If you ignore the all too frequent misplaced passes from both sides, this was a pleasantly entertaining game to watch as the two League 1 basement sides produced an open, end to end attacking match far better than probably both sets of fans were expecting.
With Febian Brandy, Jackson and Diagouraga all reportedly on their sickbeds and Johnson busy packing his bags, Turner named a team from what was left standing. The back four comprised of Taylor, Beckwith, Rose and Gwynne while Done and Myrie-Williams flanked Ben Smith and unexpectedly Craig Jones in midfield. Captain Steve Guinan partnered Andy Williams up front.
A bright start saw Paul Warne strike the foot of the post early on and Gulasci was grateful to pounce on the ball as it rebounded across the goalmouth. At the other end, a headed clearance from a Bulls corner was collected by Kris Taylor whose rasping shot from 22 yards was only just off target. Taylor then fed Andy Williams who rolled off his marker to release Guinan but the striker fell foul of the assistants flag before Warne had another effort that sailed wide of the post. Gulasci produced a fine save from Obika pushing round for a corner, which was cleared without further danger by Andy Williams. The Bulls opened the scoring in the 27th minute following good work by Taylor and Guinan with the latter squaring for Myrie-Williams to rifle home from inside the box passed Ashton Gate team mate Chris Weale. Beckwith had to be alert on the half-hour to clear at the expense of a corner from which Obika glanced a header wide of the right hand upright. Myrie-Williams and Andy Williams both had decent efforts blocked before Sam Gwynne was relieved to see the ball cannon wide off his boot as Warne's effort looked goal bound.
HT Yeovil 0 Bulls 1
The second period again produced plenty of open attacking play and the busier than normal Myrie-Williams split the Greenmens defence with a diagonal mazy run from the halfway line before slipping the ball wide to Matty Done who tested Weale with a cross shot. From the clearance, Yeovil broke quickly through the centre and a lounging challenge on Tomlin by Sam Gwynne just inside the box resulted in referee AndyPenn pointing to the spot. However, for once, Lady Luck was on the side of The Bulls as Andros Townsend lifted his kick high over the bar. Gwynne was possibly a little fortunate to collect only a yellow for his challenge. The hour mark produced a corner for Hereford, which was only partially cleared to Dean Beckwith. The back-four man lifted the ball over the advancing Glovers defence to Steve Guinan who calmly fired in from 12 yards to double The Bulls tally for the night. Yeovil boss Terry Skiverton responded by introducing former Sloppy Luke Rodgers who soon found the net with a deflected shot which crept inside the post with the impressive Gulasci already committed in the other direction. With fifteen minutes remaining, the Bulls were denied a good opportunity by a wayward assistants flag. Kris Taylor had made a trademark run into the opposition half and delivered a peach of a through ball. With the Yeovil defence caught square, Guinan strode passed his marker from a clearly on-side position but was halted by the obviously mistaken official. Yeovil fans in the adjacent seats could be seen chuckling to themselves while Turner received some advice from the fourth official regarding his frantic arm-waving. With the game drawing to a close it was looking like a long overdue win for the Bulls but in the fifth of the four added minutes, Chris Weale joined his attackers for a last gasp corner and manage to head in a very late equaliser from Murtagh's inswinging corner kick.
The makeshift United team had produced a fairly workmanlike performance with plenty of goalmouth action from both sides. Craig Jones looked a little overawed by the occasion at times but still worked hard and can be pleased with his efforts while, despite a few early uncertainties, the defence looked generally sound. Gwynner certainly seemed to enjoy snapping at the ankles of the opposition and Kris Taylor once again gave a cultured display and the Beckwith/Rose partnership stood up well. It would be far to say that all the squad put in a decent shift with the BN man of the match going to Keeper Gulasci who pulled of a string of fine saves.
Yeovil: - Weale, Hutchins, Peltier, Brown, Smith, Warne (Welsh 62), Schofield, Murtagh, Townsend, Tomlin, Obika (Rodgers 73). Unused – Waggenaar, Alcock, Maguire.
HUFC: - Gulasci, Taylor, Beckwith, Rose, Gwynne, Myrie-Williams (MacLeod 90+1), Smith, Jones (O’Leary 76), Done (Pugh 76), Guinan, Williams. Unused – Veiga, D’Agostino.
Attendance 3780 with approx 120 from The Shire.