Hereford United claimed the victory that they needed to secure their play off place for the third successive season with a narrow 1-0 victory at home against strugglers Tamworth, who sit just one point out of the relegation zone now, with all three teams below them in the table having a game or more in hand on them.
Changes were inevitably made as The Bulls took to the field for the second time in three days. Wayne Brown, Craig Stanley and Andy Williams all dropped to the bench and Craig Mawson, Jamie Pitman and Nicky Nicolau took their places in what was the same sixteen as named against Altrincham.
The Lambs enjoyed the early efforts at goal, but ex-Bull Daniel Davidson scuffed his shot wide before former English and Scottish Premiership attacker Tommy Johnson stung the hands of Mawson with a powerful effort from twenty yards. The visitors had to make a change after just eighteen minutes as Alan Neilson limped off injured, and was replaced by Nathan Jackson.
United, who'd enjoyed most of the possession but not the chances, first threatened through a corner from Rob Purdie, which was taken off the head of Dean Beckwith by a defender for another corner. The second corner was half cleared to Andy Ferrell, who lofted the ball back into the box where Tamika Mkandawire found himself ahead of the defence, who were calling for an offside that never came, but the Malawian's header was straight at 'keeper Sean Bowles.
Purdie picked a brilliant pass from deep inside his own half that went route one over the defence and into the path of Carey-Bertram - who was only to be denied by a fantastic recovering challenge by Adie Smith. Johnson was the next player to leave the field early for the visitors, as he was removed eight minutes before the break to make way for Tristan Whitman. The former Doncaster attacker was straight into the action and almost broke the deadlock with a rocket of a shot that curled towards the far post, and flashed just inches wide.
Both sides came out unchanged for the second half, but it was obvious that great improvements was needed by both. It came as well, with United becoming more ambitious and gambling a bit more in attack - something which Tamworth didn't handle too well, and found themselves boxed in their own half for huge periods of the half. Carey-Bertram had already signalled intention, when he worked himself an opening, but fired into the arms of Bowles, before he managed to get the decisive goal after fifty eight minutes. Ferrell was, like against Altrincham, the creator as he threaded a superbly weighted through ball into Carey-Bertram's path. The striker made no mistake as he smashed the ball, first time, beyond the reach of the advancing goalie.
Tamworth replied by finally getting some men forward, but Graham Ward's long range strike was the closest they came until injury time at the end of the game. Hereford, on the other hand, went from strength to strength, boosted by the goal and then by the introduction of Andy Williams, who took Nicky Nicolau's place. At the same time, with sixty five minutes on the clock, Stuart Fleetwood was withdrawn for Adam Stansfield.
Carey-Bertram, who now has eight Conference goals for this season, was obviously brimming with confidence as he attempted to lob Bowles from all of thirty five yards, but the ball fell just over the cross bar, before Williams almost netted a scorcher. Alex Jeannin picked out the youngster with an inch perfect cross field pass that Williams took inside his man before firing a left footed shot that required a brilliant tip over the bar to prevent The Bulls from doubling their advantage.
Mkandawire forced another save from Bowles, before Williams again went close but volleyed a Jeannin corner wide at the far post. Carey-Bertram had another chance when Bowles sliced a clearance but, having beaten his marker, Carey-Bertram volleyed wildly and his shot was well off the mark. With little more than five minutes left, Guy Ipoua was introduced, and the goalscorer made way. Ipoua was immediately involved, as he held up play for Pitman to release Stansfield down the right, but his low cross evaded both Ferrell and Purdie who awaited unmarked at the far post.
The three minutes of injury time held plenty of incident also, as Tamworth could have, and probably should have, equalised, before United almost sealed the win. Substitue Bob Taylor was on the end of a high ball that had beaten the Hereford defence (about the only thing that did in the whole game) but his first time effort flew just inches over the cross bar. Williams had the chance at the other end, which he created for himself following a neat spin and run, but his shot was deflected behind. Still there was time for make-shift striker Matt Redmile to head straight at Mawson before the referee bought the game to a close.
Despite Hereford's constant domination, the term "a game of two halves" was very fitting, as the first half was, from both teams, very poor. It lacked pace from both, with Tamworth just stopping Hereford from going forward with a blockade of nine or ten players, while the hosts were happy enough to just knock the ball about themselves. Luckily for the crowd of 2,809, which included 185 away fans, Hereford decided to throw some more players forwards in the second half, making the game far more entertaining - and it payed off, as United cemented their place in the top five in the Conference.
HUFC: Mawson, Travis, Beckwith, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Nicolau, Pitman, Ferrell, Purdie, Carey-Bertram, Fleetwood. Subs: Mawson, Stanley, Stansfield, Williams, Ipoua.
TFC: Bowles, Redmile, Folkes, Smith, Roma, Ward, Neilson, Storer, Touhy, Davidson, Johnson. Subs: Dryden, Gayle, Taylor, Whitman, Jackson.