Eleven Years Ago Today - Hereford Put Seven Past Heanor

A look back to September 5th 2015. Hereford FC were in their first season and travelled to Heanor for a league fixture.

Heanor Town 2 - Hereford 7

Heanor Town’s 100% win record in the league was brought to an abrupt halt when they faced Hereford FC for this afternoon’s match at The Town Ground. Pete Beadle made 4 changes to the side that drew 0-0 with local side Westfields on Monday; Jimmy Oates, Sol Wheatley, Aaron Birch and new signing Jamie Willets started in place of Sam Gwynne, Nathan Hughes, Rob Purdie and the suspended Tony James.

With Hereford starting the brighter of the two sides, in the 7th minute Pablo Heysham was harshly upended by the last man after his darting run into the box. With Rob Purdie not featuring in today's squad presumably due to the knock he picked up at Westfields, it was left to John Mills to step up and take the penalty; he then coolly dispatched the ball past Heanor's diving keeper.

Pablo Heysham then forced the goalkeeper into making a fine save 3 minutes later; after Adam Page had whipped in a cross from the left, Heysham's powerful strike was acrobatically tipped over by Hannis.

The Bulls’ persistence paid off when they grabbed their second goal just shy of the quarter of an hour mark. After Jamie Hannis saved the initial shot by John Mills, Adam Page got on the end of the return ball before slotting it in just inside the upright. 

In response to Hereford's early goals, Heanor managed to pull one back after the restart; with Kieran Debrouwer’s run into the box, he had time to compose himself in front of goal before picking his spot and firing the ball home.

Hereford regained their two goal cushion with 27 minutes on the clock. After winning possession in the heart of midfield, John Mills broke forward into the danger area. Despite Page being available, Mills sidestepped his man before thundering the ball into the top right hand corner of Hannis' net.

Mills On Target

Cory Bowler and Nick Marriott combined effectively 5 minutes from half time to reduce the deficit. Marriott's cross to the feet of Bowler allowed him to send a low shot across the face of goal and into the back of Rivers’ net.

In the closing stages of the first half, Heysham was fouled 25-yards out which resulted in the referee showing Ryan Booker a straight red after he appeared to lash out at a Hereford player.

Aaron Birch took the free kick short to Adam Page, and as he made a run down the left wing, Mills failed to connect with his cross and the ball was charged away by captain Nick Hall.

HT: Heanor Town 2 - Hereford 3

4 minutes after the restart birthday boy Sol Wheatley received the ball from Mills on the half way line. Wheatley made good progress down the right and after breaking free from his man, his cross was just too far ahead of the incoming Page and the ball harmlessly trickled behind for a goal kick.

Adam Page Can't Quite Connect

With 52 minutes on the clock, Jay Cooper successfully picked a path through the Hereford defence, before his rasping shot from the edge of the area narrowly cleared Rivers' crossbar.

A string of chances ensued for Hereford, the first coming after Adam Page and John Mills linked up well down the right flank. As Page played the ball into the box, Hall dispossessed Mills before he could get a shot away.

Minutes later a cross was whipped in to the head of John Mills, but his effort hit the underside of the crossbar before being cleared to deny him his hat trick.

Skipper Joel Edwards then could've made it 4 for the travelling side, but his long range effort was too wide to trouble the keeper, before John Mills' dinking run into the box resulted in nothing more than a goal kick after his shot cleared the crossbar.

For the second time in the game, Pablo Heysham was brought down within the 18-yard box which left the referee pointing straight to the spot. John Mills stepped up again to take the penalty, and in the same manner as before fired the ball into the roof of the net.

No Mistake

With Pablo Heysham winning possession in midfield, he cut into the box and his cross come shot was punched away by Heanor's young keeper Hannis. Nathan Hughes picked the ball up on the edge of the area and made no mistake in unleashing a shot which left Hannis well and truly beaten.

Nathan Hughes Scoring Hereford's 5th Goal

Three minutes from time, Heanor failed to defend as John Mills cut in from the right. As Mills looked for his fourth goal, Hannis pulled off another fine save from Mills’ powerful shot, before the ball took a deflection off Hall and past the despairing Heanor stopper for an own goal.

Mills With The Shot That Was Deflected Into The Goal

With seconds left, youth teamer Carlos Moreira played a sublime ball through to Nathan Hughes, who was left with just the keeper to beat had no trouble finding the back of the net.

FT: Heanor Town 2 - Hereford 7

Att: 402

Hereford: Rivers, Oates, Edwards (c), Bonella, Willets, Summers, Wheatley (Hughes - 75'), Birch, Mills, Haysham, Page (Moreira - 90).

Subs not used: Kontic-Coveney, Gwynne, Haines.

Heanor: Hannis, Marriott, Shaw, Bettney (Johnson - 69'), Hall (c), Booker, Cooper, Naylor, Benger (Gilson - 86'), Debrouwers, Bowler (Edridge - 46').

Subs not used: Brown, Whittingham.

 

Fantastic Victory For The Boys Said Willets

Jamie Willets With The Headband

Hereford FC's new signing Jamie Willets played the whole 90 minutes in his first game for his new club against Heanor this afternoon but admitted he had felt a bit nervous to begin with.

"To begin with I was a little bit nervous playing for a new team," Willets told BN.

"All the expectations and being keen to impress as well.

"But, on the whole, a fantastic victory for the boys.

"I was very impressed with how our forwards played and they got us out of trouble a little bit after conceeding two sloppy goals.

"None the less, three points is three points. Very happy against a good side.

"I could have done a bit better for their first goal. Long ball was coming in.

"To be fair I was quite happy with my heading in the first half but the one I missed unfortunately it's come to bit me on the backside a little bit.

"But luckily we stuck in there and kept on battling hard and got the victory we throughly derserved in the end."

Willets only joined Hereford earlier this week.

"All the lads have made me very welcome and I'm very appreciative of that.

"All the boys are fantastic footballers, technical ability the best I've ever played with.

"They are all down to earth lads, no big timers, genuinely nice guys. It was a reason why I came here and it made my decision a lot easier."

Willets is set to make his Edgar Street debut next Saturday against Boldmere St Michael's.

"I'm really looking forward to it against good opposition in Boldmere. I've played against them a few times before in this League. They are another, once again like Heanor, very physical side. It will be the same kind of battle but hopefully we can get the fans behind us and get another three points and get the momentum started.

"It will be a bit different for me. Before Stourport played Hereford the other week, the most I'd played in front of would be barely 150 so a bit of difference.

"To play in front of 3000 potentially would be like a dream come true so I'll be really excited but also a little bit nervous.

"But it's a challenge, one I'm really relishing and looking forward to."