The penultimate pre-season game against Conference outfit Forest Green Rovers failed to excite the Bulls' fans who made the trip to Nailsworth this afternoon when United looked well short of being competitive as they conceded three goals without reply in a poor performance.
Manager Pitman named former Walsall youth keeper James Wren behind a four of Weir, Green, Kovacs and Heath with Purdie, Lunt, McQuilkin and Colbeck in midfield and Fleetwood and Arquin starting up top.
The hosts started brightly and Kovacs recovered from poor marking when he got a challenge in to deny Styche at the expense of a throw. At the other end, good work by Arquin provided a chance for Colbeck but Bulman in the home goal palmed the wideman's crisp effort to safety. Weir made a good challenge on the energetic Styche before Arquin took a knock that required attention from physio Rodgerson who looked a yard short of pace as he made his way to centrefield.
With a quarter of an hour on the clock, Purdie was hacked down in the box. The Referee awarded the penalty but the normally reliable Purdie saw his spot-kick saved by the diving Bulman. Rovers took the lead some seven minutes later when winger James Norwood got the better of Tyler Weir in the box and went on to squeeze the ball past Wren at the near post when the young keeper's partial save was not sufficient to stop the ball trickling over the line.
For The Bulls, Arquin was putting in plenty of effort and his movement looked like creating chances but the final balls from midfield were all to often short and inaccurate. Fleetwood managed to get free and cross to McQuilkin but James' volley rose over the bar.
For the remaining part of the half, the teams produced little by way of creativity with the narrow formation of The Bulls seemingly contributing to their inability to supply chances for the strikers although close to the interval a Lunt, Purdie, Fleetwood move ended with Arquin firing into the arms of Bulman.
HT FGR 1 BULLS 0
The second period saw Purdie and Kovacs replaced by Townsend and trialist Albert Jarret. Colbeck charged down the right and crossed low into the box but there was no-one there to convert and it was The Gumpers who struck to increase their lead on 56 minutes. When attempting an unnecessary short clearance to a defender, the ball was intercepted by Styche who shot into the empty net.
It wasn't long before the third goal arrived. James Rowe waltzed into the area from the left flank and his cross-shot found the far corner of the net.
Pitman introduced Delroy Facey, Harry Pell, Danny Williams and youngsters McCarthey and Perkins for some Gloucestershire exorcise. Pell showed decent energy and Big Delroy looked like a player who knew how to lead an attack but the overall team performance failed to produce much more than a couple of McQuilkin efforts that failed to threaten Bulman's goal.
FT FGR 3 BULLS 0
This was not a particularly pretty affair and most Bulls' fans would have left wondering how the squad appears to have made so little progress since the end of 2010/11 when they were, at least, organised and purposeful. The narrow formation in midfield allowed the home players to close down easily while they were quick to spread to ball to the wings in the own offensive moves. Doubtless a couple of errors by the inexperienced keeper didn’t help the cause but the apparent lack of interest and will to win was less than impressive.
Lets hope for some major improvement on Monday and a shed-full more desire when the real business begins next weekend.
HEREFORD UNITED: Wren, Weir, Green, Kovacs, Heath, Colbeck, McQuilkin, Lunt, Purdie, Fleetwood, Arquin.
Subs: Pell, Townsend, Facey, Jarrett, Williams, McCarthy, Perkins.
Subs not used: Bartlett, Canham.
HEREFORD UNITED: Wren, Weir, Green, Kovacs, Heath, Colbeck, McQuilkin, Lunt, Purdie, Fleetwood, Arquin.
Subs: Pell, Townsend, Facey, Jarrett, Williams, McCarthy, Perkins.
Subs not used: Bartlett, Canham.