 |
| A Packed Meadow End |
Hereford got this afternoon's game underway kicking towards the Blackfriars End, and it was the Whites who were first to test the keeper. A scuffed clearance from Linden Dovey fell to John Mills, but he hit his shot well over the crossbar when he should've done better from close range.
Following a quiet spell for both sides, with 15 minutes on the clock Hereford opened the scoring through John Mills. After the keeper spilled a tame shot from right-back Jimmy Oates, Mills made no mistake in tapping the ball home with his right-foot for his 21st goal of the season.
 |
| Jimmy Oates's Cross Was Spilled By The Keeper |
 |
| And John Mills Tapped In The Rebound |
In the 29th minute, Mike McGrath floated a free kick into Mark Preece at the far-post, but his headed effort went harmlessly wide of the goal for a goal kick.
Moments later, a speculative shot from McGrath 25-yards out was too high to trouble Kevin Sawyer in goal for the Robins.
10 minutes from half time Mike Symons doubled Hereford's lead with a cracking finish. After a mistake in Evesham’s midfield, the ball broke to Symons in yards of space. After cutting in from the left, he had just the keeper left to beat as he curled his right-footed shot into the top corner of net.
HT: Hereford 2 - Evesham United 0
Moments after the restart, Bulls keeper Alex Harris was called into action to deny Ashley Williams' long-range effort
In the 48th minute Mike Symons was brought down from behind 30-yards out as he tried to break towards goal. But John Mills' right-footed effort from the free kick sailed over Sawyer's crossbar.
The Robins went close again to pulling a goal back, but after the league’s top goalscorer Lance Smith created himself a shooting opportunity, Harris made another fine save to keep Hereford's two-goal lead intact.
Another chance for the visitors followed, when in the 58th minute Adam Mann's shot went just wide after Harris got his fingertips on the ball. A second shot from Mann seconds later rattled the woodwork before being cleared by the Whites' defence.
In the 63rd minute, substitute Jamie Molyneux made an instant impact on the game as he broke towards goal, but his low ball to Mills was easily collected by the keeper ahead of the ex-Didcot man.
With 70 minutes on the clock Evesham capitalised on some poor defending by Hereford. Right-back Linden Dovey carved open the Bulls defence and struck the ball past Harris after a largely unchallenged 50-yard run.
 |
Further chances for the visitors followed as Harris saved a rasping snapshot from Adam Mann, before Lance Smith fired wide of the target.
After replacing John Mills, Bradley Williams’ first touch was a powerful shot from outside the area, but his effort was once again parried by the keeper. After Hereford worked the ball out to Rob Purdie, his shot was straight at the keeper.
Despite a tense final few minutes for over 4,000 Hereford fans, the side can count themselves lucky to have got three points from the game today when a draw perhaps would have been the fair result.
FT: Hereford 2 - Evesham United 1
Att: 4,406 with 340 in the away section – a record league attendance
Sponsors' MotM: Jimmy Oates
Hereford: A. Harris, Oates, Edwards (c), Edge, Preece, Fortune, Plummer (Molyneux – 61’), McGrath, Mills (Williams – 81’), Purdie, Symons.
Subs not used: Cuss, Barnes, Horsell.
Evesham United: Sawyer, Dovey, Stanley, Sherhan (Magee – 75’), Harding, Williams, Fahy (Binns – 65’), Brown, Smith, Mann, Preen (Kennedy – 85’).
Subs not used: Wellon, Bryan.
Next Game: Paulton Rovers Away on Saturday 7th January at 3pm