After a goal-less 90 minutes Hereford extracted some revenge for recent defeats against Bristol Rovers to progress in the Johnstone Paint match at Edgar Street this evening when Ryan Valentine fired home the fourth successful spot kick following a Bartlett save and a miss from The Pirates.
Some surprising changes greeted the Bulls fans as Manager Trewick brought Kenny Lunt back into midfield in place of Sam Gwynne while Valentine filled the right back berth normally occupied by Ryan Green. Darren Dennehy found himself in the unfamiliar left side role while Lee Morris and Marlon Jackson led the attack.
Early pressure from Bristol forced a corner off Valentine but Campbell’s flag kick was completely missed by the advancing Chris Lines as the ball drifted for a goal kick. Lunt played Plummer in and as the wide player burst into the box; he was unceremoniously bundled off the ball but referee Sheldrake chose to turn a blind eye. Lee Morris beat the offside trap but was foiled by the keeper who managed to deflect his effort for a corner. At the other end, Darryl Duffy missed the first of a hat-trick of gilt-edged chance to fall his way when clean through on goal. Bartlett was quickly off his line to block and Darren Jones hacked it away. Darren Dennehy got in a fine block tackle after Bristol broke away when a promising Bulls move broke down with the ball cannoning off the referee. Next, Duffy missed another as Bartlett again proved to good for him. A curling left foot cross from the right by Pipe was, again, missed by Lines when well placed before a surging run down the left by Dennehy produced a corner for the Bulls. Lunt’s accurate centre found Darren Jones who thumped a header just over the bar. Pugh was unlucky to overrun the ball but Jackson’s effort sailed well over. Jones flashed another header just over from another Lunt corner before Elliot came close at the other end with a similar attempt. Bartlett twice had to be quickly out of his box to concede throw-ins before Lunt released Plummer down the right flank. The Bristol City loanee helped the ball forward to Pugh who fired just wide of the far upright. Jamie Tolley looked to be harshly penalised on the edge of the Hereford box when he clearly poked the ball clear to Valentine but the referee surprisingly produced a yellow card. Then, just before the break, Pugh dispossessed the fullback and cut inside before dinking the ball to Lee Morris whose thunderous on-target shot was parried wide by keeper Rhys Evans.
HT HUFC 0 Bristol Rovers 0
Trewick introduced Southam for Plummer at the interval and The Bulls were soon awarded a free kick on the halfway line. Lunt lifted a centre into the danger area and as Rose jumped he was firmly shoved in the back but once again no penalty resulted. Then, in a sweet move, Southam received the ball from Valentine and moved into the opponents half. A neat exchange with Jackson enabled Southam sweep the ball across the goalmouth and Pugh was unlucky to get slightly under the ball with his attempted header. Another clever cross from Southam found Morris on the edge of the box and Evans had to be at full stretch as the Bulls striker looped a header goalward. Pipe fired an effort off target as he cut in from the right while Richard Rose saw his hook-shot skid just outside the post.
FT HUFC 0 Bristol Rovers 0
On the balance of play and certainly the number of goal chances, Bristol probably should have had the game sewn up before the drama of penalties unfolded.
Penalties were taken at the Meadowend and Bartlett’s liking for shot-stopping proved to much for Chris Lines whose decent spot kick was saved by the Bulls keeper. Southam cracked in the first for Hereford before Jeff Hughes replied for Bristol. Jamie Tolley and Marc Pugh both fired into the net while Duffy finally got on the score sheet. Substitute Reece missed for Bristol leaving Ryan Valentine the chance to grab the spoils. The Bulls fullback duly responded by hammering passed Evans to give Hereford a second Cup win of the season.
Although Bristol had the greater share of possession and the majority of chances, this was an encouraging display by Trewicks men who showed more determination than of late in front of just 970 spectators including 335 Bristolians.
Hereford: - Bartlett, Valentine, Rose, D Jones, Dennehy (Lowe 89) Plummer (Southam 46), Lunt, Tolley, Pugh; Morris (Done 76), Jackson. Subs not used: Adamson, McQuilkin.
Bristol Rovers: -Evans, Lescott, Regan, Elliott, Hughes, Pipe, Lines, Campbell, Swallow (Reece, 77), Blizzard, Duffy. Subs not used: Coles, Cayford, Hunt, Richards.
Can we play Cup matches at home for the rest of the season?