Son of Eric made the long trip to Boston yesterday to watch Hereford lose 1-0. Below is his report.
A gloriously sunny day saw the 78 Hereford fans in the crowd of 1,602 shading their eyes as they watched the game at Boston’s new stadium. Three sides are completed and with the fourth started but unfinished the low afternoon sun warmed those present pouring in through the empty end. As usual Hereford changed their line-up, Wright continued in goal. Pollock moved back to central defence with McNally believed to have finished a month’s loan. Skipper Hodgkiss, Andoh and Fini completed the rear line, Haines and Kouhyar returned sitting in front with Pinchard floating behind the front line. Storey after his double at Alfreton continued as the central striker with Smith on the right and Owen-Evans on the left. Lloyd dropped out of the match day squad. When Hereford attacked both full backs had scope to roam with Haines dropping back to make a third centre back.
The game kicked off half an hour late. The team were delayed with major problems on the M5 with it being closed at Droitwich where players were due to be picked up by the coach, and many Bulls fans were affected. The team did not arrive until after 3pm and as soon as they were inside Josh Gowling came out on to the pitch whilst the team changed, and he received a warm welcome.
Boston brought in Loick Ayina on loan from Huddersfield at centre back and he made an impressive start matching Storey for pace and winning the ball off him as he surged towards goal.
Boston won a corner and had two shots which were blocked. Hereford were not their usual fluid self. Boston had done their homework and Pinchard received rotational fouling with six different players clattering him during the first half. Harry bounced back well but will surely have a few bruises. It was notable that Boston quickly pressed both Owen-Evans and Pinchard often with two players. Boston may not have played that well offensively, but defensively they had Hereford well researched.
Hereford were looking to play quick fluid football and even at 0-0 Boston were looking to reduce the tempo of the game. Keeper Crook was ignoring the six seconds rule from the start and holding on to the ball Storey came to shadow him. Boston’s front men rumbled forwards and then with a slight wind behind him Crook launched a long ball which bounced high into the right side of the area. Hodgkiss let it bounce and a Boston player got a shot in which was blocked by a combination of Pollock and Hodgkiss. A Boston player appealed for handball and the Hereford players were slower to react and Burrow fired in. Route One football, one nil. Never let a ball bounce if you can help it.
Boston concentrated on not conceding more than going after a second and Hereford struggled to get their normal rhythm going. They were closed down early and pressed by the impressively organised Boston defence. On several occasions a fifty-fifty tussle was lost and the Boston player went down with referee Barlow awarding a foul. After half an hour Hodgkiss and Haines petitioned the referee and spent the best part of a minute seeming to try and understand how he was coming to his decisions. In a way this encapsulated Hereford’s season so far, the teams they play understand how to manage the referee and play to the limit of the rules, and Hereford seem unaware of what the expected standards are. It is one of the reasons why Hereford are facing a season fighting relegation. On paper they are too good to go down, but their performances on the pitch so far say otherwise.
Smith had his poorest game. He was bossed by left back Duxbury who was always touch tight. At the far post in the penalty box, he twice failed to anticipate crosses from Kouhyar and Storey caught on his heels, not expecting the ball. Owen-Evans received a lot of Boston attention and was substituted for McLean. Storey was the pick of Hereford’s attackers never stopping trying to outpace the backline. Hereford’s fans for the first time this season grew restless. Too often the only attacking threat was a clipped raised ball into a channel either side of Storey asking him to read it and chase. Many of these were overhit and easily read and the away fans recognising that as so often Hereford were playing a bigger side demanded that the Bulls tried to play the ball more on the ground.
Boston did not offer much offensively Elliot getting through to fire wide on a couple of occasions, but they were focused on game management, and you sensed they could go up a gear whilst Hereford were trying all they could. It was notable that Boston made their substitutions earlier and completed them by the eightieth minute. Hereford chasing the game with several players not getting much change left it later to make changes. It gave the impression that Boston were proactive and Hereford reactive.
When McLean came on, he was a willing runner but playing high balls to one of the shortest players on the pitch was a strategy with a low percentage success. Hereford struggled to get strikes on goal and they were closed down easily by Boston whose midfielders constantly harried. Sodeinde came on for Pinchard. Pinchard remains a valuable player but when marked tightly often by two players it was hard to see who the extra Hereford player was who was unmarked and could take advantage of the space created by Harry. He rode a lot of challenges and kept bouncing back.
It says much about the lack of Hereford creativity that their only real chance came from a long wind assisted goal kick by Wright which got through a gap. Storey raced forward and flicked the ball past the onrushing Crook and the ball ran agonisingly against the far post bouncing out. Boston cleared for a corner which Pollock headed over.
Hereford pressed more and more and Storey in the centre circle broke free of Loick. There was one full back left to beat, but the eighteen-year-old debutant knew what to do and tactically fouled Storey and walked away. With much effort referee Barlow called the youngster over and lectured him. The foul was a clear yellow card and Loick had committed enough offences to justify a booking for persistent fouling. Barlow seemed to have entered that dangerous twilight zone for referees where they are on for a game with no bookings. Like a gambler just spinning the wheel one more time, he seemed addicted to giving Boston the benefit of the doubt for their repeated “clumsy” challenges. Fair play to Boston, they pushed to the limit and took full advantage of the referee’s weakness. Scott Duxbury having seen Smith off and substituted continued his dark arts and in the eighty seventh minute he fouled once too harshly and was finally booked. The referee must have told off half a dozen Boston players and seemed to not appreciate that players respect yellow cards and the prospect of suspension and lost appearance fees far more than a talking to by officials. Barlow’s hubris did not affect the result, but it was frustrating to observe.
A ball down the right by Boston saw substitute Wright use his fresh legs to break into the box. Pollock came across and slide tackled coming away with the ball which prostrate on the floor he even nudged further away with his head. To most it was not a penalty but as the cliché goes you have seen them given. Byrne stepped up and with a Jorginho jiggle stroked the ball in with Wright wrongfooted.
Loick was Boston’s man of the match, and the teenager looked an outstanding talent. Duxbury impressed with a performance those who enjoyed Steve Devine would have appreciated. For Hereford there were a lot of mediocre performances with much effort, movement of the ball but little cut through. Fini worked hard and most of Boston’s danger came down the other side with Hodgkiss having a difficult afternoon. Fini had a clash of heads and bandaged up came back for more so would be my man of the match.
This is the worst start to the season of a Hereford FC team. Peter Beadle, Tim Harris, Marc Richards and Russell Slade must be looking on with interest. Gowling is lucky that he does not have the sacking board of the Kinnersley-Graham years, or he would be out by now. Nice football, lots of effort, very little end product in a results business. It is the repeated naivety of the team which frustrates most with wiser, tougher teams winning the points. Boston offered only a limited amount going forward but defensively they were excellent, Hereford could do worse than to watch how well organised the Pilgrims were and learn from their tactical fouling, resolution, and preparedness to do the simple things well repeatedly.
Hereford: Wright, Hodgkiss,
Haines, Owen-Evans, Storey, Andoh, Pollock, Kouhar, Smith, Fini,
Pinchard. Subs: Pearce, McLean, Njie, Charles, Sodeinde.