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More comical defending by Hereford United resulted in their second defeat in as many games, as they slipped to twelth place in League Two. Wycombe Wanderers were the side to benefit from Hereford's mis-haps as they completed their fifth consecutive victory, and are now third in the table.
After the shocking performance against Mansfield, Graham Turner made five changes to the starting eleven, with Rob Purdie and Martyn Giles being completely dropped from the side. Dean Beckwith, Richard Rose and Simon Travis were all demoted to the bench, and in came Alex Jeannin, Phil Gulliver, Gareth Sheldon, Alan Connell and Andy Williams.
The changes almost paid off with an immediate impact, had it not been for Stuart Fleetwood's mis-hit shot that made easy work for 'keeper Ricardo Jorge Cecília Batista. Williams had crossed as far as Connell (both played out of position on the flanks) and the latter found Fleetwood six yards out. Jermaine Easter, at the other end, was allowed to coast in as a ball went over the top of Hereford's rear guard, but Scott Tynan was out to deny him.
However, Easter got the better of Tynan with thirty three minutes gone, as The Bulls conceded, like at Mansfield, another comical goal because of a lack of communication between 'keeper and defence. A long ball was played, and Mkandawire headed the ball back to Tynan who, at first appeared to wait, and then made a rush for the ball. It bounced in front of Tynan and, with Easter pressurising, he completely missed it, and it rolled into the back of an open goal.
Wycombe almost doubled their advantage before the break when Hereford failed to deal with a low ball into the box from the right, which Johnny Dixon hit on the turn. Luckily, Tynan was equal to it and tipped over. Tynan then denied Will Antwi before the half was over, as he shot towards the near post.
Dixon fired over the bar under a minute after the restart but it was Hereford who scored next to get back on level terms. Tim Sills won a loose ball in the middle, which Connell picked up, advanced with, and then picked out a perfect pass with the outside of his boot to set Williams in, from the right. He had plenty of work to do though, as he rounded Batista and then, from a tight angle, managed to beat two covering defenders with his powerful drive into the roof of the net at the near post.
Hereford drove forward on the momentum gained, and Fleetwood almost put the hosts in front two minutes later. Sheldon spread play to the right, where Trent McClenahan took over from Williams to deliver a cross which Williams dummied for Fleetwood. He was only to be denied by Antwi, who diverted the effort behind. Andy Ferrell forced Batista into a low save as he latched onto Sills' lay on before Easter scored the winning goal, arguably against the run of play.
Easter managed to meet a low cross from the right with a powerful first time shot that flew beyond the reach of Tynan in at the near post, delighting the 259 travelling army in a poor crowd of 2,585. After Easter had headed over again from close range, Travis and Jon Wallis were introduced in place of Connell and Ferrell with five minutes remaing. United's only chance of equalising for a second time came in injury time, when Sills forced a top save out of Batista, as he met McClenahan's cross with a powerful header.
All in all, it was an improvement on Masfield, but the midfield problem was definately not solved. Playing two strikers as wingers is not the answer, although neither Williams or Connell disgraced themselves. Sheldon had an ok game in the middle, but again, this doesn't seem to be his natural position. Wallis had little time to make an impact when he came on, but definately wasn't afraid to put his foot into a challenge (he played centre midfield). Sills worked his socks off again in attack, winning plenty in the air, but again had no support from the midfield to pick up the scraps. Maybe a Connell and Fleetwood combo would be the way forwards, or even Williams who scored on about the only occasion he got into a "strikers" position.
HUFC: Tynan, McClenahan, Gulliver, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Connell, Sheldon, Ferrell, Williams, Sills, Fleetwood. Subs: Beckwith, Thompson, Rose, Travis, Wallis.
WWFC: Batista, Williamson, Stockley, Antwi, Betsy, Bloomfield, Oakes, Martin, Golbourne, Dixon, Easter. Subs: Young, Christon, Gregory, Anya, Fernandez.