Golden Boys Get The Goals

Rob Purdie Scored One Of Hereford's Goals

Eric reports from Dunstable.

Hereford played Dunstable on a bright day which when the sun went behind the clouds in the second half turned bitterly cold. Despite their lowly position the professionalism and friendliness of the Dunstable volunteers was top of the league. Well planned and thoughtful produced a great atmosphere boosted by over 350 Bulls fans in the crowd of 509. There was a low-key police presence after the problems at Farnborough, but also a sense of fans self-policing to remove those more interested in childish games than supporting a proud team being rebuilt by dedicated volunteers.

Hereford opened brightly, Symons playing Smith through who found the side netting when trying to score at the near post. Symons again found Smith who this time shot just wide. A quality Purdie cross found Smith in the box, but his shot was well blocked. After 8 minutes a Purdie cross was cleared, and Dunstable broke quickly for Osei-Bonsu to shoot powerfully bringing out a good save from Horsell. The ball broke but the rebound was well blocked.

Hereford dominated, and Symons fed Bird who shot against the bar. 

Next it was Symons turn to shoot with keeper Hunt saving well. 

As Hereford fired in crosses at times Hunt was flapping a little being one of the shorter keepers in the division. Next Pates crossed, Symons chest trapped expertly and was well saved. Reffell cut in from the wing but shot over the bar. Bird was playing some clever twinkle toes tricks and moving the ball well causing difficulties for the determined Dunstable defence. Several times his skilful movements almost came off but were thwarted at the last.

Keyon was working as hard as ever and cleverly nicked the ball off Okito crossed to the marked Symons in the box who laid the ball back to Bird who shot over the bar. Purdie’s full repertoire of corners was being displayed and a quick short one to Pring whose cross was clawed away by Hunt to Bird who shot when an easy ball to O’Shea looked a far better option.

Symons and then Pring had shots blocked as Hereford’s one-way traffic kept threatening the goal. Symons who was rocking and rolling Sonuga and Ogden at will fed Purdie who went for a clever near post finish and just found the wrong side of the post. Good skill and a clever ball from Smith found Symons who shot well across the keeper, who somehow flung out a leg to deflect the far post finish wide. A powerful run from Bird made good ground and he cut in drawing defenders to him, but rather than passing to the well placed and unmarked Reffell Bird went for the glory goal and was blocked again.

A long ball forward Symons who controlled it. As we’ve seen so many times he feinted to turn one way and rolled away the other saying see you later and getting to the touchline pulled the ball back to Purdie who on the edge of the six-yard box blasted into the roof of the net. The long-threatened goal had arrived after 25 minutes.

Bird was seeing plenty of the ball and only had eyes for goal shooting and missing again. Bird then played a very skilful to Purdie who returned the compliment for Bird to have a shot blocked again. A challenge from Purdie on the half way line saw the ball break free to Bird who sublimely stabbed the loose ball to Symons who turned in an instant laying through a ball desperate to be finished. Smith broke on to it outpacing the defenders and expertly shot across the keeper to make it 2 0. Bird’s ball to find Symons split the defence in an instant was a magic moment.

Dunstable awarded their man of the match to Ogden, but he was bossed all afternoon by Symons who rolling him yet again on the half way line was on his way to a goal scoring opportunity. Ogden was booked cynically grabbing Symons shirt knowing that was the only way he could stop him. Sensing Hereford’s dominance O’Shea was regularly breaking forward and just as he was about to shoot the ball was nicked away from him for another Purdie corner which Reffell headed wide.

Pring broke into the box and went down under a challenge which the referee waved away. Then Purdie went down under a challenge in the box which was not given, but both could have been, although neither were clear cut. Pring after miscontrolling the ball the first time he touched it in the game came well into the match as an attacking force. Just before half time he was brought down, and a quick Purdie free kick found Oates whose cross was cleared. From the corner Smith headed against the bar.

With Hereford on top and Dunstable tiring towards the end of the half it looked like there could be a goal fest in the second half.

