Hereford United got their return to League Two underway with a 2-2 draw at Christie Park against Morecambe. The Bulls took the lead mid-way through the first-half when Marc Pugh, pictured, scored an excellent individual effort but the hosts levelled soon after through former Bull Craig Stanley. The Shrimpers looked to be heading to victory after Stuart Drummond had headed them in front but Pugh’s late goal meant the points were shared in front of 2119, including around 350 visiting fans.
There were no contracted players from last season in the starting line-up although former loanees Darren Dennehy and Pugh were included. Darren Jones was preferred in defence to Keith Lowe and Richard Rose whilst Johnny Godsmark, on loan from Newcastle United, started on right-wing. The hosts started with former Conference starlet Michael Twiss up top, whilst on loan Huddersfield Town duo Ian Craney and Phil Jevons also started.
Both sides created an early opportunity with a switch of play releasing Jevons on the left-wing and he picked out Twiss with a cross to the back-post but the former Man Utd trainee could only lift a sliding volley over the bar from a yard out. At the other end, Leon Constantine picked the ball up on the half-way line and went forward, forcing a parried save from Barry Roche from 25 yards. Stanley was introduced after an injury to Fraser McLachlan, receiving a mixed ovation from the travelling support. Craney lifted a shot over the bar from 20 yards whilst soon after, the Huddersfield loanees linked up with Jevons flicking a pass from the left into the path of Craney, who took one touch before firing goal wards but Adam Bartlett made a strong save at his near-post. Craney was starting to show his class, dictating play and his excellent cross wasn’t dealt with by Dennehy and Drummond flicked goal wards from 5 yards but Bartlett somehow managed to claw the ball behind.
A nice move from right to left from United led to Pugh eventually crossing where Constantine rose but he couldn’t make a telling connection. Pugh, who was Hereford’s main threat throughout, was starting to enjoy himself as he skipped past two defenders from the left before drilling a low shot past the near post. He wouldn’t have to wait long for another chance by handing Hereford the lead, although Craney did flash a shot past the post before it came. Constantine moved in from the right and found Pugh, just inside the Morecambe half. He ran towards goal with the ball and space was created by Lee Morris, who took his defender wide with a run, allowing Pugh to smash a low 25 yard shot into the back of the net out of the reach of Roche. The home side were level soon after though after a Hereford attack broke down, Craney broke and a switch of play found Twiss who set-up Stanley for a first-time shot which beat Bartlett at his neat-post. In first-half stoppage time, Kenny Lunt found Morris, who in turn played a pass to Pugh. The former Shrewsbury Town winger got to the ball before his marker but he could only blast over from a good position.
The second-half didn’t see as many chances for either team but did create two more goals. United threatened early on when Morris set up his strike-partner Constantine, whose half-volley from outside the area was pushed behind by Roche. A searching forward pass by Stanley was tracked down by Jevons, who went close, seeing his placed effort narrowly miss the top corner. The home supporters thought they had scored when a Twiss corner was flicked goal wards by Jevons at the near-post but his effort, deceivingly, hit the side-netting. They didn’t have long to wait to be celebrating a goal for real though as Drummond made it 2-1. Mark Duffy was given too much time to cross from the right-wing and Drummond, unmarked in the area, powered a header past Bartlett.
John Trewick saw the need for a change, introducing Jamie Tolley and Matty Done in place of the ineffective Glen Southam and Godsmark. The game looked as though it was heading for a comfortable home victory, with Morecambe knocking the ball around comfortably whilst Hereford rarely threatened. A Lunt corner was headed up into the air allowing Jones the opportunity for an over-head kick but it was off-target. At the other end, failure to close-down Laurence Wilson on the left-wing saw him test Bartlett with a dipping shot, which was cleared for a corner after it wasn’t held. Sam Gwynne added some bite to the Bulls’ midfield, replacing Ryan Valentine and with just three minutes to go, United salvaged a point. Lunt played a pass to find the run of Morris, who managed to play in Done, on the over-lap on the left. His low cross was left by Constantine and Pugh popped up at the back-post to tap in in front of the away support. David Artell came on for Morecambe in stoppage-time but it was too little too late; the game was drawn.
The trip to Christie Park was always going to be a tough start to the season and many fans would have taken a point before the game. Too often, Hereford sat off the Morecambe players, giving them far too much room to find a pass. There was also a lack of understanding at times between the duo in central defence and up front, but this should come with a few more games. The main positive for United was the performance of Pugh, who excited every time he was on the ball and scored two vital goals, whilst Bartlett pulled off a number of important saves. Next up for Hereford is three home games in a row, starting with Charlton Athletic’s visit in the Carling Cup this coming Tuesday.
Hereford: Bartlett, Green, D. Jones, Dennehy, Valentine, Godsmark, Lunt, Southam, Pugh, Morris, Constantine.
Subs: Adamson, Rose, Lowe, Gwynne, C. Jones, Tolley, Done.
Morecambe: Roche, Moss, Haining, Wilson, Adams, Duffy, Drummond, McLachlan, Craney, Jevons, Twiss.
Subs: Davies, Artell, Stanley, Wainwright, Parrish, McStay, Winters.