and it resulted in the equaliser. Jeff Smith was on the end of Cornes cross, and headed into the bottom corner unchallenged having lost his marker.
Nathan Lowndes hit the side netting in the opening stages of the second half with a cheeky back heel but United began to get a foot hold on the game once again. Graham Evans was introduced in place of Ipoua ten minutes into the half and he had a good chance when Pitman slipped Bradys' cross into him, but the eccentric Johnathan Brain denied him. Lowndes should have put the visitors in front, but somehow managed to head a corner over, from pretty much under the cross bar and then, soon after Adam Stansfield had replaced Pitman, Robin Hulbert shot wide.
Stansfield had a good effort from twenty yards, that crept just wide of the far post and Simon Travis' appearance late on for Ryan Green was the last of the action for the ninety minutes. Extra time began with Brady giving the travelling 152 Vale fans a scare, when his intended cross clipped the cross bar and went over. Cornes volleyed over in front of the meadow end, before Mkandawire capped a man of the match performance with a goal, much to the delight of the majority of the crowd of 1,355. He met Alex Jeannins' corner with a downward header that avoided several defenders in the box and crept into the back of the net. United were able to play out the three remaing minutes of the first period and the whole of the second period by keeping the ball and frustrating their league opposition.
Much like the game at Dagenham on Saturday, The Bulls started well although they seemingly faded in the second half but were never really troubled by Port Vale. However, they will be delighted with result that sees them in the hat for the third round northern section, to be drawn next Saturday morning.
HUFC: Mawson, Green, Beckwith, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Purdie, Pitman, Stanley, Brady, Carey-Bertram, Ipoua. Subs: Travis, Lewis, Stansfield, Ferrell, Evans.
PVFC: Brain, Togwell, Pilkington, Dinning, James, Cornes, Innes, Sonner, Smith, Lowndes, Mulligan.Subs: Goodlad, Porter, Husbands, Rowland, Cardle.
