AFC Totton 1 – Hereford 2

Joel Edwards Leads Out The Hereford Squad

For Hereford’s first game in the Southern League Division One South and West, Pete Beadle made 5 changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Merthyr in last weekend’s friendly; in came Jimmy Oates, Jamie Willets, Joe Tumelty, Ross Staley and Mike Symons for Anthony Robbins, Jamie Edge, John Mills, Joe Phillips (returned to Stourport) and Chris Jones (signed for Aberystwth).

The Bulls were first to test the keeper, within the opening 5 minutes Pablo Haysham saw his free kick clip the top of the crossbar after bouncing in the area. Another chance moments later saw Ross Staley’s cross to Mike Symons intercepted by Tony Rolls and put behind for a corner, but Haysham’s delivery was cleared by the first defender.

In the 20th minute, some great build up play between Jimmy Oates and Aaron Birch saw the ball break to Pablo Haysham on the edge of the area, but his low-drive was deflected by Staley and the ball trickled just wide of the goal with the keeper wrong-footed. 

The Stags had their fair share of chances throughout the half, with Nick Watts having a shot blocked by Chris Barker in Hereford’s defence after breaking forward from the halfway line. Moments later, Horsell did well to save Nathaniel Sherborne’s effort from close-range, but after dropping the ball it was left to Barker to deny Sherborne’s follow-up shot with a diving header on the line.

The hosts’ persistence finally paid off with 31 minutes on the clock, when Nick Watts fired the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net from the edge of the area to open the scoring.

Totton Open The Scoring

Hereford had a handful of half-chances before the break, but failed to capitalise on them. Firstly, in the 36th minute, Ross Staley had a shot from 12-yards pushed around the post by goalkeeper Steve Mowthorpe. Pablo Haysham then fired wide from a freekick, before once again hitting the woodwork after doing well to latch onto the end of a wayward Jimmy Oates cross.

HT: AFC Totton 1 – Hereford 0

4 minutes after the restart, Ian Oliver brought Haysham down within the 18-yard box with referee James Durkin pointing unhesitatingly to the penalty spot. Rob Purdie stepped up to take the spot kick, firing straight down the middle to level the scoreline. As Purdie went to retrieve the ball from the back of the net, a scuffle between himself and the keeper resulted in the referee showing both of them a yellow card.

Rob Purdie Took the Penalty

Which Sailed Past The Keeper

Purdie Picked Up The Ball Out Of The Net But The Keeper Appeared Unhappy

Eventually The Referee Carded Both Purdie And The Keeper

The penalty proved the catalyst in Hereford’s game as they looked more lively in the second period, with Ross Staley scoring Hereford’s second 9 minutes later. Haysham excellently controlled a long ball forward from skipper Joel Edwards, playing it into the path of Staley.

As the ex-Bristol Rovers man burst into the box, his right-footed effort beat the outstretched arm of the keeper at the near-post.

Ross Staley Cuts In

Takes A Shot

Which Beat The Keeper

Staley could’ve grabbed his second 3 minutes from time, after cutting into the box from the left, he tried to lift the ball over Mowthorpe, but Totton’s stopper was able to push his effort around the post for a fruitless corner. 

Hereford saw the final few minutes of the game out with Haysham and Symons winning a series of throw-ins and corners on the left.

FT: AFC Totton 1 – Hereford 2

Att: 731

AFC Totton: Mowthorpe █, Hibberd, Oliver, Williams, Rolls, Wilson, Watts █, Monteiro (Allen – 46’), Munday, Sherborne, Angell.

Subs not used: Silvestre, Hunt, Roberts, Ockwell.

Hereford: Horsell, Oates, Edwards, Purdie █, Barker, Willets, Tumelty (Mills – 80’), Birch, Staley, Haysham, Symons.

Subs not used: Cuss, Robbins, Edge, Huntback.

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