Hereford United produced a fine attacking performance at Saltergate this afternoon to come home with three deserved points through second half goals from Jake Jervis and Marc Pugh.
Graham Turner gave Jervis his first start meaning Gavin McCallum dropped to the bench in an otherwise unchanged line-up from the Bradford match. New loan signing, Astrit Ajdaravic had to be content to join the substitutes.
An early probing ball down the left from Valentine found Marc Pugh but the move came to nothing. Then Jake Jervis showed good intent with a determined run before finding Lunt who nicely laid off to McQuilkin but the midfielder saw his effort rise over the bar. Chesterfield tried to counter but the ball was intercepted by Valentine who played a quick one two with Pugh before delivering a driven cross to the near post where Jervis was unlucky to see his clever deflection whistle passed the foot of the post.
McQuilkin conceded a free kick about 30 yards out which brought jeers from the visiting Herefordians as referee Woolmer marched out the ten yards in Gestapo-like fashion. However, on-loan Ishmel Demontagnac blasted his effort comfortably over before Boden found Bartlett reacting quickly to block when through on goal. Jake Jervis was on the end of a clattering from Welsh International defender Rob Page as the youngster duped the former Cardiff man. Naturally, Woolmer saw little wrong with the challenge. Wade Small then found himself one on one with Bartlett but blazed the chance over the crossbar from just 15 yards out. Lewis Young then showed a clean pair of heels to the pedestrian Page before chipping his shot inches wide with ‘keeper Tommy Lee stranded. Manset fed Jervis and his crisp shot was blocked away by Lee before The Beast unleashed a dipping volley from 20 yards which cannoned off the bar with the keeper beaten before Kenny Lunt released Jervis but the striker shot over and McQuilkin was unlucky when his effort was just off target after a run of 40 yards. Lunt’s creativity was again involved when his pass to Manset was edged on to Jervis but his low drive was hacked away by the increasingly desperate home defence.
HT Chesterfield 0 HUFC 0
With The Bulls having dominated the first period and produced so many shots without reward, the fans debate over the halftime coffee involved concern that we hadn’t got a goal or two to show for the team’s excellent efforts.
The concerns were very soon eased. Kenny Lunt dinked a ball through to Pugh and as the Bulls’ wide-man advanced into the box he was hauled down by Picken. Woolmer pointed to the spot but, remarkably, failed to produce his traditional red card despite Picken being clearly the last defender and Pugh being through in the centre of the area. Bulls’ fans were left to assume that Woolmer had maybe suffered a flashback and spotted a covering Tony James out of the corner of his eye. Jake Jervis stepped up to blast the ball into the net despite Lee getting a despairing hand to it.
Shortly afterwards, Pugh was again hacked down from behind as he sped towards goal but this time Woolmer’s blind eye was the only one open. Manset flicked a header on to Jervis but his shot was blocked and Pugh’s reaction chip went just over. When Chesterfield broke upfield, Lunt chased half the length of the field to get in a saving tackle before the dangerous Demontagnac outpaced Richard Rose to fire into the side netting. United forced a couple of corners without reward before doubling their lead with around twenty-five minutes remaining. Once again it was Kenny Lunt who produced a slide-rule pass into the path of Marc Pugh and the Bulls’ player ran into the box to slot calmly passed Lee from 15 yards. Then came another moment of incompetence from the referee. Pugh turn his full back inside out and as he shaped to cross, was pulled to the ground from behind when clearly in the box. Woolmer, of course, waved play-on.
The Chesterfield right back received an ear bashing from his coach when Lewis Young got behind him. Jervis then turned Page left and right and had his shot blocked when a cross to the far post would have found Pugh hungry for his brace. Then, with just ten minutes remaining, Young showed a little inexperience with a rash challenge on Adam Rundle near the bye-line. Barry Conlon fired home the resulting spot-kick to provide a nervous few final minutes for the travelling Edgar Street faithful. Turner replaced the tiring Lewis with Sam Gwynne and also introduced Constantine in place of Manset who had received a bang on the foot. A couple of half chances at each end failed to produce any further addition to the score and The Bulls fans rewarded the efforts with plenty of applause as the team left the pitch with a well earned victory in front of 3593 supporters that included around 150 noisy ones from The Shire.
FT Chesterfield 1 HUFC 2
This was as good a performance as we’ve seen all season. Bartlett, although rarely troubled, dealt well with everything thrown at him including a late goal-line block with his outstretched foot. The defensive unit were solid and the central-midfield pairing of Lunt and McQuilkin were in control for large periods of the game. Wide players, Pugh and Young were direct and pacey while Manset’s strength and Jervis’ impudence caused problems and threats that have been sorely lacking for most of the season. Three points from Saltergate, a team that smiled at the final whistle and a pint of 6.4% Thornbridge Britannia Cream in The Rutland. Marvellous.
Chesterfield: Lee, Picken, Whing, Page, Breckin, Goodall, Talbot, Allot, Demontagnac, Boden (Conlon 52), Small (Rundle 71). Unused subs: Crossley, Gray, Austin, Bushel, Bowery.
HUFC: Bartlett, Green, Jones D, Rose, Valentine, Pugh, Lunt, McQuilkin, Young (Gwynne 90), Manset (Constantine 85), Jervis. Unused subs: Adamson, Preston, Done, McCallum, Ajdaravic.
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