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Nigel Preece watched Hereford at Telford last night.
A bit of a last minute decision to get to this one, I didn't convince myself to go until the morning of the game which is about as enthusiastic as I can get at the moment.
Train from Cardiff to Wellington (via Slop) was uneventful until I plonked myself down opposite a young man in football (player) gear on the last leg of my journey. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked…. Pfa rep, playing for Hednesford …. I was asked the same …. Hereford at Telford ….. oh, I played for them. Jake Jervis, signed by GT after he demoted John Trewick in spring 2010. I recalled him scoring at Saltergate, Chesterfield in an unexpected win; the only time I saw us win there in about 10 visits! A lifetime ago, certainly for a pro footballer, now playing part time and reaching the end of his career. A pleasant and personable young man, I wish him luck with whatever awaits him.
A pre match potter round Wellington, courtesy of Al's ale trails; I sort of feared that the Boot, the Pheasant and the Wrekin Inn promised to be the best part of the trip and so it proved.
A decent turn out on the away terrace, slightly disappointing home support given their comparative decent form (I suppose Slop were at home!). We lined up Richardson, Skinner, Hudson, Howkins, Preston, Mafuta, Martin, Hamilton, Daly, Donowa, Willo. Plus a full 7 man bench!!
I was surprised by the reappearance of both experienced centre halves, someone suggested given our fixture backlog, Roberts and Quansah's younger knees may be being saved for any games on plastic at an alternative home venue to be announced.
The opening 30 minutes or so was pretty uneventful. We did not threaten at all, the home side a little more, one fine Richardson save from a free kick, but it was fairly turgid stuff; perhaps, as the away side and given our propensity for conceding early goals, that's a good thing but I'd have liked to have felt some hope that we might score.
Hope! That's why we keep turning up i guess, but much of that was extinguished just after the half hour when the home side were awarded a penalty after Hudson slid in to challenge Stenson. I've seen them not given, but my initial feeling was the decision was correct. Richardson dived the wrong way, Stenson tried to wind up the away fans in the modern pathetic style, I'd have him in our team to be fair.
If we hoped (that word again) for a post break improvement, it didn't happen. Telford upped their game and appeared to create space with ease. Once again we had to be grateful for Theo keeping us in a game; if only we offered anything tangible at the other end!
Former Bull Jordan Cranston Fends Off Cormac Daly
I don't scribble many (enough) notes to remind me of match events and I don't know why I did this time as I'd have clearly remembered this one anyway….. 67 minutes, I threw up my arms ready to celebrate as a Willo curler flashed just wide. A brief moment of hope (I used that word again) ….
Any optimism (bit stronger than hope?) didn't last long. Stenson had been booked for being a tart, then hit the bar when he should have scored before he secured his second of the night; a fairer reflection of the game.
Cisse came on for Daly, Yaya for Hamilton but it made little difference. In Mark Jones's preview he rightly eulogised Jordan Cranston's Rolls Royce style maraudings at Edgar Street in the autumn, but didn't mention his not so great defensive display, neither Daly or Cisse got any change out of him this time, only the odd burst forward from the ever willing Skinner looked a threat.
Pavey came on late on for Donowa but it was Telford who came close again, another fine save from Richardson after a mistake at the back.
In injury time Preston summed up the evening for all of us by hurling the ball to the ground in frustration at a decision he didn't agree with and was rightly booked.
It wasn't the end of our angst, as Armson was free to poke home a loose ball from close range to provoke an exodus from the away terrace.
I did stay for the extra minute or so until the final whistle but exited sharply then, I can't imagine the post match reception for the manager was great.
I scribbled most of the above on my journey home, a lift to Ludlow got me an “earlier” train and I was home by 1, rather than well after 2.
As I'm editing this the morning after, the news has filtered through about Paul Caddis’ departure. A sad but, frankly, inevitable end. Sometimes things just don't work any more and this was certainly the case.
I've used the word hope in this report quite often and that's what Paul Caddis gave us, we may not have had the greatest of players, or the most fluent style of football, but just because we went behind it didn't mean we were doomed and I'd like to remember him for that rather than this season's calamity. The togetherness at Oxford last April. Though perhaps my favourite Caddis era moment would be another win from behind, that last 20 minutes at Gloucester on Boxing Day two years ago when the drive and desire on the pitch seemed more reflective of his personality.
I plan to be at Southport on Saturday for the start of the next chapter of “It's the Hope ….”.
Nigel Preece