A strong Hereford United team proved too powerful for their West Midland League opponents running out eventual 5-0 winners in tonight's HFA Senior Cup semi-final at Edgar Street.
The Bulls fielded plenty of experience along with some youth players and lined up with Michael Ingham in goal, Collins, Broadhurst, Gareth Thomas and Threlfall in the back division. In midfield, Sam Gwynne filled the right hand birth with Fitzpatrick and the returning Toumani Diagouraga in the centre and Craig Jones on the left. Up front, Theo Robinson started alongside Jack McLeod.
Right from the first whistle, Hereford were much crisper with their passing and movement and opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Broadhurst deflected in a Fitzpatrick shot following a corner by Craig Jones. Bromyard battled but found the industry of Fitzpatrick and Diagouraga too much to handle as they bossed the midfield. In the tenth minute Fitzpatrick's raking cross-field ball found Gwynne but the wingers cross came to nothing. Then, Theo Robinson was put through by McLeod and finished well from the edge of the box beating 'keeper Aaron O'Malley with a sweet shot. From the restart, Ingham was forced into action when Bromyard captain Rob Woodward unleashed a 25 yarder, which brought a full length save from the Hereford keeper. The Bulls continued to press but were often let down by the quality of delivery from the flanks while at the other end, Bromyard were thwarted by the experienced Broadhurst and Gareth Thomas who showed some impressive calmness and positional play. HT - HUFC 2 Bromyard 0.
A couple of early second period goals effectively killed off the visitors with the first coming on 52 minutes by way of a dipping 30 yard strike from former Millwall trainee Jack McLeod. Theo Robinson bagged his second and The Bulls fourth when he dropped a shoulder and cut in from the left before finishing with a low hard drive into the corner of the net just short of the hour mark. The final period saw youth teamer Sam Harrison replace Robinson while Broadhurst made way for Kieran Davis. In the 90th minute Gareth Thomas capped a fine display by thumping home a header from a Craig Jones corner. Final Score HUFC 5 Bromyard Town 0. The Bulls go on to meet Westfields in the final.
HUFC: Ingham, Collins, Threlfall, Fitzpatrick, Broadhurst (Davis), Thomas, Gwynne, Diagouraga, Robinson (Harrison), Macleod, Jones. Unused Sub John “Tucka” Trewick
Bromyard Town: O'Malley, Rayner (Butler), Freeman (Gray), Lloyd, Maidment, Woodward (C), Peberdy, McCarthy, Hawkes (Hayward), Fairhurst, Malins. Unused Subs, McLean, Helme.
Attendance 109. Referee Sean Dipple
Text at top (next game etc)
Next game: Scarborough Away On Saturday March 15th at 3.00pm