Hereford crashed out of the FA Cup this afternoon with a 2-0 loss at home to Welling United. Injuries to Lewis Hall, Martin Horsell and Mike McGrath scuppered the game plan and the Bulls miss out on £15,000 in prize money.
The ever-present Harry White was dropped to the bench along with Jamie Bird to make way for Calvin Dinsley and Billy Murphy. Nasty-looking head injuries to Mike McGrath and Martin Horsell saw the pair taken to hospital before the end of the first half. This led to a baptism of fire for 17-year-old youth team keeper Brandon Powell who came off the bench to fill in between the sticks.
Attacking the Meadow End in the first half, Welling were first to break forward and pull the trigger, but Martin Horsell was untroubled between the sticks for Hereford as Amayd Mendy's shot flew high and wide past the target.
Another good break from the visitors 'the Wings' saw Brendan Kiernan cross a dangerous-looking ball into the box, but Bristol City loanee Harvey Smith was on hand to deal with it.
With Hereford's players undoubtedly wanting to impress the new management team who have already threatened to whittle down the squad, Lewis Hall started off on the wrong foot by sending his cross from the left out for a goal kick after sailing behind.
After Danny Greenslade conceded two free kicks in his own half that failed to amount to anything, it was Lewis Hall's turn to whip in a free kick down at the Blackfriars End.
The 23-year-old wasted an opportunity as he sends the free kick over everybody from 25-yards.
Saying that, it was Hall who registered the Bulls' first shot on target with 15 minutes on the clock, shortly before picking up a knock and being replaced by Jamie Bird. It was Danny Greenslade who crossed the ball in and Hall tried his luck from the edge of the box with a low strike, but it was a routine save from visiting keeper Dan Wilks to deny him.
A brilliant move from Hereford somehow didn't result in them taking the lead. Some trickery in midfield from Mike McGrath saw him released Danny Greenslade down the wing, but somehow Eliot Richards couldn't hit the target with his header after getting on the end of Greenslade's great cross.
In the 28th minute Welling broke the deadlock, at the same time as nasty clash between McGrath and Horsell saw Hereford's keeper leave the field on a stretcher. Jack Webb whipped a free kick in to the far-side of the box, and Thierry Audel leapt to head the ball home.
But in the midst of trying to defend the free kick, Horsell and McGrath collided. Hereford's keeper was carried off after several minutes of medical attention, with McGrath able to walk off in a blood-stained shirt.
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The injury to the Bulls' stopper led to a baptism of fire for Brandon Powell, who's International clearance only came through earlier this week - Harry White also came on.
There wasn't much in the rest of the first half, only Kieran Thomas came close with his shot in the fifth minute of added time. As White looked for Eliot Richards with a cross into the box, it was headed out as far as Thomas who drilled his shot from outside the area just wide.
HT: Hereford 0 - Welling United 1
Two chances for Welling to extend their lead came moments into the second half, but they weren't able to find the back of the net.
Brandon Powell was forced into action as he tipped Nassim L'Ghoul's dinking effort over the bar, before Josh Hill should've done better from the corner as he fired wide after the ball was nodded down to him.
Following the early pressure Hereford actually seemed to get onto the front foot without creating many chances. They kept applying the pressure which was promising to see, with Jamie Bird unable to find the target with two chances on the hour mark.
Following a corner, Bird's first effort was wide and just missed the head of Cullinane-Liburd, but was stopped from going behind by Richards. As the Welshman crossed the ball back into the box, Bird once again fired wide.
It had already been a tough afternoon for Hereford's new Head Coach Marc Richards after going his side went a goal down and then being forced to use all three substitutions before the break, but then in the 70th minute Welling doubled their lead. As Jamie Bird thought he'd let the ball go out, it was kept in by Brendan Kiernan who after a solo-run into the box fired the ball past young keeper Powell.
Similar to his chance in the first half, Eliot Richards should've done better with a headed effort when unmarked in the area. Again, it was a Danny Greenslade cross from the left that set Richards up, bit his glancing header went wide at the far-post.
In the end it wasn't too be for Hereford, but another game passes not only without goal or win, but another five yellow cards. They miss out on £15,000 prize money, but can now focus on the league.
FT: Hereford 0 - Welling United 2
Att: 1,330 (58 away)
Sponsors' MotM: Danny Greenslade
Hereford: Horsell (Powell - 35'), Thomas🔶, Greenslade🔶, Murphy, Cullinane-Liburd (c)🔶, H. Smith, Dinsley🔶, McGrath (White - 35'), Jackson, Richards, Hall (Bird - 22'🔶).
Subs not used: Green, Harrison, Franklin, Lam.
Welling United: Wilks, Hurst (Gibbons - 84'), Braham-Barrett (c), Mendy, Hill, Andel, Kiernan, Jebb, Mills, Kissock (Ijaha - 90'), L'Ghoul (Ambroisine - 73').
Subs not used: Anau, Quebe, Goldberg, Pinney.
Next Game: Stockport County Away on Saturday 13th October at 3pm