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| Andy Williams Hooks The Ball Towards Goal |
Nigel Preece reports on yesterday's game between Hereford and Chorley.
Six points from nine away from home had propelled us into the playoff zone and enthusiasm and optimism was up in my peer group … along with the odd negative seer of course, who'd get the call right?
An early start for me, train bypassing Hereford on to Ludlow, brunch with my mum and even a brief stop at the Ludlow Brewery by the station.
Back to Hereford, Orange Tree then the Barrels, mostly optimism with some sage concern over our (lack of) midfield options.
That optimism clearly shared, a decent turn out at the street, by the home fans anyway. 2779 in total, I've been in single figure away support back in the day, but 38 away fans from a side with 7 wins from 10 and storming into home game play off positions is frankly well into the why do they bother territory.
We lined up with a similar formation to Tuesday with slight personnel changes. Pond. Okeke and Hudson wing backs. Southern, Downing and Captain Cameron in the centre of defence. No recall for Tex, Skinner and Babos continuing in centre midfield. Willo behind Cowley and the much missed Ceesay.
An even first 15, couple of decent situations for both sides before Chorley took the lead; a long throw from in front of Block B was flicked on and emphatically finished from 8 yards by Hazlehurst who milked his moment by giving it large in front of the Meadow End.
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| A Half Chance For Jason Cowley |
We tried to respond, regularly trying to use Okeke’s pace out wide, but were frustrated by our own lack of cohesion, Chorley’s well organised defence and several puzzling decisions from the ref. Not a great 45 against organised but uninspiring opponents, nevertheless the feeling at half time was we were more than capable of getting something from the game.
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| Willo Goes For Goal But It Hits A Defender |
Chorley's strike was far too early for my 42 minute goalden goal online ticket and who knows if I snaffled the half time draw as the old scoreboard wasn't working; the first casualty of the soon to be demolished Blackfriars perhaps?
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| Both Andy Williams And Manager Paul Caddis Were Booked |
We started the second period on the front foot, albeit there seemed to me to be a deliberate ploy from us to try and get decisions from the ref, as if we felt he owed us a couple after the first half. There were one or two frankly embarrassing efforts to con him, while playing the ref is all part of modern game management, this was taking it too far in my opinion.
Nevertheless, for 20 minutes or so we dominated, Ceesay the closest to an equaliser when he cut in from the left and drilled a shot inches wide with the visiting keeper watching helplessly.
Tex came on for Hudson, Skinner moving to the left. A mishit goal kick resulted in a clear run in on our goal but Pond redeemed his error by making a fine save.
Paul Downing Heads Towards Goal
Our attacks became more sporadic and, with it, more frenetic. We were crying out for a bit more poise and control in midfield but persisted with route one. Too many long balls gobbled up by Chorley's big centre halves led to more frustration from the crowd and at the ref as he made a few more head scratching decisions.
With 15 to go Phillips came on for the disappointing Willo, if he's going to play a number 10 role he needs ball to feet rather than at or over his head. Another good chance was spurned shortly afterwards when more positive wing play from Ceesay gave Cowley an opportunity from 8 yards, perhaps the ball was a bit under his feet as he could only spoon it over the bar.
Increasingly you felt a second Chorley goal was more likely than a Bulls equaliser as we threw bodies forward and several last ditch blocks were needed to thwart Chorley breaks.
Southern was sacrificed for Rooney, the latter's instructions to Babos didn't seem well received but we kept trying to force chances; there was one last hope as Cowley was found in a surprising amount of space in the area, one touch gave him room to shoot but his effort was disappointingly sliced high and wide when a strike across goal was perhaps a better option.
It was the final moment on a frustrating afternoon's football. Chorley were strong, physical, well organised with good shape, a couple of players who looked a cut above, so you could see why they're doing ok, but they weren't that good; Scunthorpe ripped us apart when we left space trying to chase a game, Chorley weren't capable of capitalising similarly and if we did get a chance of a play off against them we should not be too worried but we'll have to play a whole heap better to enable that opportunity.
A brief post match warm down in the Beer in Hand where the consensus was that while the ref didn't help, we were short on quality, relied too much on hopeful long balls rather than mixing it up by trying to play through the midfield (the absence of Lyden and Mendes not helping I guess) before getting it wide.
A, thankfully, uneventful and timely train journey home. The games come thick and fast, Alfreton on Tuesday will provide another physical challenge. We've played 3 centre backs for the past four home games, often through necessity, with just one goal scored, albeit against higher placed opponents. It will be interesting to see with more bodies available whether Paul Caddis makes changes in personnel and or formation, either way keeping the positive approach of playing at pace while aiming to utilise space rather than trying to win a physical arm wrestle. I look forward to it.
Hereford: Pond, Skinner, Hudson, Downing, Ceesay, Babos, Cowley, Williams, Okeke, Southern, Cameron. Subs: Teixeira, Sterry, Walby, Rooney, Phillips.
Attendance: 2779 with 39 from Chorley