Hereford United cut into Accrington Stanley's lead at the top of the Nationwide Conference table this afternoon, as the run-away leaders dropped points against Stevenage Borough on home turf and Hereford capitalised by collecting all three points on their travels against Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium.
United, with Ryan Green added to the injury list from the game at Southport (meaning Rob Purdie filling in at left back and Dean Beckwith returning to the bench), took charge of the opening stages but had to wait until the quarter of an hour mark before even going close to scoring. Alex Jeannin dinked a ball into the box, where Tamika Mkandawire headed down for Stuart Fleetwood. The ball didn't drop kindly for the Welsh u21 international, but he still directed the ball onto the cross bar. Fleetwood again threatened, but this time fired wide of the far post, having received the ball from Andy Williams, who played a neat flick on.
Burton came into the game briefly, and went close after Craig Stanley had squandered possession deep inside his own half. The ball was spread to the left and cut back to Kris Taylor, but he scuffed his shot wide of the far post. Andy Ferrell, tenacious as ever in the middle, forced a low save from Saul Deeney, who gathered the powerful drive at the second attempt but he was beaten five minutes before the break. Alex Jeannin delivered a free kick into the box, which was headed down by Stanley to the feet of Williams. Williams scuffed his first effort and Deeney appeared to have collected, but the ball ran loose and Williams made no mistake the second time, firing high into the net from close range.
Wayne Brown had to be alert after the restart, as a resurgent Burton came out to attack United. Jon Shaw seemed certain to score from almost point-blank range, but somehow Brown dived across his goal to push the ball wide of his right-hand post. Skipper Darren Stride then had an even better opportunity as a ball in arived from the left but somehow, from a central position about six yards out, he managed to fire a first time effort over the cross bar. Albion were piling on the pressure and it was some relief for the Bulls defence when Williams fired in a reminder at the other end, but Deeney made easy work of the twenty five yard effort. Taylor again went close for the Brewers, but again his effort was just wide of the far post while Gary Rowett went forced a goal mouth scramble with his downward header, following a corner, but the Bulls defence managed to scrap it clear.
With ten minutes left Fleetwood, who seemed a little off the pace, was replaced by Danny Carey-Bertram and, with United under almost constant pressure, Jamie Pitman replaced Nicky Nicolau with five minutes left. In those five minutes Burton, yet again, could have snatched what would have probably been a deserved equaliser and it was again the dangerous Taylor who went close. He was on the end of a whipped cross from the right with a diving header, but fortunately for Hereford, it was straight at Brown. A drive from the edge of the box took a deflection before going inches wide as the Brewers continued to push and in the last minute, after a throw in, Rowett turned the ball just wide again in what proved to be the last chance for the hosts.
Again without playing too well, like at Southport, United managed to overcome what proved to be a difficult fixture against an in-form side. With most results going for Hereford, this may prove to be a vital three points, and it sees them cement their place in second in the league, six points ahead of Halifax in third and ten points ahead of Stevenage who occupy the final play off spot.
HUFC: Brown, Purdie, James, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Nicolau, Stanley, Ferrell, King, Williams, Fleetwood. Subs: Beckwith, Mawson, Gwynne, Pitman, Carey-Bertram.
BAFC: Deeney, Corbett, Tinson, Rowett, Webster, Chris Hall, Stride, Kris Taylor, Gilroy, Shaw, Harrad. Subs: Henshaw, Austin, Martin Taylor, Ducros, Christian Moore.