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| Ceesay Celebrates His Goal - Pictures From Andy Walkden |
Hereford have turned around their form and now have three wins from three after beating South Shields.
Yusifu Ceesay's second-half goal was the difference between the two sides, with the winger now having four goals in the last five games to his name.
An unchanged Hereford side made the almighty trek to South Shields, and held their own against their full-time opponents within the opening stages of the game. South Shields were forced into an early change as Dillon Morse pulled up within three minutes, being replaced by William Jenkins.
A sloppy pass back to centre back Coleby Shepherd saw Willo steal possession and try to round keeper Myles Boney, but the 27-year-old made himself big to win the ball and stop the Bulls taking an early lead.
But despite both sides being promotional hopefuls, that was the best of the action within the opening 10 minutes. A Mariners corner after Ashton Mee's shot was blocked by Kyle Howkins came to nothing, with it being taken short to Mee and Martin Smith's cross athletically headed clear. As the half progressed, while the Mariners looked the stronger of the two sides and dominated possession, the Bulls' defence, particularly centre backs Howkins and Matt Preston, was able to limit their chances when they burst forward.
With 17 minutes on the clock and playing out from the back, skipper Robert Briggs launched a superb ball forward to 20-year-old forward Kyle Crossley, but after taking a touch, Bulls' stopper Theo Richardson was able to steal the ball from his feet.
But as the hosts grew into the game, a flurry of shots saw brave last-ditch blocks by Hereford's defence, the two best of which fell to Mee who saw Howkins deny him the opener. With a Sammy Robinson free kick in the centre circle delivered deep into the area but spilt by keeper Boney, Shields cleared and burst quickly forward. It was Paul Blackett - one of the division's most prolific strikers so far this season - who found himself one-on-one with Richardson, but somehow couldn't find the target as the ball flashed across the face of the goal and wide at the far post.
The next clearcut chance for the Bulls came past the half hour mark as a Robinson cross from the left was met by the head of Williams but under little pressure from Shields' defence, couldn't control the effort and it nipped over Boney's crossbar. Back at the other end of the pitch, it was Blackett who was once again nearly breaking the deadlock. Another perfect chance which saw him left with just Richardson to beat on the right-hand side of the net, but his rasping shot stung the palms of the Hereford stopper and cleared by the defence.
With the game now brought to life, with chances for both sides, the best for Hereford saw Jaiden White twist and turn his way clear of three Shields players on the right, creating enough space to cross into the box - but Yusifu Ceesay's diving header was agonisingly wide at the far post.
Half time: South Shields 0 - Hereford 0
Hereford arguably had the better chances without the lion's share of possession in the first half, but it was Shields quickest out the blocks after the break. After a cross from Jenkins was blocked, the loose ball in the box was picked up by Smith. But under pressure from Alex Babos, he couldn't get a shot away so instead laid off to to Carson whose effort from outside the box whistled wide of the upright. Seconds later, Blackett did well to hold the ball up and find Mee, but after threading a ball through to Crossley, saw his effort blocked!
For Hereford, Dylan Mitchell then did well to bring the ball down in the South Shields box but his volley towards the top corner whistles past the post. With fresh legs as Williams and Mitchell made way for Jason Cowley and Saturday's hero Levi Andoh, Hereford soon broke the deadlock.
Ceesay did well to break clear of his man on the left, but saw his shot saved by the feet of keeper. With Shields not clearing the danger, the ball pinged around the box and Sammy Robinson's shot from 18 yards was palmed away by the keeper. This then fell kindly to Ceesay, with his first-time shot flying past the hapless keeper struggling to recover from the earlier chances.
As the half progressed, South Shields upped the tempo as they tried to salvage at least a point from the fixture, with a sustained spell of pressure coming around the 80th minute - but despite balls flying in and around the box, the Bulls' defence remained resolute and limited Shields' shots.
Rolling the dice with a double substitution as Mee and Iestyn Hughes made way for Alfie Myers-Smith and Maddox Evitt, Shields struggled to properly test Richardson between the sticks for Hereford but the Bulls did have to soak up late pressure from the hosts.
With DJ Sturridge also on for Hereford in place of Yusifu Ceesay, he did well to combine with Jason Cowley for the last clear-cut chance of the game. The winger was able to bring a long ball under control, prodding it through to Cowley whose rasping shot was turned around the post by Boney for a late and fruitless corner.
Full time: South Shields 0 - Hereford 1
Hereford: Richardson, Robinson, Howkins, Preston, Hudson, Campbell, Mitchell, Babos, White, Ceesay, Williams
Subs: Andoh, Cowley, Sturridge, Skinner, McGlynn
South Shields: Boney, Hughes, Morse, Briggs, Shepherd, Carson, Mee, Smith, Heaney, Crossley, Blackett
Subs: Seymour, Myers-Smith, Jenkins, Evitt, Stephenson