Barney watched Hereford return to winning ways at Peterborough Sports last night.
Remarkably, given the gaffer’s musings after Saturday’s misfire, an almost unchanged, Bulls side took to a damp, cold, windy and reassuringly underlit Peterborough Sports pitch, with no sign of the much-anticipated new Men, apparently essential to reversing the recent slump in both form and results.
They say that it’s the hope that kills you, but early indications hinted that there might, just, tonight be something to cheer. Within forty seconds, a sumptuous ball from Ceesay’s underused left foot was begging for the tap-in which didn’t appear – you just know that a Mills or a McNeil would have obliged – but hey, different times, different league, different strikers. The visitors continued to have the better of things, showing a lot more energy than of late, with the home ‘keeper saving well from Babos and brilliantly from Willo. Worth mentioning here that our very own Andy was being policed by an old friend, the relatively anyway, youthful Michael Gash – Willo giving Gash just the three weeks in age, and an undisclosed number of kilograms. While more prosaic than poetic, I think they both enjoyed it.
35 minutes in and the Bulls took a deserved lead, and from a gem of a training ground set-piece. Sammy Robinson waited on the bigger units to wander forward, a long throw clearly incoming. Or so the Turbines thought. When said long throw gently floated into the no-mans land maybe a third of the anticipated distance, the ball was cleared, via a deflection or two, to Alex Babos, who curled in a teaser that a Mills or a McNeil would have feasted upon. As did Yusifu Ceesay (where would we be without him?) darting in front of his marker to nod home a picture goal.
Much joy among the 70 or so, the hope becoming, to some extent at least, belief. Yes, it was as good a half as we’ve seen in some time, no, honestly, it was. Solid at the back, Tate Campbell an excellent shield, behind a busy and tricky Mitchell, and an Alex Babos looking much more his old self. One could, probably should, have been at least two, but when you’ve been in the desert for a month or more...
No changes for the second period, would there be more from the side who thumped Kings Lynn just half a week ago? Well, yes, to a point, but nothing to unduly trouble Theo Richardson, as smart outside the box as he is within. Inevitably I suppose, the Bulls sat back a little, and – I would just love to call them Posh Sports, but no Spice Girls gags spring to mind, so will stick with Turbines – pushed on, but territory was not bringing the expected chances.
White Goes For Goal
The Bulls swapped Willo and White for DJ and Rose, as unsurprisingly, the game became stretched. The two combined for the undoubted Champagne Moment (TMS fans will know), as the former somehow wriggled away from three markers and a locked door to supply DJ with a dream pass six yards out - surely this was game over. As DJ sent one defender for a burger and another for French fries, this, finally, was the tap-in to seal things. Until another defender popped up from nowhere to hack off the line. And here was the moment we just knew, remember this is Hereford people, the hosts would nick an undeserved equaliser. That they nearly did with a pair of what looked like scandalously free headers would have ended the month as it had begun, but Richardson was happily, less troubled than the 30-foot netting behind his goal – finally, it was our day. Ok, our night.
A thoroughly deserved win on a tough evening, it’s not easy to pick out individuals when everyone out a shift in. Howkins and Bartley were rock solid, dealing with the Peterborough stand-out Gyasi (he’ll play higher I suspect) superbly. The midfield, despite the late retreat, were better than in, well, ages, and the goal threat was constant – do they have XG in NLN? Little nod here to Axl (I know, I know) Rose, who played the perfect 20-minute cameo, but MoM from the assembled (rural Bedfordshire, Burton-on-Trent, Dulwich and Twickenham) wisdom (they made me say that!) was Sammy, a whisker ahead of Tate. Yup, Robinson covered acres, was still sprinting in the 95th, and when he actually mistimed a tackle, was smart enough to do so a foot outside the box. That he puts life, or at least limb on the line so often is a huge credit to him. That he does so in shin-pads so microscopic you wonder why he bothers, is, I don’t know, a bit, well, mad.
I’m not sure if it was a Baldrick-esque cunning plan from Mr Caddis, kudos if it was, but his words from Saturday evening, when revisited, are interesting. Today, each and every player in a white shirt stood-up, and was counted - whether 18 or 38, they were all men. Or Men, even.
Will leave things with a mention for the match sponsor, who made Mr Gash the MoM. The 70 or so Bulls fans, already in good spirits loved that, but credit where due, he hauled his 38-year-old frame around the park with no little credit. There’s a pretty good chance (it’s the hope, remember) that we’ll be back here next season, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if Michael Gash is out there again.
Hereford: Richardson, Robinson, Bartley, Howkins, Hudson, Ceesay, White (sub Sturridge 72), Babos, Mitchell, Campbell, Williams (sub Rose 78).
Attendance 255