With the news that Hereford will play Rochdale in next round of the FA Cup, a look back to the last game between the two clubs.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
BULLS SEE OFF PROMOTED DALE
On
a sunny afternoon at Edgar Street, the Bulls welcomed a Rochdale side
already assured of a long awaited promotion, but rather jaded after
their defeat at Notts County. For their part, the home side had little
to play for, and a predictably tepid first half had a distinct end of
term feel to it. After the interval, a much more eventful passage of
play saw Hereford deservedly defeat their opponents, and climb to 15th
position in the table, the loftiest of the entire season except for a 4
day period in early December.
Graham Turner, sporting a dapper
business suit as he took charge for almost the last time, welcomed back
the talismanic Ryan Green, with Keith Lowe making way in an otherwise
unchanged team. Rochdale were first to threaten with Gary Jones probing
from midfield and releasing Andy Howarth who shot well over. Chris
Dagnall looked lively up front for the Dale, and Jason Kennedy should
have hit the target when well placed. Craig King played a lovely through
ball to Mathieu Manset, but the Frenchman was en retard with his
effort, and the shot was blocked.
Darren Jones looked assured at
the heart of the Bulls defence, and, in a light hearted moment, showed
the yellow card to referee Mr Webb who had dropped it. Adam Bartlett
made a fine diving save from Dagnall, who connected with a clever pass
from Chris O’Grady, and the keeper was again on hand to deny Howarth at
the end of a quick-fire passing movement involving Dagnall, O’Grady and
Temitope Obadeyi. Manset found the overlapping Green, but the shot went
across goal. Green then reverted to defensive duties and put in an
expert blocking tackle to cut out a Howarth centre.
With neither
side able to conjure up the telling final ball, the game drifted towards
a welcome break. James McQuilkin overhit a pass which would have
unleashed the Beast, and a Tom Kennedy free kick, rather harshly awarded
just outside the box, did not trouble Bartlett.
HT: HUFC 0 ROCHDALE 0
There
had been little to suggest the entertainment on offer after the
half-time oranges had been sucked. Manset chased a pass from Gavin
McCallum and did well to reach it, though he could not stop it from
going for a throw. The striker then showed his moves with some
Ronaldoesque stepovers, and McCallum’s wayward shot was not a fitting
conclusion to the move.
At the other end, Dagnall shot straight
at Bartlett and Howarth’s effort on goal was high and wide. Obadeyi, one
of few professional sportsmen mentioned in a Beatles song (well,
almost) went on a mazy run and evaded a desperate lunge by Valentine
before losing his footing. Then, as the end to end play continued, the
match had its first goal with the clock showing 52 minutes. An
enterprising Bulls move down the right that involved McQuilkin and
Manset saw an angled shot from McCallum beat the onrushing Frank
Fielding in the Dale goal. As the ball trundled goalwards, a covering
defender was prevented from clearing by the bustling Craig King, who
forced it home.
Marc Pugh was proving a handful as Hereford tried
to press home their advantage. Beating two opponents, he passed to
McQuilkin, who appeared to be marginally offside. However, no flag was
forthcoming, but a moment’s hesitation by the midfielder was sufficient
for Fielding to live up to his name. Manset and Green, ever more an
attacking option at this stage of the game, cleverly set Kenny Lunt
free. Lunt’s cheeky turn inside was topped off with a curling shot that
was deflected for a corner. Pugh’s flag kick to the far post caused
concern to the defence, but Ryan Valentine was heading away from goal
when he was clearly tugged back. The penalty was duly awarded.
Clearly
Manset wanted so very much to take the kick, that Valentine had to
employ all his powers of diplomacy, not to mention a rather daring spot
of wrestling to extricate the ball from the Frenchman’s grasp. The kick
was brilliantly parried by Fielding, but luckily for the Bulls went
straight back to Valentine, who buried the rebound. 61 minutes gone, 2-0
to Hereford and a kiss-and-make-up between Manset and his Valentine.
Naturally
the comfort zone is an area little frequented by the Bulls this season,
so of course Rochdale halved the deficit in the time it takes to unwrap
a mint humbug. On 62 minutes, sub Joe Thompson did appear to push
Valentine during a forceful run down the right wing, but nothing was
given, and his pinpoint cross was headed home by Gary Jones, a just
reward for an impressive player. Hereford, rather than resorting to a
defensive approach, attempting to hold on to their lead, chose instead
to continue to attack. Ryan Green embarked on a marauding run, which
finished in the penalty area, and their seemed some merit in his claim
that the foul given against him was in fact a fair shoulder charge. The
defender then pulled down Dagnall just outside his own box, and the free
kick took a slight deflection before being beaten out by Bartlett.
The
late introduction of Matty Done gave fresh impetus to the Hereford
tactics. One of his corners was punched clear to Pugh, whose cross to
the far post was only just too high for McCallum. Frustratingly, a Green
cross was then met with a glancing McCallum header, to which newly
introduced sub Leon Constantine was slow to react. Rochdale stepped up a
gear, and O’Grady’s pass to Jones needed a timely block from namesake
Darren. As time ran out, Fielding, clad in even brighter orange than our
away kit, presumably as part of a Tango sponsorship deal, even went
into the Meadow End to retrieve the ball on one occasion, but the
remaining time passed without further ado.
FT: HUFC 2 ROCHDALE 1
Attendance: 1975, including 341 from Spotland.
HUFC: Bartlett, Valentine, Rose, Green, Jones, Pugh, McQuilkin, Lunt, McCallum, King (Done 81), Manset (Constantine 81).
Rochdale:
Fielding, T.Kennedy, Wiseman, McArdle, Dawson, J.Kennedy (Toner 63),
Jones, Haworth (Higginbotham 57), Dagnall, Obadeji (Thompson56),
O’Grady.
Hill Is Mr Angry
Rochdale boss Keith Hill accused the linesman who gave the penalty against his side of having an agenda against the whole football club.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Hill said: "It's been a disappointing day and I'm angry. The lads have got to realise they are playing for their futures but today had an end-of season feel to it. We should be winning football matches or at least looking like we're going to win.
"It was probably a penalty but the linesman appeared to have an agenda and it was an agenda against Rochdale Football Club. Sometimes referees and linesman have to admit to making mistakes but there was a touch of arrogance in the way they officiated. When they look back on the game, they might realise they got a lot of the decisions wrong.
"It's just a good job that it has not cost us promotion or was in a must-win game. With not a lot at stake, whoever appointed these officials must have thought they would appoint somebody to have an easy day out down at Hereford."
Hill's comments that it was 'probably a penalty' and subsequent rant at the linesman is in stark contrast to Rochdale's one-sided official site report that claimed 'the referee seemed to be the only person in the stadium to spot something'.