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Some amusing pre-match entertainment, a period of comical defending from the visitors and another Edgar Street goal from Gavin McCallum were the highlights of this evening’s comfortable victory against an Aldershot side whose poor showing belied their position on the verges of the play-offs.
It would be pleasant to report that the silky skills and ability to evade a challenge were attributes of a new loan signing rather than the canine, determined to have his day and to delay kick off time by a full 5 minutes. An impressive pincer movement by two stewards eventually captured the intruder, and the footballing fun could begin.
Apart from forcing a couple of early corners, which came to nought, the Bulls started cagily. Meanwhile, the lively Marvin “Marvellous” Morgan looked dangerous for the Shots. Anthony Charles did well to meet a corner but his header cleared the crossbar. Marc Pugh made a couple of rapid breaks, but the final shot/cross lacked accuracy. Leon Constantine telegraphed a pass which was intercepted by Ben Herd, who appears to have tried to personalise his shirt so that it reads HERO. He embarked on a marauding run right into the United box before the danger was snuffed out.
On 27 minutes, the Bulls unexpectedly took the lead. Sam Gwynne played a long ball into the area, and Darren Jones and Constantine worked it to Gavin McCallum, who Aldershot had neglected to mark. The home side’s danger man composed himself before firing home his fourth goal in the last three home games. The goal acted as a confidence booster as Hereford tried to increase their advantage. The hirsute Chris Blackburn and stopper Stephen Henderson almost contrived to let McCallum in again, leaving a clearance to each other. Not quite of Delap proportions, but Marc Pugh’s long throw caused more jitters from the visitors. Then on 35 minutes, Pugh picked up the ball on the right, squirmed between two defenders and fired in a low cross. A desperate attempt to clear by the hapless Blackburn saw the ball loop over his own keeper and into the net.
Hereford finished the half in the ascendancy, Pugh, Constantine and James McQuilkin finding Gwynne on the overlap and his teasing first-time cross was booted to safety, whilst a soft shoe shuffle and shot from Andy Sandell was the only threat from the Shots.
HT: HUFC 2 ALDERSHOT 0
Aldershot emerged from the interval with a little more purpose, with Anthony Straker becoming more influential and creative. Scott Donnelly played an excellent ball through to Morgan, who snatched at his shot and cleared the bar by some distance. James McQuilkin was exemplary in his decision making, holding up when required and releasing accurately to create openings. One glorious switch of play played McCallum in, but his cross was cleared, and then Pugh was the beneficiary of another pass- again, the effort was blocked.
An enterprising move down the right involving McQuilkin, Constantine and Pugh almost led to a further goal. Pugh cut the ball back for Kenny Lunt whose goal bound attempt was deflected for a corner. Aldershot were still not producing much of a threat, with Adam Bartlett not being called into action. The arrival, two days late, of a Valentine Card (a justified yellow for Ryan) led to a free kick, from which Anthony Charles glanced a header narrowly wide. At the other end, McQuilkin fed Matty Done who crossed for McCallum. He laid it back for Lunt but once more his shot was cleared for a corner. From this , Mathieu Manset could not get over the ball to keep it below the bar. Despite some anxiety from a meagre crowd, recalling the two late goals conceded in the reverse fixture, the Bulls held on with some comfort for a deserved victory, a third home clean sheet in a row, and the dizzy heights of 16th place.
FT: HUFC 2 ALDERSHOT 0
HUFC: Bartlett, Valentine, Downing, Jones, Gwynne, Lunt, McQuilkin, Pugh, Done, McCallum (Morris 91), Constantine (Manset 87).
ALDERSHOT: Henderson, Herd, Straker, Blackburn, Charles, Chalmers (Soares 82), Harding, Bozanic (Hudson 64), Morgan, Donnelly (grant 69), Sandell.
