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Overwhelming
Hereford United capitulated Forest Green Rovers 5-1 tonight, in front of over 3,100 spectators at Edgar Street.
Five star
United brush aside Rovers
Hereford
United 5 - 1 Forest Green Rovers
It was a matter of
goals galore at Edgar Street tonight, as Hereford United beat
Forest Green Rovers 5-1.
There were just sixteen minutes on the clock when Paul Parry fired a low shot at Rovers' stopper Steve Perrin. He pushed away the ball, but it ran only to Steve Guinan, who tapped it home from close range.
This came just minutes after Guinan had nodded over a Michael Rose cross from eight yards as United stamped their authority on the match early on.
As the minutes ticked away, Hereford looked more and more likely to extend the advantage. Six minutes before the break, Ben Smith's shot was again parried by the goalkeeper, but Danny Williams smashed the follow-up goalwards. This, though, struck the crossbar and bounced down over the line, although a player was judged to be offside and the effort was ruled out.
It was somewhat surprising, then, that Rovers levelled two minutes later. A deep free-kick from Steve Jones was punched away by Hereford 'keeper Matt Baker. However, the ball was hooked back in and veteran attacker Neil Grayson, once of Hereford, fired home on the turn and the ball trickled through the United defence and into the net.
The scoreline was not to last, however, as Jamie Pitman knocked a ball over the top for Rob Purdie to beat the offside trap. From twelve yards, the ex-Leicester City youngster smashed the ball into the roof of the net to put the home side back into the lead.
After the restart, Paul Parry had a shot deflected into the side netting before Tony James, the United skipper, tried his luck from all of forty yards. His dipping shot hit the upright, and gave the Rovers defence quite a scare.
On fifty four minutes, though, Ben Smith set up Hereford's third as he threaded the ball through to Purdie. He went on a cracking run before firing the ball home from fifteen yards. The crowd of 3,195 went wild, with the exception of the 100 from Gloucestershire, who remained upbeat throughout as they continued to support Colin Addison's men.
Hereford's fourth came on sixty eight, when Steve Guinan volleyed home a Rob Purdie cross from the right, and he was removed with fifteen minutes to go. His replacement, Daniel Carey-Bertram, scored the fifth with his first touch as he converted a ball from Smith. The former West Bromwich Albion youngster's strike was his first league goal for Hereford.
Carey-Bertram found the net again later on, but the effort was ruled out for offside, while at the other end, a late Forest Green flurry saw a cross headed over his own crossbar by Andy Tretton.
There were just sixteen minutes on the clock when Paul Parry fired a low shot at Rovers' stopper Steve Perrin. He pushed away the ball, but it ran only to Steve Guinan, who tapped it home from close range.
This came just minutes after Guinan had nodded over a Michael Rose cross from eight yards as United stamped their authority on the match early on.
As the minutes ticked away, Hereford looked more and more likely to extend the advantage. Six minutes before the break, Ben Smith's shot was again parried by the goalkeeper, but Danny Williams smashed the follow-up goalwards. This, though, struck the crossbar and bounced down over the line, although a player was judged to be offside and the effort was ruled out.
It was somewhat surprising, then, that Rovers levelled two minutes later. A deep free-kick from Steve Jones was punched away by Hereford 'keeper Matt Baker. However, the ball was hooked back in and veteran attacker Neil Grayson, once of Hereford, fired home on the turn and the ball trickled through the United defence and into the net.
The scoreline was not to last, however, as Jamie Pitman knocked a ball over the top for Rob Purdie to beat the offside trap. From twelve yards, the ex-Leicester City youngster smashed the ball into the roof of the net to put the home side back into the lead.
After the restart, Paul Parry had a shot deflected into the side netting before Tony James, the United skipper, tried his luck from all of forty yards. His dipping shot hit the upright, and gave the Rovers defence quite a scare.
On fifty four minutes, though, Ben Smith set up Hereford's third as he threaded the ball through to Purdie. He went on a cracking run before firing the ball home from fifteen yards. The crowd of 3,195 went wild, with the exception of the 100 from Gloucestershire, who remained upbeat throughout as they continued to support Colin Addison's men.
Hereford's fourth came on sixty eight, when Steve Guinan volleyed home a Rob Purdie cross from the right, and he was removed with fifteen minutes to go. His replacement, Daniel Carey-Bertram, scored the fifth with his first touch as he converted a ball from Smith. The former West Bromwich Albion youngster's strike was his first league goal for Hereford.
Carey-Bertram found the net again later on, but the effort was ruled out for offside, while at the other end, a late Forest Green flurry saw a cross headed over his own crossbar by Andy Tretton.
Written by Terry
Goodwin - 12th August 2003.
| Hereford United | Forest Green Rovers |
| Matt Baker | Steve Perrin |
| Ryan Green | Steve Jenkins |
| Michael Rose | Jon Richardson (captain) |
| Jamie Pitman | Denny Ingram |
| Andy Tretton | Matt Russell |
| Tony James (captain) | Martin Foster |
| Danny Williams | Neil Grayson |
| Ben Smith | Gary Owers (on, 72 minutes) |
| Steve Guinan (off, 75 minutes) | Alex Sykes (off, half time) |
| Rob Purdie | Steve Jones |
| Paul Parry | Dave Gilroy (off, 72 minutes) |
| Subs | Subs |
| Dean Craven | Steve Cowe (on, half time) |
| Daniel Carey-Bertram (on, 75 minutes) | Scott Rogers (on, 72 minutes) |
| Rob Sawyers | Chris Giannangelo |
| Ben Scott | John Cant (on, 72 minutes) |
| Richard Teesdale | Rob Cook |
| Yellow cards | Yellow cards |
| Danny Williams (dissent, 43 minutes) | Gary Owers (foul, 47 minutes) |
| Andy Tretton (foul, 52 minutes) | |
| Red cards | Red cards |
| - | - |
| Scorers | Scorers |
| Steve Guinan (16, 68 minutes) | Neil Grayson (41 minutes) |
| Rob Purdie (45, 54 minutes) | |
| Daniel Carey-Bertram (77 minutes) | |
| Man of the Match | Rob Purdie |
| Attendance | 3195 |
| Referee | Mr. P. Gibbs (West Midlands) |