VITAL WIN ELUDES BULLS

A goalless draw from this afternoon’s encounter with Northampton Town seems insufficient if the Bulls are to preserve their Football League status. Although the fat lady has yet to start her performance, the throat spray has been ordered. Boosted by Barnet’s Friday failure at Southend, three points would have lifted Hereford above the Bees, and with Macclesfield losing, a victory would now have placed them above the dreaded dotted line. However, a tense affair failed to produce a goal for either of these two poor sides, and the trapdoor beckons.

Rob Purdie’s return to the side saw Sam Clucas return to the bench in an otherwise unchanged line up. The versatile stalwart fed Tom Barkhuizen whose pace unlocked the offside trap, but Neal Kitson tipped the ball over the bar. James Chambers’ long range attempt then failed to trouble the visiting keeper .Kenny Lunt broke free on the right and played an inviting ball into the box, but Delroy Facey was slow to react and the chance was gone. Some nervous hesitation by the home guard then allowed a looping effort from the Cobblers to graze the outside of Adam Bartlett’s goal. He then needed to be alert to tip an effort from the talismanic Adebayo Akinfenwa to safety.

Kenny Lunt and Nicky Featherstone about to take a free kick

Purdie, Lunt and Chambers combined well, although the final killer pass was not forthcoming. Ben Purkiss supported the forward line and created a chance for Barkhuizen which the youngster had cleared from near the goal line. From the resulting corner, referee Mr Linington spotted some pushing by Michael Townsend, and the whistle had already sounded as Byron Anthony found the net with a header. At the other end, in one of those “seen ‘em given” moments, a Bulls handball in the penalty area went unnoticed, or possibly was not seen as a deliberate intervention. Shortly afterwards, Akinfenwa headed wide when Jacobs’ corner found him in space. The half rather fizzled out with a whimper after this, neither of the two sides having sufficient guile to create an opening.

HT HUFC 0 NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Tom Barkhuizen gets away from his markers

Barkhuizen latched on to a loose ball and did really well to retain possession, but the ball bounced awkwardly; his over the shoulder shot flew over the crossbar. Townsend was rather harshly penalised as Akinfenwa seemed equally culpable as they attempted an early exchange of shirts. Ben Harding’s free kick was floated to the far post, where the threat was nullified. In the game’s best move, Barkhuizen beat two men, kept the ball when all seemed lost, and found Purdie on the edge of the 18 yard box. Our Rob waited for the onrushing Barkhuizen to shimmy past him and laid an exquisite return pass into his path. Unfortunately the finish was off target. Meanwhile Bartlett’s instincts were called upon as he made a point blank save following a Northampton corner.

A rather unexciting period then ensued, as the teams cancelled each other out. The lack of action lasted until midway through the half, when news filtered through that fellow bottom-dwellers Macclesfield Town had fallen behind at Bradford. Greater purpose, together with some positive substitutions from Richard O’Kelly put the Bulls on the front foot. Facey’s ball to Barks found him marginally offside, and Harry Pell cleverly worked an opening for himself. Nicky Featherstone then skipped through a tiring defence and his goalbound shot rebounded to Anthony who was thwarted by Kitson, who beat the ball away from off the line. Pell then found Purkiss on an overlapping run, and he delivered for Yoann Arquin to attempt a glory-grabbing scissors kick. The Frenchman’s effort missed, though only just. The visitors almost upset the applecart as a poor clearance from Bartlett put Townsend in trouble, and Luke Guttridge fired narrowly wide when ideally situated.

Delroy Facey appeals for a corner

The very dapper Cobblers manager, Aidy Boothroyd had promised to go for the win, but had said that if honours were even with ten minutes left, he would accept a point. True to his word, as the game entered the final stages, Town seemed intent to see time out.

Substitute Yoann Arquin takes a free kick

Arquin had one run where he seemed to lose the ball a number of times before grabbing it back, deserving marks for perseverance, if not finesse. He then almost managed to find the net with a header from a Purkiss cross. Pell neatly found Facey on the charge, and he was brought down by Clarke Carlisle, not the cleverest tackle from the brainbox defender.

So, then, into stoppage time, and one last chance to gain the vital win (and also, possibly, to re-write the pages of any future Bulls history book). Featherstone, who had just been named as the sponsors’ man of the match, picked up the ball in the opponent’s half. Unable to pick out a pass in a crowded area, he ran goalwards and opted for a shot from at least 25 yards. I suppose it is the hope that kills you. With Kitson well beaten, the ball smacked against the inside of the post, and, agonisingly, bounced to safety.

FT: HUFC 0 NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 2970, including 552 from Doc Martenland

HUFC: Bartlett, Purkiss, Anthony, Townsend, Chambers, Barkhuizen, Featherstone, Lunt (Pell 62), Evans (Arquin 75), Purdie (Clucas 83), Facey.

NORTHAMPTON TOWN: Kitson, Tozer, Johnson, Carlisle, Langmead, Adams, Jacobs, Guttridge, Silva (Williams 68), Harding, Akinfenwa (Webster 84).