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| Jaiden White celebrating the opening goal |
Curzon Ashton, who spent a number of weeks at the top of the table, were beaten 3-1 by a much-changed Hereford side at Edgar Street on Saturday, a win which lifted the Bulls back into the play-offs.
With four changes made to the starting XI - Dylan Mitchell, Declan McGlynn, Yusifu Ceesay and the injured Levi Andoh being replaced by Kyle Howkins, Tate Campbell, Lawson D'Ath and new signing Omari Sterling-James - there was hope and expectation around Edgar Street that the Bulls would put in an improved performance, particularly as many would agree the game was a six-pointer.
And it did turn out that way. After a goalless first half, Jaiden White broke the deadlock 10 minutes after the break before Remaye Campbell made it two from point-blank range.
While the visitors pulled a goal back eight minutes from time, substitute Ceesay restored the two-goal lead in injury time.
Attacking the Blackfriars End in the first half, did put pressure on the visitors early doors. There was an early penalty claim as White went down inside the box and a scuffed Sterling-James effort clearing the bar inside the opening five minutes.
But it was then Curzon Ashton to threaten with a great opportunity as Timi Sobowale found Stefan Mols down the right. He carried the ball into the box before getting a shot away, only for Theo Richardson to deny him with an equally good save.
For the Bulls, Hudson saw a shot deflected into the path of the keeper after working his way into the box before Sterling-James's effort was headed wide. For the Nash, a dangerous curling effort from Alex Curran - bought from Macclesfield Town last month - just whistled wide of Richardson's goal with Luis Lacey the creator down the right.
26-year-old Mols, who came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers before chalking up more than 120 performances for Curzon and Warrington, was knocking on the door again as he headed into the side netting as Matty Litherland - brought in this week on loan from Blackburn - found him from a short Lacey corner.
As the midway point of the first half passed, Curran got the better of Howkins but his shot proved an easy save for Richardson. Sterling-James, joining the club this week for the remainder of the season, continued to cause problems; firstly a powerful effort from outside the area was equalled by Bobby Jones before the Nash's defence had to react quickly to scramble away a driven free-kick into the danger area.
While Hereford's defence looked more assured today than in recent weeks, helped by a useful D'Ath returning in midfield, Curzon should've done better with a chance in the 40th minute as Adam Barton found Isaac Buckley-Ricketts in the box, but he failed to find the target after turning and shooting in the box.
But it was the Bulls who had the two best chances of the half. The first, in the 43rd minute, saw Tate Campbell drive forward and cross into Remaye, only for his header to be denied by the outside of the post. It was a case of roles reversed with woodwork then denying Tate Campbell's ferocious shot in the second of two minutes added on.
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| First Tate Campbell |
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| Then A Cross From Sterling-James Found Remaye Campbell |
Half time: Hereford 0 - Curzon Ashton 0
Hereford came out for the second half keen to start where they had left off, with White almost breaking the deadlock six minutes after the restart. Some tricky footwork in the box deceived the keeper but some good defending saw the effort deflected with the referee spotting a Bulls foul after the resulting corner.
Jones was called into action to deny Sterling-James once again, this time denying a right-footed effort from the edge of the box after cutting in from the left. After Mols had the ball in the back of the net despite the offside flag being raised, Hereford did finally take the lead seconds later. It was from a long Aaron Skinner throw that White drove into the bottom right-hand corner of Jones's net - the first goal for the Whites in more than 360 minutes of football.
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| White's Goal Was Much More Impressive From The Len Weston Side Of The Ground |
The chances just kept coming for Hereford, a side which you could see confidence returning and growing, as Skinner, Sterling-James and Remaye Campbell saw efforts go wide, Skinner then had a second chance which this time was cleared off the line. Eleven minutes after taking the lead though, the Whites doubled their advantage thanks to Remaye Campbell. Unarguably one of Caddis's better signings of the season, now on five goals in nine games, from point-blank range he was able to poke the ball past Jones after taking advantage of a defensive error and beating his man.
Remaye Campbell could've then bagged a brace when after some good play from the hosts, his shot from outside the area was just wide of the upright. With both sides starting to ring the changes, the Nash soon reduced the deficit as Michael Afuye - brought on in place of Buckley-Ricketts - headed home at the back post from Will Hayhurst's cross.
With the 82nd minute goal from Curzon leading to a nervous end to the game, Yusifu Ceesay won the game for Hereford in the second minute of injury. The livewire winger, on for Babos was able to connect with a long ball forward from Richardson which the defender missed, lobbing Jones to restore the two-goal lead.
Having let a number of challenges go, particularly in the first half, referee Jonathan Chadwick reduced Curzon to 10-men in the final seconds of the game after showing player-manager Craig Mahon a straight red having subbed himself on for Curran 14 minutes before.
Full time: Hereford 3 - Curzon Ashton 1
Sponsors' man of the match: Jaiden White
Attendance: 2,642 (30 away)
Hereford: Richardson, Skinner, Preston, Howkins, Hudson, T. Campbell, D’Ath, Babos (Ceesay 76’), Sterling-James (Sturridge 90+4’), White (Mitchell 87’), R. Campbell (Williams 90+4’)
Sub not used: Cowley
Curzon Ashton: Jones, Sobowale, Poscha, Lacey (Griffiths 61’), Buckley-Ricketts (Afuye 70’), Sinclair, Curran (Mahon 81’), Mols (Kouam 61’), Hayhurst, Litherland, Barton
Sub not used: Ollerenshaw