With the first winter chill in the air, the Bulls began brightly. Yoann Arquin’s looping header went just wide, and then Steve Leslie set up Tom Barkhuizen for a shot that was grasped by Conrad Logan, the visiting keeper. Rotherham’s Lewis Grabban then found space, and Bartlett was called on to make a smart save. Delroy Facey won possession and flicked the ball on for Leslie, whose crossfield pass was blocked at the expense of a corner. The Shrewsbury loanee then did well to get back and block another Grabban chance.
The thirteenth minute proved unlucky for home fans. Quite how a low, driven corner managed to evade the attentions of the entire Hereford defence remains a mystery. Certainly, Johnny Mullins, lurking at the far post, could scarcely believe his luck as the ball arrived at his feet, and he had the simple task of sweeping it home to give the Millers the lead. Shortly after this setback, a free kick was only partially cleared, and Leslie clipped the top of the bar with a piledriver which Logan appeared to get a glove to, though a goal kick was the verdict.
Ryan Green looked assured at the heart of the defence, Rob Purdie made some telling interceptions, and Michael Townsend continued his recent improvement. However, disaster was about to strike for the second time. 23 minutes gone, and there appeared little danger as Sam Wood cleverly played a pass to Alex Revell well outside the box. A hopeful shot somehow deceived Bartlett, who really should have made the save, and the visitors had unexpectedly doubled their lead.
To Hereford’s credit, this proved a make-up call, and they had restored parity before half-time. Facey caught John Taylor in possession and created a chance for Arquin, which Logan did well to tip over, to gain the first of a series of corner kicks. Then, on 34 minutes, Arquin made a strong run and attempted a 20 yard effort that took a wicked deflection off a defenders’s leg, looping wildly over Logan and into the net.
Eight minutes later, Facey used all his power to force his way through, and with the outside of his boot, flicked it past the advancing stopper for a deserved equaliser.
HT: HUFC 2 ROTHERHAM UNITED 2
An exquisite weighted pass from the influential Harry Pell gave Arquin a chance, but the Frenchman’s control let him down at the crucial moment. Sacre bleu! At the other end, some bagatelle in the Bulls box saw Revell receive the ball whilst standing in an offside position, but it had arrived courtesy of a Herefordian boot, so no “flag on the play” was necessary. Anyway, Bartlett made amends for his earlier faux pas with a breathtaking, point-blank save.
Pell was tripped as he tried to find a way through, and Danny Harrison’s shot was well held by Bartlett. Leslie played a ball down the line for Barkhuizen to win a corner, and Pell was then strangely penalised for heading a corner goal-wards, the ball being cleared off the line in any case. Whilst the home side seemed to be creating more chances, Rotherham also posed a threat. One nerve tingling passage of play saw an almighty mess which Bartlett had to leave his area to scramble to safety. Then Grabban received a searching pass down the right flank, and won a corner. The flag kick was not dealt with at all, and Mullins, in one movement, gathered the ball, turned, and buried a shot beyond the despairing dive of Mr Bartlett. 3-2 to the visitors, with 65 minutes elapsed.
Leslie, Facey and Arquin continued to press, but despite the odd opening, and some promising moves, the ball did not seem to run for the Bulls, with shots being blocked and the finishing touches leaving something to be desired. Leslie’s effort rebounded to Simon Clist who fired well over, and Arquin, spotting Logan off his line, tried a clever chip which had the keeper back-pedalling to make the save. Only a couple of minutes remained when Nathan Elder was brought into action, too late it seemed to have much impact. The one remaining matter of controversy involved Purdie, who cheekily stole the ball from Logan, flicked it over his head and rolled it into the empty net. Our Rob claimed that the ball had been released in the action of punting it downfield, whereas Mr Sarginson begged to differ, believing it had been kicked out of the goalie’s hands. The verdict was “no goal, and a caution for Purds. I await the replay with interest. Readers of a certain age may remember, way back when, one George Best attempting a similar trick on, I believe, Gordon Banks. The decision then was the same.
No further incidents occurred, as a disappointed crowd departed to merge with the Christmas shoppers.
FT: HUFC 2 ROTHERHAM UNITED 3
Attendance: 1908, including 142 from the Peoples’ Republic of South Yorkshire.
HUFC: Bartlett, Purdie, Townsend, Green, Clist, Barkhuizen, Pell, Featherstone, Leslie (Elder 88), Arquin, Facey.
ROTHERHAM UTD.: Logan, Tonge, Mullins, Harley (Foster 46), Harrison, Taylor (Raynes 46),Schofield, Wood, Revell, Williams (Holroyd 78), Grabban.