I’m quite happy to admit that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to this one apart from, perhaps, a curiosity to see if this Peters bloke would have any effect on the performance. The first thing was a move to 4-5-1 with Nathan Elder in the lone striking role and Stefan Stam named in the back four. This was encouraging as the word on the back roads to Sutton was that he might not make it through a nagging injury.
Kenny Lunt fed the ball wide to Purdie who played it long down the right and from a resulting throw the ball was cleared out to the left where Steve Leslie whipped in a ball which Townsend, up for the long throw, sliced well wide. Former Bull’s loan player Jervis broke clear but Hoult easily collected his weak shot. Elder flicked on Uncle Russell’s long clearance and Barkhuizen’s first time volley went just over the bar. Townsend was penalised for a foul on Jervis and from the free kick the hosts opened the scoring.
Kerrouche clipped the cross into the box and Raffaele De Vita headed past Hoult from 12 yards. Jervis pulled a shot well wide from the edge of the box for Swindon and Barkhuizen’s cross from a Purdie through ball was hacked away for a fruitless corner. The scrappy game was punctuated again in the fourtieth minute when Ritchie was given too much room by Heath and his low cross was controlled by Kerrouche who turned Stam before firing just inside the post from 15 yards.
Elder continued to plough a lone furrow up top as the Bulls’ midfield was either reluctant or too occupied with pressing duties to support in what was becoming a fairly insipid performance.
HT Swindon 2 Bulls 0
Harry Pell was introduced after the break in place of Lunt but the first twenty minutes of the second period produced little of interest from either side. A cross from the left by Leslie was headed back across goal by Barkhuizen and from the half clearance Pell sent a header just over the bar. Swindon seemed to be happy to let the clock tick away and when Caddis decided to take an unnecessary lie down on the grass near the dugouts, Gary Peters – who had moved down from the stand – was prompted to have a few words in his ear about wasting time.
On 65 minutes The Bulls made a double swap bringing on Arquin for the hard working Elder and Winnall for Clist. From the goal kick, Barkhuizen broke down the right and cut into the box before sending a shot into the top left hand corner of the net.
Less than ten minutes later, The Bulls were level. Caddis fouled Heath on the left and Steve Leslie curled the free kick onto the head of Arquin who glanced the ball into the far corner of the goal with fifteen minutes remaining.
Buoyed by the goals, The Bulls went in search of victory but were caught out when Lukas Magera crossed from the left to find Simon Ferry unmarked in the box and he fired home from close range. With just over ten minutes left on the clock it was a cruel blow to the resurgent visitors but it seems the Peters inspired Bulls were not for submitting. Heath’s run down left was checked by a foul from Magera and when Sam Winnall clipped the free kick in to the near post, Harry Pell’ glancing header went in at the back post to earn United a well earned share of the points. The equaliser came in the ninetieth minute that was perfect to send the 251 Bulls in the crowd of 7456 away in good spirits.
FT Swindon 3 Bulls 3
Hereford: Hoult, Purdie, Stam, Townsend, Heath, Barkhuizen, Clist (Winnall 66), Lunt (Pell 46), Featherstone, Leslie, Elder (Arquin 66). Subs unused: Dalibard, McQuilkin.
Swindon: Lanzano, Caddis, Devera, McCormack, Cibocchi (Ridehalgh 70), Ritchie, Smith (Abdulla 54), Ferry, De Vita, Jervis, Kerrouche (Magera 70). Subs not used: Bedwell, Connell.
Bring on the Bradford.