A look back to August 25th 2003 and one of those games at Edgar Street that many will remember to this day:
When Hereford went 2-0 down on nine minutes, it looked as if Aldershot Town had this game wrapped up but a series of twists meant Hereford United emerged 4-3 victors with a late, late goal.
Billed as the first six-pointer of the Nationwide Conference campaign, the game didn't fail to satisfy the bumper crowd of 4,985 at Edgar Street, which is the biggest league attendance since Hereford's relegation to the non-league game in 1997. They also leap-frog today's opponents back to the summit of the league.
It could have gone the other way, though, as Tony James scored the first goal on five minutes - in his own net. A deep cross from the right channel from Nick Roddis fell to James, and his attempted clearance cruely crept past Matt Baker to put the Shots ahead. Four minutes later, Aldershot broke from a United attack and Tim Sills drew Baker out of his area before rounding him and slotting the ball into an empty net.
At that point, the Bulls could have few complaints but they slowly came back into the game and had levelled by the break. First, Ben Smith was brought down just outside the penalty area and Nikki Bull stood no chance in their goal as Danny Williams' fierce free-kick hit the back of the net.
Ben Smith threaded a good ball through the Shots defence to Rob Purdie on thirty-six, but Bull got to it first as United searched for the equaliser, and four minutes later a Paul Parry cross from the Hereford left was nodded inches over by Danny Williams who was just four yards from goal.
However, Purdie fed Michael Rose in injury time, and on the turn his long-range effort levelled proceedings.
Aldershot withdrew goalkeeper Bull at the break for Richard Barnard after an argument in the dressing room, and the replacement brought down Ben Smith three minutes into the second half. Tony James, ready to redeem himself from his earlier own-goal, stepped up but Barnard pushed the ball away to his right. However, he had moved off his line and the referee, Mr. R. Lewis, had no option but to order a retake. This time, James made no mistake as he fired into the roof of the net.
Both Danny Williams and Steve Guinan went close as the game wore on, but Aldershot scored again with twenty-two minutes to gol. Released by a long ball from the left channel, Aaron McLean fired a low shot across Baker's goal and in off the post. The 440 away fans were delighted, and almost saw Roscoe D'Sane put their side ahead when his curling effort from outside the box went wide. Tim Sills also nodded a ball wide from ten yards out after a later cross from the left.
Then, another twist, as D'Sane was dismissed for a second bookable offence for a challenge, which was slammed by irate Shots manager Terry Brown. Nevertheless, they must have felt they had done enough for a point, but it wasn't to be. In the third minute of injury time, a Michael Rose corner from the right was flicked on to find substitute David Brown at the far post. He fired the ball into the net from inside the six yard box to send Hereford top.
| Hereford United | Aldershot Town |
| Matt Baker | Nikki Bull (off, half time) |
| Ryan Green | Nick Roddis |
| Michael Rose | Jason Chewins |
| Jamie Pitman | Ray Warburton |
| Andy Tretton | Dominic Sterling |
| Tony James (captain) | Fiston Manuella |
| Danny Williams | Jon Challinor |
| Ben Smith | Lee Charles (off, 84 minutes) |
| Steve Guinan (off, 73 minutes) | Tim Sills |
| Rob Purdie | Roscoe D'Sane |
| Paul Parry | Aaron McLean (off, 90 minutes) |
| Subs | Subs |
| David Brown (on, 73 minutes) | Michael Harper (on, 90 minutes) |
| Ben Scott | Richard Barnard (on, half time) |
| Richard Teesdale | Luke Gedling |
| Jordan King | John Nutter (on, 84 minutes) |
| Dean Craven | Stuart Tanfield |
| Yellow cards | Yellow cards |
| Andy Tretton (foul, 11 minutes) | Nick Roddis (foul, 2 minutes) |
| Tony James (foul, 23 minutes) | Ray Warburton (foul, 45 minutes) |
| Jamie Pitman (dissent, 31 minutes) | Richard Barnard (foul, 48 minutes) |
| Michael Rose (foul, 43 minutes) | Roscoe D'Sane (dissent, 49 minutes) |
| Steve Guinan (dissent, 45 minutes) | Tim Sills (foul, 75 minutes) |
| - | Roscoe D'Sane (foul, 83 minutes) |
| Red cards | Red cards |
| - | Roscoe D'Sane (two bookings, 83 minutes) |
| Scorers | Scorers |
| Danny Williams (29 minutes) | Tony James (own goal, 5 minutes) |
| Michael Rose (45 minutes) | Tim Sills (9 minutes) |
| Tony James (penalty, 51 minutes) | Aaron McLean (68 minutes) |
| David Brown (90 minutes) | - |
| - | - |
| Man of the Match | The Team |
| Attendance | 4985 |
| Referee | Mr. R. Lewis |
Late goal in the name of entertainment!
