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United draw with Swans
Hereford United drew 0-0 with Swansea City in an uneventful game this afternoon at Edgar Street. The Bulls had two new trialists in the team, Mark Robinson started at left wing back and Graham Hyde was on the bench. Robinson was playing at Hartlepool last season and Hyde was contracted to Bristol Rovers.
Swansea had a chance early on to take the lead but Paul Conner only just failed to connect with a cross from the right. United replied to this when Adam Stansfield, in a similar fashion to Conner, failed to connect with Craig Stanley's from close range. Stanley had the first effort for Hereford but his twenty yard shot, after Stansfield's break from the half way line, was tame and wide.
Conner caused more problems in the air for the Hereford defence and almost gave Swansea a first half lead, but his header at the back post went across Ben Scott's goal and wide of the far post. Ryan Green linked up well with David Brown on the right, and Brown found Stanley with a neat flick, but the ex Telford man shot straight at Gueret in the Swansea goal. Tom Smith left the pitch a facial injury and was replaced by Tony James late on in the first half.
There were several changes for both sides at half time and throughout the second half. Simon Travis, Hyde, Nathan Talbot all came on at half time and Sean Doherty, Andy Williams, Sam Gwynne and one other(whose name we don't have) all made appearences in the second half. Tamikia Mkandawire, Robinson, Stanley, Danny Williams, Adam Stansfield, Green and Brown were replaced.
The second half started quietly with neither side creating many goal scoring opportunities until after the hour mark. Rob Purdie collected the ball on the right from Stansfield and delivered a cross on the ground slightly behind Brown who looped a shot over the bar. Rob Purdie volleyed over from the edge of the box from a Travis cross. Swansea came closest to scoring when Tony James took a cross away from Scott in the Hereford goal, but just as the ball was about to drop into the United net, the skipper had recovered and managed to head the ball around the post to safety.
Brown knocked on a cross from Hyde that caught Stansfield unaware, but luckily for Swansea the ball rebounded off the hard working Stansfield, who was two yards out, and into the keeper's arms. Brown then had three good chances to break the deadlock but failed to do so on each occasion. The first he managed to blast over the bar following good play between Purdie and Talbot on the left, then Brown forced Gueret into a smart save with a good effort from ten yards and finally, his best chance of the afternoon, he connected to a cross from the impressive Talbot but his outstreched foot could only direct the ball inches wide of the far post.
The Swans almost nicked a winner five minutes from the when Adrian Forbes hit a smart shot from six yards, but Scott was equal to it and reacted well to make a save low to his left.
The performance from either side was not the best and certainly didn't excite either sets of fans in a crowd of 1778, but the work out should prove handy for both sides who were good competition for each other. Hereford's next friendly is at Evesham this Tuesday evening and on the following Saturday United should have another more competitive match when they play hosts to League One side Wrexham.
Hereford United Team: Ben Scott, Ryan Green, Mark Robinson, Tamika Mkandawire, Andy Tretton, Tom Smith, Danny Williams, Rob Purdie, Craig Stanley, David Brown, Adam Stansfield. Subs: Tony James, Adam Ding, Graham Hyde, Simon Travis, Sam Gwynne, Andy Williams, Nathan Talbot, Sean Doherty and (unknown).