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| Two Goals For John Mills Helped Hereford To Victory |
For this midweek fixture. Stratford
welcomed the Bulls to a chilly Moodchimp stadium, looking to improve
after picking up a largely undeserved point at Slough.
Peter Beadle made 5 changes and only
named 4 subs as the injury list began to bulge like Jack Deaman's head
on Saturday. Out he went, along with Preston, Richards, Symons and Preen
and in came Green, O'Shea (fresh from his loan extension), Murphy, Bird
and Lance Smith.
The game began with Stratford keen to make themselves known on their bobbly pitch, with Ben Stephens shooting high and wide.
Gradually though, Hereford grew into
the game with Haysham and Reffell working well to set up Murphy from 25
yards out. Sadly though, his shot went too high for anyone's liking.
Captain Oates was next to try his
luck as he attempted to recreate his Slough wonder strike. But on the
heavy pitch it was scuffed and gathered by home keeper Louis Connor.
Haysham and Reffell combined again this time setting up Mills but he was tackled before releasing his shot.
Pring and Bird were next to get
involved but their respective crosses came to nothing. Bird was awake
now though, and began to spread his wings, combining with the marauding
O'Shea - seemingly over whatever disease had been infecting him- to set up Reffell whose shot was deflected.
Stratford then edged back into the
game as the oranges and Lucozade ebbed closer, with Stephens and Taylor
(a beast with pace) both having shots blocked off the line.
The final action of the half went to Haysham who laid it off to chopaholic Mills whose shot was skyed.
HT: STFC 0-0 HFC
The second half began with the Bulls
showing some early impetus as Smith created a corner out of nothing. The
resulting efforts were cleared off the line and Stratford quickly
countered but Ben Stephens didn't care for gravity so skyed his shot out
of the ground.
Beadle then chose to put on some
fresh legs by replacing Billy Murphy with the 35 year old veteran Rob
Purdie. However, he had a quick impact as only two minutes later, Jamie
Bird charged forward onto the right hand side of the penalty area before
sidling it to Smith. But before Smith could shoot, goalkeeper Connor
came charging out, sending Smith sprawling and the ball onto the penalty
spot. John Mills then stepped up to slot home the ball into the net,
sending Connor the wrong way in the process.
However, it didn't stay 1-0 for long as a neat through ball left Mills facing a defender and Connor. Fortunately, Mills couldn't resist so chopped past the defender before lobbing Connor to send the Bulls into a 2-0 lead and give the prolific forward 132 goals in 138 appearances.
Stratford were stunned and then allowed the Bulls to keep the ball for some time. Soon though, the Knights were ready to attack and began to threaten Horsell's goal. Taylor began to threaten and O'Shea went in for a tackle. And if you ignore the fact that it was late and poorly aimed, then a red card for the Youth International is entirely unjustified. Sadly, though he left the field with a limp and Beadle now has another headache to sort. The resulting free kick, taken by Stephens, was unlucky to ricochet off the underside of the bar.
Beadle then made his second and final sub, a straight swap of Smith and Symons while Purdie dropped to full back and Oates moved inward to partner Green.
With the more physical presence of
the Beast, the game took a slower, more controlled approach with
Hereford still seeing most of the possession despite only having 10 men.
Symo was still keen to prove his
place in the starting XI, as he teed up Bird from the edge of the area
only for it to be deflected for a corner. From the set play, Bird tried
to do an overhead kick - and failed - and Mills attempted to copy Ryan
Green's 'Halifax' goal from the edge of the area - and failed.
Symons then tried again, this time
controlling Horsell's goal kick and lobbing it towards Mills, who on the
half-volley narrowly shot wide.
Then, somehow, Stratford pulled a
goal back. An in-swinging corner was glanced in by Mike Taylor, in the
88th minute, provoking fears of a Slough-esque comeback.
Fortunately, experience came through and Hereford kept possession and forced several throw-ins and even a corner, something which Keith Hall remarked was the first set-piece of such he'd ever seen with no-one in the 18 yard box! Jamie Bird however, lacks such experience and conceded a cheap Free Kick in a dangerous area. A last chance for the Knights and 'keeper Connor charged up the pitch. And 10 seconds later, he was desperately charging back as the ball was cleared out to John Mills. But 40 yards out with an open goal, the marksman couldn't convert in the dying moments.
FT: STFC 1-2 HFC
This was a good performance by the
Bulls who are now just 2 points off Kings Lynn and with enough games in
hand to remain optimistic. However, O'Shea being sent off leaves Green as
our only fit Centre-Half. Rob Purdie may need to practice tackling...
MotM: Ryan Green, leading by example at the back and keeping Stratford's pacy front line at bay.
Attendance: 707 - Stratford's highest of the season.
Hereford: Horsell, Oates, Pring,
Murphy (Purdie 55), Green, O'Shea (sent off 62), Bird, Reffell, Mills,
Haysham, Smith (Symons 65).