Scorer of Hereford United's second goal, Michael Rose, was exhilerated after beating Aldershot Town 4-3.
"We've got to keep everyone entertained," he joked of the
injury-time goal. "We've done really well and it was disappointing to
concede three goals but we battled really well to come out on top.
"They caused us a few problems but it's nothing we haven't dealt
with before. They looked a decent side but we were the better team on
the day."
Talking to BBC Hereford & Worcester, he said of his own goal: "I
got the ball and just hit it. I didn't think it was going in but as I
looked up, it was!
"We put a lot of pressure on them in the second half. They had one chance and they scored from it, but we kept going."
Aldershot boss Terry Brown was annoyed to have lost the match in
injury time and in the process surrender top-spot in the league. "We're
just disappointed to have lost a very close encounter," he said. "I
thought they were brilliant at times and played good football."
"This game sums up just why we're delighted to be in the
Conference," he said. "It was a fantastic football match and I thought
it had everything.
However, the switching of goalkeepers at half-time came after a
bust-up with Nikki Bull. "There's only room for one gaffer in the
dressing room - and that's me," proclaimed Brown, who was also angry at
his side's red card. "I thought the Roscoe D'Sane sending-off was
diabolical. He didn't make contact with the man or the ball."
United manager Graham Turner was delighted with the outcome. "That
was one of the most exciting matches in the eight years I've been at
Edgar Street," he said. "Everything we did wrong was exposed in the
first ten minutes, but we stuck at it."
Last chance to score
After yesterday's game David Brown, who came on as a sub, told the
Western Daily Press how he produced the superb overhead kick that won
the match for the Bulls.
"It was an instinctive thing to do," said Brown."I knew it was the last chance to score in a fantastic game."
Reflecting on the game Brown pointed out Hereford produced a great
fightback after going two down in the first nine minutes and deserved
victory. "At two down many other teams would have crumbled, but we have
a good team spirit and that carried us through," said Brown.
Hereford director of football Graham Turner was up-beat about the
fightback by his young players. "The game had everything and I am
delighted. Tony James kept his nerve when he took the penalty for the
second time.
"Aldershot are no mugs and have some useful players but the manner in which we won was excellent."
Where were you?
Fifteen
more supporters through the gate would have given a 5,000 attendance
figure yesterday at Edgar Street, which was double the next highest
crowd of the day, that at Woking. It was also the highest in the
Conference so far this season.
It was also United's highest crowd for a league match since 1997,
and any match since 1999, when Leicester City were the opponents in the
FA Cup.
And there can't have been a supporter for either team that could
have complained at the excitement of the game, which was surely one of
the best, if not the best, at the ground since Hereford joined the
Conference.
The match had everything, goals, a re-taken penalty, a bust up in
the Shots dressing room at half-time, yellow cards galore, and a red one
near the end. Yet it wasn't a dirty match and a number of cards given
were for enthusiatic challenges more than real fouls.
Those fans who set off for the ground at their normal time were faced with queue of ten to fifteen minutes to gain entrance!