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Iwunze celebrates Hereford's second
The Bulls came into the second of a home double-header against a winless and pointless bottom of the table Radcliffe side boyed by their first three points of the season in the first home game on Saturday over Marine AFC.
Hereford's players wore black armbands as a tribute to former Bulls manager Mike Bailey, who recently passed away.
Harrison Iwunze got the decisive goal, his first for the club on his home debut and also first in senior football. The Notts County youngster was again on the bench with Aaron Downes and Harry Pell naming an unchanged starting line-up and bench going into the clash with the Mancunians.
The Boro had former Bulls loanee goalkeeper Tom Donaghy between the sticks on a loan deal from Sky Bet League Two side Oldham Athletic until January, the shot-stopper had a spell with the whites in the 24/25 season on loan from Fleetwood Town.
Boro came out the traps early with a free-kick near the right corner, Afuye’s delivery to the front post was headed away by Joseph James.
5 minutes gone the visitors had a succession of free-kicks given by referee Jake Allsop which came to nothing before 6 minutes later and the Bulls opened the scoring in fortuitous fashion. Billy Phillips had a go from the edge of the penalty area which took a nick off defender Tom Davies for a corner on the right, Martin delivered towards the back post which Donaghy got two hands to but could only fumble the ball into his own net.
5 minutes later the exact same almost materialised, Martin again hung the ball to the back post but despite the Oldham loanee again missing the ball Josh Seary hacked clear.
Having taken the lead the Bulls had the bit between their teeth, playing some good stuff and pegging the visitors into their own half.
Radcliffe's Rio Clegg had a go from 25-yards out but his strike fell wide.
Almost half an hour in on 26 minutes Luke Spokes did well on the left midway inside the Boro half, beating winger Afuye before cutting onto his right and bending a drive towards the top-right corner fizzing just past the upright.
Four minutes later Harry Tustin did well on the right, cut the ball back to Cox who's first-time shot was straight at Donaghy before the rebound came back out to the Bulls striker but he could only hook the rebound over the crossbar before Clegg had a drive from the edge of the box which whistled narrowly wide of Richardson’s right post.
Radcliffe’s Afuye made a good run across the pitch from left to right before playing in Danny Greenfield with the midfielders drilled shot falling wide.
Cawley Cox did well then inside the box Boro box, the ball fell kindly to Spokes but he drove over the crossbar on 37 minutes before three minutes prior to the interval Tustin drove towards the visitors box unleashing a rasping drive which Donaghy did well to tip away but the ball was loose however no Hereford player was in the vicinity to tuck it away.
You couldn't have faulted any of the Bulls’ performances in the first-half who went into the break with the advantage.
Half-time: Hereford FC 1-0 Radcliffe
Radcliffe restarted with a spring in their step looking to equalise, Clegg almost latched onto a ball over the top but Richardson was alert to the danger quick off his line to dispossess him and James cleared.
The Bulls had the first corner of the second period, Spokes delivered which was headed on by Howkins before the ball broke to Tustin on the edge who's goal bound strike deflected off Roscoe for another corner.
Phillips and Tustin worked the ball well on the edge of the box before the Cheltenham loanee dragged his angled shot wide.
Hereford continued to push in search of that elusive second to make the game more comfortable with the visitors starting to gain more territory in the Bulls’ half.
Spokes had a powerful strike from the left side of the box which was beaten away Donaghy before Cox’s point-blank rebound was brilliantly tipped over the crossbar once again by the shot-stopper for a corner.
On 64 minutes the first change for the Bulls saw Cawley Cox make way for Saturday's match-winner Iwunze.
The Notts County youngsters first opening came after he found space on the left before cutting onto his right but drilled handsomely wide of the target despite options to his right with Billy Phillips in space.
Then the big talking point the dubious dismissal of Kam Kandola on 73 minutes, a melee incurred after a late challenge by Kandola on Greenfield near the dugouts, initially referee Allsop had the yellow out for the Bulls captain but after the melee he upgraded it to a straight red. The Bulls' second dismissal in the first three games before the man in black proceeded to book both sets of managers Downes and Morley.
Substitute Danny Waldron fed Harry Tustin on the edge of the box but his sweeping effort was wide before shortly afterwards McCarthy crossed from the right finding Jordan Hulme who's glancing header was well plucked out of the air by Richardson to his right.
With 6 minutes of regulation remaining the Bulls got the crucial second when Jordan Hulme tried to usher Danny Waldron out on the right hand touchline but the Bulls forward chasing a lost cause managed to out muscle the former Altrincham man before squaring to Iwunze to score in conservative games slotting into the bottom-left corner despite the best efforts of Donaghy.
Boro’s Brad Jackson crossed from the right flank which was met by the glancing head of McCarthy who's effort looped high over the crossbar.
Into 6 minutes of additional time and Jackson was involved again with Richardson at full stretch to deny his diagonal drive tipping away for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece Hereford sealed the victory in style after Radcliffe failed make any headway with two corners in succession, Merrett won the ball before it fell to Phillips who broke with pace from the edge of the Bulls' own box running the length of the field before cutting inside Davies and drill low and hard past Donaghy to secure back-to-back victories and clean sheets for the first time this season.
Full-time: Hereford FC 3-0 Radcliffe
Goals scored by Tom Donaghy own goal, Harrison Iwunze and Billy Phillips.
Hereford FC Starting XI:- 1 Theo Richardson, 2 Aaron Skinner, 4 Kam Kandola ©️, 5 Will Merrett, 7 Keziah Martin, 8 Harry Tustin, 9 Cawley Cox, 14 Luke Spokes, 17 Joseph James, 23 Billy Phillips, 28 Kyle Howkins.
Substitutes:- 10 Danny Waldron, 15 Jordan Williamson, 18 Liam Roberts, 19 Harrison Iwunze, 21 Ollie Lewis, 24 Jack Tolley, 25 Harry Jones.
A dodged and battling performance by the Bulls to claim back-to-back victories and clean sheets for the first time this season despite being reduced to 10-men with the dubious sending off midway through the second-half.
Back on the road for the Bulls next on Saturday with a trip to Nottinghamshire to The KC Sofas Stadium to face Worksop Town. COYW
Words: Sam Cummins
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