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Hereford United continued their good run against higher placed teams with an impressive performance at the Don Valley Stadium this afternoon when they matched a decent Rotherham side in a goal-less draw.
Manager Jamie Pitman was without the services of Ryan Green who failed to recover from the shoulder injury received against Chesterfield so Rob Purdie was called upon to fill the right back birth in an otherwise unchanged team.
Purdie was quickly into the action when clearing a dangerous early corner from The Millers. His clearance was collected by Kenny Lunt who lifted the ball over the hosts back line but home keeper, Annerson was out to gather just before the darting Fleetwood was able to get to the ball.
The hosts had the majority of the possession in the first half an hour but their attempts were mainly limited to lumping the ball into the Hereford box for striker Tom Pope but they found Stam and Townsend in no mood to concede while Purdie was also prominent in breaking up Rotherham’s attempt to get down the left flank. Lunt and Purdie combined in the free kick routine that provided a cross to the back post but, again, Annerson was first to the ball with Leslie closing. Before Lunt found himself making a headed clearance off his own goal-line with Bartlett struggling to make his ground.
Kenny Lunt then released Heath down the left and he clipped the ball in to Fleetwood but the Bulls’ top scorer saw his curling shot go just wide. At the other end, Bartlett was busy with a double save that prevented both Law and Taylor from breaking the deadlock.
With the hosts using a Sheffield venue for the game, the distance the spectators had to sit from the action made it fell like the stands were still at Millmoor. What was noticeable was the unpredictable bounce and varying surface that seemed to contrast between rock solid and very soft.
HT Millers 0 Bulls 0
Fleetwood made a break down the right and his low centre was met by a scuffed Featherstone shot that bobbled past the post. Then Rob Purdie, on the overlap, produced a fine cross, which was turned away for a fruitless corner before he, again, was defensively alert to block a stinging shot from Law. Bartlett had to block a close-range header from Harrison as The Millers continued their one-dimensional aerial attack.
Joe Colbeck, head down and steaming, won a corner but Leslie’s flag kick came to nothing before Kenny Lunt fed Leslie who had cut in from the left but his shot skidded just wide of the upright. Featherstone also saw an effort rise over the bar in a rare attack during a fifteen-minute period of sustained pressure from the hosts. Pope, Harrison and Law all had half chances but lacked the finesse to trouble Bartlett.
Pitman introduced Richard Rose in place of the hard-working McQuilkin and Steve Leslie found him with a crossfield ball. Rose fed Colbeck but Joe’s shot rebounded off the foot of the post and was scrambled to safety. Rotherham brought on La Fondre in place of Bradley and Marshall for Pope but The Bulls were able to see out the game reasonably comfortably during the closing period.
FT Millers 0 Bulls 0
Attendance 3770 including about 160 in the visitors end.
Hereford:- Bartlett, Purdie, Townsend, Stam, Heath, Colbeck, McQuilkin (Rose 68), Lunt (Kovacs 90), Featherstone, Leslie, Fleetwood (Fairhurst 83). Subs not used: Hoult, Rose, Patulea, Price.
Rotherham: Annerson, Tonge, Cresswell, Fenton, Newey, Law, Harrison, J Taylor, Bradley (Le Fondre 72); Pope (Marshall 80), R Taylor. Subs not used: Ashworth, Green, Warne, Henderson, Leyden.
Another point in the bag on the road to safety gained by a very solid Bulls performance. Fleetwood put in his usual bustling shift but found his chances few and far between. In midfield, "the Five" ran their socks off while the back division found themselves a very competent replacement for the missing Ryan Green as Rob Purdie hardly put a foot wrong and still found time to support down the flank,
With other results not doing any harm, The Bulls could well be breathing a lot easier next weekend.
