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Super Gould saves United
Johnathan Gould was the star of the show as Hereford United defeated Scarborough 1-0 at Edgar Street this afternoon. He made a number of fantastic saves throughout the afternoon to keep the Bulls in the lead. The result sees United move up one place in the league to fifth.
Graham Turner made two changes to the side that ended Gravesend's unbeaten run last weekend. Ryan Green missed out with an abdominal injury and Lee Mills was rewarded for last Saturday's performance with his first start for Hereford in place of Adam Stansfield. Tamika Mkandawire failed to overcome a hamstring injury and Rob Purdie is still out injured.
United didn't cause Scarborough any problems in the defence before the opener in the twenty-seventh minute. Chris Senior hit the post from the edge of the box after a corner in the tenth minute before Neil Refearn shot just wide from the edge of the box.. The ex-Barnsley midfielder went close again from twenty yards after a throw in from the right. Gould made a good save tipping a thirty yard volley away from Scott Kerr after the ball was cleared by Tony James.
David Brown netted with a brilliant header from fifthteen yards midway through the first half. Simon Travis delivered a perfect cross for Brown, who superbly headed into the top corner. Man of the match Gould kept the Bulls in the game minutes later. He made a brilliant diving save to deny Redfearn, whose shot was destined for the top corner.
Mills went close to doubling the lead. Mark Robinson, deputising for Green, started a good move through the midfield, and Brown crossed for Mills at the front post, but he flicked the ball across the goalface and it went wide of the far post.. Brown was denied a second by Leigh Walker in the Scarborough goal when he controlled Robinson's cross and shot towards the bottom corner just before half time.
Jamie Pitman struck a half volley from the edge of the box that seemed to be going over Walker, but the 'keeper managed to get a fist to the ball and keep it out. Williams had a shot deflected wide before he forced a good save out of Walker. Mark Hotte should have equalised when he met a corner from the right, but he somehow managed to direct his header over.
Redfearn broke the Hereford defence with a cross field pass and found Senior but Robinson managed to get back and make a good challenge in the box. United then made their two subs in quick succession. Graham Hyde replaced Pitman after Brown had been taken off for Stansfield. Senior hit the woodwork for a second time of the afternoon when he broke from midfield and let fly with a powerful effort that hit the top of the crossbar.
Stansfield glanced a header wide from Williams' free kick as Hereford looked to put the result beyond doubt. Boro would have equalised had it not been for an awesome double save by Gould late on. Tony Hackworth hammered a twenty-five yard effort that Gould palmed away but it fell straight to Senior unmarked in the area. He looked certain to score, but amazingly Gould sprang up off the ground and got his fingertips to the ball and diverted it wide.
Mark Hotte, previously booked for dissent, was shown a red card in the eighty-nineth minute. Stansfield ran onto a long ball from the defence but was brought down by Hotte who was shown a straight red card for the offence. Williams went close from the resulting free kick, but Walker tipped the ball away from the top corner.
The 85 away fans in a crowd of 2,874 may feel that their side should have at least got a point, but Scarborough didn't take their chances, and Hereford did. The Bulls showed off some of their brilliant attacking football, but before they scored Scarborough's defence had little to do. The result is exactly what Graham Turner would have been hoping for; a home victory and a clean sheet.
HUFC Team: Gould, Travis, Robinson, Tretton, James, Smith, Pitman, Stanley, D Williams, Brown, Mills. Subs: Hyde, Scott, A Williams, Carey-Bertram, Stansfield.
SFC Team: Walker, Baker, Hotte, Cryan, Nicholson, Senior, Thompson, Kerr, Redfearn, Pounder, Hackworth. Subs : Lyth, Formann, Gilroy, Foster, Gil.