With Hereford FC back at their Edgar Street home after 3 away games on the bounce, they faced 4th placed Long Eaton who had lost only 1 league game this season.
There were two changes to the side that beat Bardon Hill 1-0 in the FA Vase. Following his back injury which kept him out of last weekend’s game, Sol Wheatley’s place in the starting XI was restored, as Ben Miller dropped to the bench and Adam Page, who was cup-tied, started in place of Nathan Hughes.
Long Eaton kicked off this afternoon's proceedings attacking a well-populated Meadow End. With 4 minutes on the clock, a Long Eaton corner saw goalkeeper Harvey Rivers called into action. With the ball initially being headed out by Dylan Bonella, a second corner was then punched away by Harvey Rivers.
Hereford’s first chance of the game came in the 7th minute. With Pablo Heysham working the ball out to Adam Page on the left, he was then was able to set up Nathan Summers with a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box, forcing keeper Scott Low into making a diving save to deny him the opener.
With Hereford looking the stronger of the two sides, some good build-up play between Sol Wheatley and Adam Page saw the ball find John Mills. After cutting into the box, Mills’ made enough space for himself before calmly finishing with a left footed shot, past Long Eaton’s Scott Low.
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| Adam Page Passes The Ball To John Mills |
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| A Scramble For The Ball |
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| Mills Gets Possession And Fires Towards Goal |
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| The Keeper Is Beaten |
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| Mills Is Happy |
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| And So Are Joel Edwards And Dylan Bonella |
Sol Wheatley was then replaced by Nathan Hughes, as he appeared to have a reoccurrence of his back injury.
Substitute Hughes was involved in the build up to another chance for John Mills. After Hughes dispossessed Gowing on the right, and then did well to find fellow midfielder Aaron Birch. John Mills offered support and was played in by Birch, but he screwed his shot agonisingly wide.
Under pressure from Nathan Hughes, Rickford kicked the ball behind for a Hereford corner. Adam Page forced an impressive save from the keeper, before a follow up shot from Heysham was deflected wide for a corner; but Hereford got the corner all wrong as the ball was directly played out for a goalkick.
In the final moments of the first half, Aaron Birch had a chance to double the Bulls’ lead. Birch’s powerful volley from the edge of the area just sailed past the wrong side of the upright, to send the teams down the tunnel at half time with only one goal between them.
HT: Hereford 1 - Long Eaton United 0
As the referee got the second half underway, within the first minute Hereford were awarded a free kick 25-yards out. As Adam Page’s floating delivery fell to Jamie Willets within the area, but the former Stourport man couldn't get a shot away as Long Eaton’s defence cleared the danger.
3 minutes later Hereford tested the keeper from another free kick. Pablo Heysham's curling delivery found John Mills, but his headed effort went straight into the hands of the Long Eaton stopper. Two minutes later, Nathan Hughes’ low drive from the edge of the box was easily claimed by Scott Low.
With 8 minutes gone of the second period, Long Eaton’s Bradley Wells managed to breakaway from the Bulls' defence before unleashing a shot from 18-yards. With Harvey Rivers off his line, he managed to get enough on the ball to tip it over, before the resulting corner was well dealt with by the home side.
For the majority of the second half, neither side could get a hold on the game with Long Eaton constantly closing Hereford down. As Pete Beadle introduced some fresh legs in the form of Max Kontic-Coveney, Hereford failed to create any meaningful chances, but credit should be given to the Long Eaton side who were a well organised outfit.
However, in the dying stages of the game, Ryan Green and Max Kontic-Coveney linked up well down the right. As Green carved his way into the box, he managed to set Pablo Heysham up, but the well-positioned keeper made an easy save.
FT: Hereford 1 – Long Eaton United 0
Att: 3,021 with around 25 travelling supporters in the Len Weston stand
Sponsors' MotM: Joel Edwards and Pablo Heysham
Hereford: Rivers, Green, Edwards, Bonella, Willets, Summers, Wheatley (Hughes – 22’ (Kontic-Coveney – 73’)), Birch, Mills, Haysham, Page
Subs not used: Grant, Miller, Robbins
Long Eaton United: Low, Haynes, Cole, Allen, Pheasant, Rickford, Piliero, Gowing, Ross (Leeming – 63’), Wells, Anderson (Wearing – 84’)
Subs not used: Mushambi, Mansfield