SECOND HALF

Dunstable made two substitutions at half time.

Smith had been holding his upper leg towards the end of the first half and after 52 he was substituted for Preen. From playing two strikers up front Symons became a lone striker with Preen and Reffell out wide occasionally changing wings with each other. Behind Symons Bird and Purdie operated in close support.

Preen looked in good form jinking away ad quickly won a corner and Purdie’s wicked ball was flicked away for another corner which Dunstable cleared. Hereford were in total control and even more dominant. Preen twisted and tricked Trif to cross for Green who just headed past the post. Then Preen had a good one two with Purdie and just shot wide. Bird had a good run down the right and was just stopped from putting a dangerous ball in.

On 68 minutes Bird surged forward and passed wide to Preen being taken out as he did. The referee allowed advantage and Preen cut in and crossed to Reffell in the box who was taken out by Okito. Reffell was booked for simulation. Your correspondent was closer to the action than the referee and Reffell had the ball and the defender caught him. Did the contact justify the way Reffell went down, no. If he stayed on his feet, the two first half challenges in the box which could have been penalties showed how the poor referee would have reacted. VAR would have helped and if Keyon had been given a red card, then when reviewed it would have been overturned. It’s very tricky for players, try and stay on your feet and you have the referee wave play on. Go down and you get booked. Have a referee as poor as today’s and you have no chance.

Ward caught Richards late on the half way line and was booked. Richards was running the game from a deep midfield position and this was the only way to stop him continuing to feed Hereford’s forwards. A rare break by Dunstable lead to their most impressive player Osei-Bonsu firing a shot which brought a good save from Horsell. Bird then had a shot blocked, Symons picked it up and shot before Bird hit the post before being substituted on 75 minutes.

Bird is undoubtedly going to be a good player, but one of the reasons Hereford did not win by more goals today was his lack of awareness when players were in better positions. In the first half he repeatedly shot when there were obviously better passes to players in space in or around the box. After several of these attempts you would see one of the senior players walk back with Bird and explain to him what he had missed, only for the same mistake to be made again. It would appear that Beadle gave more of this feedback at half time, as in the second half Bird took a far more team orientated approach. He’s got a cracking shot on him and will score some crackers but one day goal difference may be a deciding factor so needs to improve his decision making.

Murphy coming on for Bird quickly found the pace of the game and played some lovely balls as Hereford pushed to get a score which reflected their domination. Preen cut in and shot wide, Symons won a corner from which again Preen shot wide. Reffell was now getting past Okito regularly and was brought down on the right level with the box. Murphy floated in a beautiful ball to the far post. O’Shea rose and nodded back across goal for Green to nod into an empty net, making it 3 0.

Symons was almost dancing with the defenders now as he kept making opportunities. Green was rampaging forward, and Purdie dinked a ball to Symons who left it for Green in a great position but stumbled as he shot. 

Another Murphy cross was scrambled away, before Reffell won another corner which was cleared. Dunstable were visibly tiring Aji caught O’Shea late and was booked. Another heavy challenge by the already booked Ogden warranted yellow, but the referee failed to bring out the red card.

Symons then broke into the box and was cleaned out, the clearest cut of all the four possible penalties Hereford could or perhaps should have had. The referee gave a corner and Symons headed wide.

Into injury time and a lovely intricate passing movement between Purdie and Oates on the right fed Richards whose shot on the turn went in off the far post. A beautiful goal to finish the game with. 

Both of our golden boy legends Purdie and Green gambolled like lambs through this game and it was an honour to see them both on the scoresheet. If our latest legend Mills had been playing we would have scored more, but we were also frustrated by a dismal referee.

Man of the match was Symons, who made two goals, but was just awesome in possession and dominated Dunstable’s defenders.

Top, top, top, top, top, top of the league!

Hereford: Horsell, Oates (C), Green, O'Shea, Pring, Reffell, Purdie, Richards, Bird, Smith, Symons.

Subs: Puddy, Murphy, Preen, Bowen, Liburd

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