Harwood Bull watched Hereford's first National North League game of the season at Edgar Street yesterday afternoon.
“What’s it like to see a crowd?” used to be a taunt to visiting fans of less well supported clubs. Taking the question at face value, the answer has to be “it’s pretty good actually”. Edgar Street looked good in the sunshine, and just over 2,000 were there to see it. It just felt good to be watching football again.
Unfortunately, Josh’s boys couldn’t deliver the win we all wanted. Having gone one down to a slightly fortunate goal they missed the chance to get back into it from the penalty spot. The visitors were a very big side who played some tough and uncompromising football, aided at times by some tolerant refereeing. Hancox was booked as early as the fourth minute for a late challenge and the game was niggly throughout.
After a scrappy first 10 minutes both sides started to make chances. Brandon Hall made a save low down from Hayhurst’s free kick, failed to hold the ball and was relieved to see it scrambled away. At the other end Joey Butlin dragged a shot wide and then Owen-Evans shot high over the bar, but shortly afterwards he had a powerful on target effort well saved.
Hereford continued to try and put good passing moves together, sometimes being let down by the final ball. Farsley were more direct and physical, and finished the half strongly. Spencer had a long range effort hit the side netting and another shot on the turn well blocked.
0-0 at the break.
No changes for the Bulls at half time, and Butlin went close with an effort curled towards the top corner in the 50th minute. The game remined fairly even until the turning point came in the 61st minute. Miles Storey was pacy and aggressive throughout, but pushed it too far and was booked for a poor challenge. Parkin curled the resulting free kick into the area and no-one got a touch to it including Hall who saw it drop over his head into the top corner.
After 66 minutes the fading Owen-Evans was replaced by Kouhyar who immediately impressed with his touch on the ball. In the 75th minute Hereford had the chance to get back into the game. Maclean made a run into the box and went down under a challenge from Barton. It was a fairly dubious penalty, but as they say “I’ve seen them given”, and this one was. Butlin took the kick, going low to the keeper’s left. It was in truth a tame effort and the keeper saved comfortably.
Hereford continued to press for the equaliser. Butlin was replaced by Klukowski, which on the face of it wasn’t the most positive substitution. However Butlin was increasingly being drawn into niggly confrontations with defenders – maybe Gowling took him off to save a sending off.
There was a sending off with 10 minutes left. Kouhyar cut into the box and took a boot in the stomach from the Farsley captain Syers. He went down and stayed down. The red card was brandished, several Farsley players stood over Kouhyar, presumably accusing him of making a meal of it, and Syers trudged off after moaning and wagging his finger at the ref.
Hereford’s final chance to get something out of the game came in stoppage time. Kouhyar cut in from the right, switching the ball on to his left foot, but his low shot was just wide, and that was that.
Full time: Hereford FC 0 Farsley Celtic 1
Hereford: Hall, Hodgkiss, Hancox, Haines, McLean, Butlin (Klukowski 84), Owen-Evans (Kouhyar 66), Storey, Lloyd, Pollock, Vincent. Unused subs: Forsyth, Liburd-Hines, Whittingham.
Farsley Celtic: Donaghy, Syers, Barton, Byrom, Hayhurst, McKenna, Atkinson, Walton, Hanson, Spencer (Ellis 86), Parkin (Longbottom 82). Unused subs: Richards, Walker, Fialdini.
Attendance: 2,108
Much has been said about the need to replace Grimes with a central defender of similar stature. Pollock is being asked to fill that role for now. The Farsley front men were on a mission to rough him up and for a while I thought he might get bullied out of the game, but to his credit he stuck to his task and as the game went on, he more than held his own.
Pollock Heads The Ball Towards Goal But It's Easily Gathered By Donaghy
Vincent looks like a composed player who can organise the midfield. A few of his passes went astray but we can give him the benefit of the doubt, having missed so many pre season games. We certainly have some pace up front with Storey and McLean, and Kouhyar definitely has the creative skills. Hodgkiss did a good job steadying the defence.
We’ve seen
before, and we saw it against Farsley, that this can be a very physical
league. Gowling wants to play skilful football on the ground and if we
can get it right, we should be able to expose some of the big clumsy
defenders we see at this level. If it isn’t going well we need to be
able to mix it up and scrap it out. It’s early days yet – Bradford next
week, come on you whites!