It needed a replay, extra time and then a penalty shoot out for Hereford United to finally dispose of their lower league opposition Alfreton Town in the F.A. Cup Fourth Qualifying round but following the 1-1 draw last night, The Bulls find themselves in the first round proper with an away tie at Cambridge City. Ryan Green was missing for the Bulls and so Rob Purdie filled in at right back, making way for Craig Stanley to come back into the midfield, in United's only squad change from the side that started on Saturday.
Although the home side started well at the Impact Arena, it was Hereford who posed the first threats at goal. Early on Jon Brady had the away supporters thinking his twenty yard effort was flying into the bottom corner, but it drifted inches wide. Brady turned supplier for United's next shot; his free kick fell in the box to Tamika Mkandawire, whose shot on the turn was palmed behind by Adam Legzdins. Stanley shot wide for Hereford again before Jon Stevenson linked up with Gary Mills but his effort was just wide.
The Bulls should have taken the lead just before the half hour mark, but the cross bar denied Mkandawire from close range and with little more than half an hour gone, it was the hosts who fired in front. A half cleared corner fell to Jason Blunt on the left and his cross was met by a flying header which beat Craig Mawson at his near post, and to add insult to injury for Graham Turner, it was his son, Mark, who'd netted. Alfreton played out the half the much better side as the travelling fans' frustration grew.
The second half began much the same but then, on fifty three minutes, Craig Stanley popped up with an unlikely equaliser, with his head! Man of the match Jon Brady, a constant threat down the right, cracked in another great cross and Stanley was on the end of it at the far post, leaving the 'keeper with no chance. Alfreton lost a key player, Chris Bettney, through injury and picked up a couple of bookings and they appeared rattled by the goal. Danny Carey-Bertram fired over in his last contribution, as Andy Williams was introduced up front with ten minutes of the half remaining.
Andy Ferrell intercepted a ball across the defence with five minutes to go and raced clear, before squaring to Williams who, from six yards, failed to convert as Legzdins made himself big and turned the ball behind. Then, in the final moments, a golden chance fell to Godder, but having beaten Purdie to a cross, somehow directed his header wide of the mark and thus, the game went into extra time.
The first half of the added period saw the introduction of Guy Ipoua with the largely ineffective Matt Bailey making way. The extra time saw one good chance either side of half tiem for United; in the first Alex Jeannin smashed a left footed drive across the goal face and wide and after the break, Purdie was played in, running in from the right, but his poweful drive was parried away. The result remained at 1-1 after 120 minutes of football meaning a penalty shoot out would decide the tie.
Tony James stepped up confidently and hammered in Hereford's first, to level things up but Ferrell saw his shot brilliantly saved meaning it was still 1-1 after two penalties each. Williams and Graham Evans, who came on for the injured Stanley late on in extra time, both saw their penalties go in, although the 'keeper got a hand to both as Craig Mawson saved a second penalty leaving it up to Guy Ipoua to win the match with United's final penatly. The experienced Cameroonian made no mistake either as he smashed the ball down the middle of the goal, much to the relief of the travelling 150 or so fans in a crowd of 740.
HUFC: Mawson, Purdie, James, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Ferrell, Pitman, Stanley, Brady, Bailey, Carey-Bertram. Subs: Beckwith, Blewitt, Evans, Williams, Ipoua.
ATFC: A Legzdins, R Clarke, L Featherstone, M Blount (E Nwadike 76), M Turner, D Robinson, J Blunt, M Fisher, M Godber, J Stevenson, C Bettney. Subs: N Ross, L Powell, C White, P Duffield, E Nwadike.