Bulls News

Brackley Keeper Harrison Rhone Helped Keep His Side In The Game

Brackley manager, Gareth Dean, was delighted to get through to the next round of the FA Trophy at Hereford yesterday.

He felt it had been a two of two halves but praised the second half performance of his team citing their 'will to win'.

"Really happy with that, really proud of the performance," said Dean.

"It's a real tough place to come, a tough team who take pride in their first and second balls.

"They penned us in a little bit in the first half down the slope.

"Sometimes you come here and it's a game of two halves so we had to dig in and fight, try and stay in the game at times.

"Then I think we did that to them in the second half.

"Delighted with the result and I'm really proud of the way it came as well."

Dean then mentioned the Edgar Street slope.

"I've been here as a player and I get it, that slope is more deceiving than it looks and it's tough to defend that half.

"So you've got to fight and I thought we did that."

Former Hereford midfielder Charlie Cooper scored the winning goal with an excellent free kick.

"I don't recall having a free kick taker at Brackley who has been able to do that, nice to see it go in.

"Cooper has got that in his locker. He scored quite a few goals from outside the box last season at Kidderminster.

"Really happy it went in, he's been magnificent for us."

Brackley have done well in the Trophy.

"We've got a proud record in this competition, we reached the final in 2018.

"What I was really happy with was the fighting spirit and character and a will to win.

"Sometimes that is football. you can have all the quality in the world and ability.

"But sometimes it just comes down to a will to win that football match.

"And I felt that today in the second half."

Cawley Cox Lifted The Ball Over The Retreating Keeper To Score Hereford's Goal

Hereford FC v Brackley Town in The Isuzu FA Trophy 2nd Round.

After the Lancashire double-header which saw the Bulls collect 4 points out of a possible 6 they turned their attentions to Isuzu FA Trophy action with the campaign getting underway with a 2nd Round tie at the MandM Edgar Street Stadium against fellow Enterprise National League North outfit Brackley Town.

Following the 2-2 all drawn against the Shrimpers there were three changes to the starting XI with Joe Willis, Cawley Cox and Billy Phillips making his first start since recovering from injury. Kam Kandola and fresh from scoring his first professional goal in midweek Kameron Muir were amongst the substitutes, Luke Spokes wasn't involved nor was Ollie Lewis or Aaron Skinner who continued to be absent with his hamstring injury.

The Saints had a quartet of ex-Bulls in their squad with Kieran Coates, Charlie Cooper, DJ Campton-Sturridge and I-Lani Edwards all now at the Northamptonshire club. However only Coates and Cooper started, Campton-Sturridge was on the bench whilst Edwards wasn't involved.

The Saints came flying out of the blocks with Matt Lowe galloping down the right wing before crossing into the feet of Crewe Alexandra loanee Fin Roberts on the edge of the 6-yard box who took a touch before firing narrowly wide.

Hereford responded on 10 minutes with the returning Billy Phillips fizzing over from the edge of the box after some neat link-up play before Harry Tustin unfortunately had to be taken off after picking up a nasty looking injury on the right touchline and was replaced by Kameron Muir. Hopefully the Cheltenham youngster is ok and the injury isn't too serious.

Four minutes later the Bulls broke the deadlock, visiting goalkeeper Harrison Rhone on loan from Reading dithered on the edge of his box which allowed Cawley Cox to shut down his clearance, the keeper tried to scamper back but the Bulls no.9 delicately clipping over the stranded keeper for his third goal in three games.

Keeping in the ascendancy Phillips' corner from the left almost flew all the way in but Rhone just about palmed over before he was called into action minutes later beating away Muir’s stinger.

The Bulls continued to stay on the front foot, Martin found a pocket of space 20-yards out, let fly with a left footed curler which was tipped over the bar by the shot-stopper.

A great ball over the top by Joe Willis into the visitors half was then latched onto by Cox, he advanced into the box drilling towards the left side of the net which Rhone again just about palmed away with the rebound not being able to be stabbed in by Iwunze.

6 minutes before the break the Bulls were awarded a free-kick on the left from fully 30-yards, Martin tried his luck which the keeper just about batted away for a corner.

Brackley then clipped the left angle of post and bar with a powerful strike by the lively Roberts.

Another Hereford Chance - A Billy Phillips Free Kick Is Kept Out

On the stroke of half-time Hereford almost doubled their lead when Martin fizzed a cross into the box towards Iwunze, the Notts County man’s sweeping effort from close range deflected off Shrewsbury Town loanee Byron Pendleton only to narrowly trickle the wrong side of the right post.

Half-time: Hereford FC 1-0 Brackley Town

Brackley looked to assert themselves at the beginning of the second-half winning a corner, substitute Will Armitage got a head to George Harmon's delivery before Cox comfortably headed clear.

Phillips on the left glanced a ball across the face of the 6-yard box but no one was at the back post to tap-in.

Lowe responded for the Saints drilling into the clutches of Richardson before ex-Bull Cooper pulled the trigger from the edge of the box but Richardson got down low to his right to hold.

With 60 minutes gone Brackley were pushing for an equaliser with Hereford sitting deep, soaking up pressure before the hosts broke with pace down the right though Martin who cut onto his left, drove towards the edge of the box but could only blaze over.

Martin then floated a corner from the left finding Howkins on the penalty spot who headed the ball back across from where it came towards Hudson at full-stretch who could only lift agonisingly over the crossbar.

Hudson then unfortunately found his own net when Brackley went up the other end and equalised, former Kidderminster Harriers man Kai Lissimore played a teasing cross from the left towards the far post which the Bulls captain could only turn into his own.

Not disheartened Hereford went straight on the offensive looking to regain the lead, a neat one-two between substitutes Waldron and Bitemo on the edge of the box resulted in the latter shooting towards the bottom-right corner only for the visiting gloveman to push away.

Brackley then brought on ex-Hereford man Campton-Sturridge who was involved straight, he drove towards the edge of the box but shanked wide before Hudson swung a ball from the right into the box towards Waldron with Pendleton's clearance ricocheting off Josh Tomlinson but fortunately for the Saints straight into the arms of Rhone.

With three minutes of additional time announced and penalties looming the visitors in the final of those three allotted minutes snatched the cup tie with a stoppage-time sucker punch when they won a free-kick around 25-yards out, former Bull Cooper stepped up and got enough trajectory to whip the ball up and over the wall before it nestled into the left corner.

Full-time: Hereford FC 1-2 Brackley Town

Goal scored by Cawley Cox.

Hereford FC: 1. Theo Richardson, 3. Lewis Hudson ©️, 5. Will Merrett, 6. Joe Willis, 7. Keziah Martin, 8. Harry Tustin, 9. Cawley Cox, 17. Joseph James, 19. Harrison Iwunze, 23. Billy Phillips, 28. Kyle Howkins.

Substitutes: 4. Kam Kandola, 10. Danny Waldron, 11. Fin Holmes, 20. Preston Bitemo, 30. Kameron Muir.

After taking the lead in the first-half and dictating the majority of the play we allowed Brackley to get more of a foothold in the second 45, sitting too deep and inviting pressure which in the end proved costly. The bitterly disappointing and frustrating defeat makes it four straight home losses on the spin in all competitions and an early exit out of the Isuzu FA Trophy at the first hurdle.

Attendance 1392 (30 away)

It's back to the MandM Edgar Street Stadium next for the Bulls and Enterprise National League North action for the visit of Darlington FC who make the journey down from the North East. COYW

Words: Sam Cummins