Hereford United hosted high-flyers Exeter City at Edgar Street this afternoon and will be most disappointed with the result, having completely dominated the first half. Three changes were made to the Hereford side with Andy Williams and Tony James returning and Simon Travis deputising for Ryan Green, who failed a late fitness test on an ankle injury sustained against Port Vale.
United started brilliantly and almost immediately opened the scoring when Craig Stanley received a pass to the left of the goal, but he centred the ball to Andy Williams, whose shot was blocked, when perhaps he would have been better off shooting himself. Moments later another good passing move found Jamie Pitman in the box. He crossed for Guy Ipoua and his downward header from six yards was brilliantly palmed behind by Paul Jones.
Stanley again came close to breaking the deadlock, this time with a wonderful thirty yard effort. He met a loose ball with a swing of the right boot and the curling effort had beaten Jones, who was off his line, but hit the underside of the cross bar before bouncing, off the line according to the officials, away to safety. Pitman set Rob Purdie racing away on the left with an awesome cross field pass, and Purdie beat his man before firing over from outside of the box. Purdie had a better chance of the stroke of half time, but he couldn't fully connect with Ipouas' cross and Jones made the save, to end a half dominated by the hosts, in which Exeter had only one shot.
The second period was a much different affair as Exeter came out and took the game to The Bulls. Les Afful was soon to be replaced by Steve Flack and it would seem that this change did a lot to help The Grecians as they started a spell of ten minutes in which they had United camped in their own half. Flack provided a through ball to Farrell who was only denied by a Tony James block but then disaster struck for Uniteds' skipper.
Hereford thought they should have won a free kick for hand ball on the edge of the City box, but it was not given and Exeter broke away. James intercepted a pass and seemingly under no pressure, slipped a ball back towards Craig Mawson. However, Jamie Mackie raced onto the lax pass and rounded the hesitant Mawson before sliding the ball into the back of the net.
Exeter continued to press as Hereford fell to bits and almost doubled the lead a minute later. Mawson did well to tip away a shot from inside the box and then a header at the far post was somehow turned over the bar by Exeter old boy Alex Jeannin. The corner almost flew into the back of the net, via a Exeter head, but Jon Brady managed to get it away however the pressure paid off two minutes later when The Grecians made it 2-0.
Jon Challinor had worked himself some space in the box, received a through ball, and was given far to much time twelve yards out as he looked up, picked his spot, and planted the ball right in the far top corner sending the 790 away fans into raptures. United had needed to make a change after the first goal, as it was obvious that Exeter were getting a foothold on the game and heads had dropped after conceding. However, it was too late when Danny Carey-Bertram was introduced in the place of Jon Brady. The only response United could find was following a cross field pass from Jeannin, and Carey-Bertrams' delivery being headed narrowley over by Ipoua.
United, in front of their biggest crowd of the season (3,754), failed to make their chances count and paid the heavy price in the end. It has to be said that they made Exeter seem extremely ordinary in the first half but The Grecians persistance paid off and a second half spell made all the difference in the end.
HUFC: Mawson, Travis, Mkandawire, James, Jeannin, Purdie, Pitman, Stanley, Brady, Williams, Ipoua. Subs: Beckwith, Lewis, Ferrell, Evans, Carey-Bertram.
ECFC: Jones, Woodwards, Sawyer, Jones, Todd, Afful, Taylor, Cronin, Challinor, Farrel, Mackie. Subs: Rice, Moxey, Watkins, Buckle, Flack.
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