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Hereford United were outplayed by Bristol Rovers this evening at Edgar Street with the game ending 3-0 to the visitors. Rickie Lambert opened the scoring with a placed free-kick before doubling Rover's advantage with a powerful shot. In the second half, Lambert completed the victory by converting a penalty to consign Hereford to a second successive defeat. The Bulls were lacklustre throughout and thorougly deserved the loss in front of 3199, including a good away following of 866 from Bristol.
After the weekend's defeat at Crewe, there were two changes to the team with one enforced. Sam Hewson served his one match ban with Ben Smith replacing him in central midfield whilst Karl Broadhurst was preferred at the back in place of Richard Rose. The visitors named former Bull Ryan Green at right-back whilst Lambert spearheaded a tasty looking attack which included Jeff Hughes and Darryl Duffy.
The Gas dominated the first-half and showed this through their early efforts with David Pipe dragging a shot well wide from the edge of the box whilst a superb move involving Chris Lines, Lambert and finally Duffy, who collected a neat-flick from his strike partner saw the former Swansea man shoot with Peter Gulacsi having to make the slightest of touches to deflect it over. From the corner that followed, Hughes chested on the edge of the box before firing over. The pacey winger had two more opportunities following this chance, firstly a turn on the right allowed him a shot at goal which Gulacsi collected with ease whilst Hughes then direceted a header from a cross field pass which had deceived Richard Jackson but it was well stopped by Gulacsi with a dive.
Hereford's first chance of the game fell to Toumani Diagouraga, after Jackson had won a tackle to dispossess Lambert and the Frenchman struck a few foot past the post from the edge of the box. Febian Brandy had a weak header held by Steve Phillips after Godwin Antwi had won an aerial dual inside the box whilst at the other end, Lambert's superbly weighted pass found the forward run of Craig Disley but the midfielder's final effort was blocked by the feet of Gulacsi. The Hungarian 'keeper could do nothing about the next effort though, when Lambert fired the visitors in front. A foul by Matty Done on Green gave Lambert the opportunity to strike from 25 yards on the right, and he did just this, expertly directing it past Gulacsi at his near-post.
Mis-control by Steve Guinan allowed Aaron Lescott to powerful shoot into the body of Gulacsi whilst Lambert, high on confidence after his goal and his season, tried his luck from 30 yards but his low shot was easily held by Gulacsi. Moments later though, he was celebrating his second of the evening when he collected a forward pass on the right. Lambert then ghosted pass Antwi as if he wasn't there cutting in from the wing before drilling a shot past Gulacsi at his near-post once again; the power of the shot meant it was past the 'keeper before he had dived. Kris Taylor came close to pulling a goal back for United with a right-foot half volley from 25 yards forcing Phillips into a one hand tip over the bar. The visitors finished the half stronlgy with Lambert slicing a left-foot shot past the far post after Pipe had set him up whilst a mistake from Broadhurst at the back let in Duffy, after Lambert had fed him but the striker could only find the side netting with his shot. The away fans were celebrating a third goal at the end of the half when Hughes rose highest to meet a corner and head in but the referee disallowed the goal, with a shirt-tug the reason given although there looked little wrong with it.
At half-time, Hereford made two defensive changes with Rose replacing Taylor and Dean Beckwith coming in for Antwi. It seemed an odd move by Graham Turner with attacking changes needed, not defensive ones. It was the same old story though with Lambert running the show; the beefy striker was given plenty of time on the edge of the box to test Gulacsi with a bobbling effort but the goalie held on once more. United's best chance of the game fell to Done, after Brandy had chased down a lost cause on the right and delivered a perfect right-foot cross for Done to shoot goalwards with a controlled left-foot volley which struck the outside of the post. With that chance missed though, Rovers went up the other end and finished the game off. Green played a one-two with Disley and continued his run into the box before he was knocked off path by Broadhurst in a 50/50 challenge. There looked little in it but the referee awarded the penalty; Lambert stepped up and sent Gulacsi the wrong way and he wheeled away celebrating his hattrick.
After that goal Bristol were content and went through the remainder of the game with little effort. Brandy shot straight at Phillips from the edge of the box after good-work from Done on the left before the visitors made all of their subs in a short period. Joe Jacobsen, Jo Kuffour and Sean Rigg were all introduced with Pipe, Lambert and Duffy making way. Phillips did well to keep awake in his goal with Sam Gwynne bringing a rare save from the 'keeper with a deflected effort from the right. Guinan also tried his luck after he had controlled a pass from Diagouraga before turning and shooting but his effort fell well wide. Just before stoppage-time, Diagouraga went off with an injury and was replaced by Simon Johnson who subsequently picked up a yellow card after reacting to a tackle.
It was a dire evening for United who were completely outplayed by their opponents. There was a lack of direction, prescence and quality in the team. After Turner's comments about failing to cope with the physical side of Crewe, it was the same old story against Bristol who were superior with their strength although they played some very neat football. With a number of players lacking in quality, there was a couple of bright sparks. Diagouraga ran his socks off and looked the only outfield player capable of playing at this level whilst Gulacsi had a good game in between the sticks again although this is being helped by the number of shots he is faced with each game. Next up for Hereford is truely a must win game, when Southend visit on Saturday.
Hereford: Gulacsi, Jackson, Broadhurst, Antwi, Taylor, Gwynne, Smith, Diagouraga, Done, Guinan, Brandy.
Subs: Veiga, Beckwith, Rose, Johnson, D'Agostino.
Bristol Rovers: Phillips, Green, Anthony, Elliot, Lescott, Lines, Disley, Pipe, Hughes, Duffy, Lambert.
Subs: Hinton, Jacobson, Hamilton, Kuffour, Rigg.
