.jpg)
Hereford United suffered another dissapointing result on the road as they went down by a single goal at The Racecourse. Steve Evans headed home the only goal of the game in the first half to condemn Hereford to their second straight defeat on the road.
Andy Williams was missing for the Bulls after failing to recover from his injury in time for today's encounter, Alan Connell replaced the young striker. Alex Jeannin was also recalled to start at left full back as Graham Turner continued to try out the 5-3-2 formation. Recent signing Luke Webb was handed a place on the bench.
Wrexham started the half brightly and a decent run by left back Ryan Valentine ended in a long range effort going narrowly wide of Wayne Brown's post whilst at the other end, Martyn Giles missed a close range header after a Jeannin free-kick. Evans then headed over after a good cross from the left hand side. The first half was entertaining with both sides working hard, and playing some quick football. Stuart Fleetwood hunted down the ball and stopped it from going out before running into the box, despite a better option of laying the ball off to Connell, the Welsh Under 21 striker shot, only to see his effort blocked. The rebound fell to Connell, who could only fire wide.
Yet Wrexham's aerial pressure paid off in the 28th minute when Evans scored. A minute earlier, United had a warning after John McAliskey header goalwards only to see his effort cleared off the line by Simon Travis. Despite this, soon after, a cross was sent in goalwards and former TNS defender Evans powerfully headed past the helpless Brown. At first though, the ref failed to give the goal after Travis had cleared again, but the linesman signalled that the ball was over the line and the Welsh side went in front.
Chris Llewellyn tried his luck from all of 50 yards after spotting Brown off his line, but his effort, maybe influenced by Xabi Alonso's stunner against Newcastle in mid-week, was far from troubling the former Chester number one. Jeannin provided good width down the left hand side for United, and, on occasions looked a real threat. His cross was deflected out to Richard Rose, who dummied before shooting wide.
Brown was called into action once again to stop a deflected Matty Done effort. Hereford's best chance of an equaliser came towards the end of the half, when Jeannin crossed from the right hand side. Tim Sills rose above the rest but his header didn't have the beating of Mike Ingham in the Wrexham goal, as he tipped the ball onto the bar, before a clearence was made.
Mark Jones' determined run on the right hand side created an opening for himself, but his eventual shot was weak and straight at Brown. Once again, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time as United's failure to defend set-pieces nearly cost them dear once again. Travis was on the line, to head away a powerful effort by McAliskey. The final talking point of the half came immediately after as Fleetwood broke from his own half. His pace took him past three defenders, before he was fouled, yet Fleetwood continued. It looked as though Fleetwood could keep on running and get in a decent goal effort, but the ref pulled play back, a decision which annoyed the away following of around 600. The resulting free-kick came to nothing.
The second half didn't live up to high standards of entertainment provided in the first half. Done's individual effort saw him smash the ball wide of Brown's near post. At the other end, Fleetwood tried, but failed to equalise from a 25 yard free-kick. Jeannin and Giles got in a mix up down the left hand side, as neither failed to make a challenge on Jones, but the Welshman's effort was wild and far from troubling Brown.
Turner decided to change it, as Connell was replaced by Ferrell. The former Watford youngster nearly made an instant impact with a half volley, but Ingham held on. Matt Crowell the hit a shot past the post, before United won another free-kick in a dangerous position. Fleetwood took it once more, and curled it around the wall but the ball flew just past the top corner.
There was a debut for Webb, as he replaced Richard Rose in the latter stages but it was to no avail as Tamika Mkandawire wasted a valuable late chance for Hereford. Purdie struck a low corner, and after a flick on, the Hereford captain poked the ball wide off the post, if the shot had been on target, the ball would more than certainly of gone in and sealed a point. But it wasn't to be as United went down for their third away defeat of the season.
4705 supporters were at The Racecourse for the early kick-off which saw Wrexham bounce back after poor recent results. Hereford played some good football but in the first half, but failed to match that performance in the second. One will hope that United now step it up in order to come back from Bristol Rovers on Wednesday with at least a point.
Hereford: Brown, Travis, Jeannin, Beckwith, Mkandawire, Giles, Purdie, Rose, Connell, Sills, Fleetwood.
Subs: Thompson, Gulliver, Ferrell, Wallis, Webb.
Wrexham: Ingham, Roche, Valentine, Evans, Williams, Jones, Crowell, Done, Ferguson, Llewellyn, McAliskey.
Subs: Jones, Williams, Spender, Johnson, Newby.
