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| Brandon Hall Tips Over A Free Kick From Elliot Durrell |
Both sides lacked a cutting edge in front of goal as Telford and Hereford played out a goalless draw in this Bank Holiday derby match.
Josh Gowling dropped Mitch Hancox to the bench after his hesitation on Saturday led to Fylde’s second goal in the Bulls’ 4-1 defeat. And Jamie Vincent was missing from the squad through injury, with Yan Klukowski and George Forsyth starting. Forsyth scored the Bulls’ goal in their first away game of the season - the 1-1 draw at Bradford Park Avenue. Ryan Lloyd slotted in at left back.
Ryan Lloyd Lifts The Ball Past Durrell
Telford - playing in all white - came into the game with one win and one defeat so far, while Hereford had one point from their opening three games. The Bulls were playing in the yellow away strip.
From the kick-off the home side pushed forward with an Elliot Durrell corner pushed away by Brandon Hall, only for Adam Walker to drive over. Soon afterwards, a deep free kick from Durrell was tipped over by Hall.
Hereford soon found their stride though. Miles Storey fired wide from the edge of the box, and soon afterwards drilled a low ball across the face of goal.
But the uncertainty at the back for the Bulls created some nervous moments. Durrell fired at Hall again, and Kai Williams put in a lively performance in the Telford attack.
Jared Hodgkiss picked up a yellow card for a foul on Williams as Telford broke following an attacking Hereford free kick. The effort from the Telford left flank didn’t trouble Hall as it sailed wide; a rare effort where the Hereford goalkeeper didn’t need to jump for the ball amidst the incoming attackers. Moment later, Williams fired wide across Hall’s goal, but it was another reminder of Telford’s attacking threat.
Then, a brilliant challenge by Ben Pollock about six yards out took the ball away from Jason Oswell, after Williams cut it back from the byline. A crucial intervention. Hereford went straight up the other end, piled on the pressure, and had calls for a penalty turned down.
Ryan McLean had a quiet match, with his notable contribution on 35 minutes when he stole the ball from defender Theo Streete, surged forward and his shot ended up in the side netting after the goalkeeper Russell Williams pushed it behind for a corner.
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| Ryan McLean |
A minute later, at the other end, confusion led to Oswell’s effort rebounding back off the post!
It was goalless at the break, but the Bulls looked more comfortable as the half progressed particularly going forward.
Telford started the second half as the brighter, with Williams driving over and a Durrell chance stopped by Hall. The home side kept the pressure up, breaking quickly after a Hereford attack and finding room to cut through the Bulls’ defence.
Storey did well to beat the Telford right back Brad Bood on the hour mark to win a corner - the two had clashed a few minutes before - but nothing came of Tom Owen-Evans’ ball into the box.
For parts of the second half, the ball was largely in the air, something that didn’t suit Josh Gowling’s side.
When they did get the ball down, Hereford looked stronger and more direct. A Miles Storey cross found Yan Klukowski, whose rising shot was deflected over. That was Klukowski’s final contribution, with Mitch Hancox coming on in his place midway through the second half.
A lovely move forward on 70 minutes saw a Durrell flick reaching Williams, and his shot was blocked before Hereford cleared the resulting corner. The Bulls built forward, putting pressure on but again lacking the cutting edge in the area to convert the possession into an effort on goal.
Luke Haines
Enter Zele Ismael, on as a sub. Some lovely touches and crosses from the Hereford right added energy and pressure for Telford to deal with.
Zele Ismael
The Bulls notched it up a gear. A tricky long throw from Hancox couldn’t be collected by the goalkeeper, who was blocked by a Telford defender, and this caused confusion but again Hereford couldn’t make a breakthrough.
In the four minutes of added time, it was all Hereford. The best chance came from a deep Jared Hodgkiss cross that the goalkeeper was able to collect ahead of Smith.
Jared Hodgkiss
In the end, a draw was probably the right outcome. Hereford defensively looked stronger - a clean sheet being a plus - and as the game went on, there were some sparks going forward, even if ultimately they couldn’t find the net. Either side could’ve won it, and both lacked a cutting edge. Two points from the opening four games means the Bulls are looking up, hoping for a victory against Spennymoor next Saturday.
Telford: Griffiths, Birch, White, Abbey, Streete, Durrell (Bennett, 89), Walker (capt), Oswell (McHale, 81), Williams (Hamilton, 88), Bood, Pond. Unused subs: Lilly, Byrne.
Hereford: Hall, Lloyd, Pollock, Haines, Hodgkiss, Klukowski (Hancox, 68), Owen-Evans, Forsyth, McLean (Ismael, 73), Storey, Smith. Substitutes: Whittingham, Fini, Kouhyar.
Referee: Oliver Mackey
Attendance: 1,761