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Exeter take chances to slaughter Bulls
Hereford United suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, and since April 2003, with a shocking 4-0 loss at the hands of Exeter City at St. James's Park this afternoon. Exeter, who seemed to have most of the luck today, were deserved winners. However, if United had been more clinical infront of goal in the first half the result could have been totally different.
Graham Turner opted to start the same side that finished so well against Gravesend but this failed to pay off as the result shows. Lee Mills, who was expected back, did not travel and was missed in the attack as the Grecians over powered the Bulls. Danny Williams was still out injured and Ryan Green started his first game since injury.
Tamika Mkandawire had the first of many chances after around ten minutes with a spectacular overhead kick that fell just over the bar after Adam Stansfield had nodded Green's cross back into the middle. Danny Carey-Bertram was then felled as he paced towards goal but advantage was played and Jamie Pitman was blocked off by a defender as he attempted to round him, but again the referee gave nothing.
Sean Devine fired a warning shot wide before the first goal in the twelth minute. Les Aful fired a cross in from the right that was touched on to Andy Taylor. He was through on goal but shot against the legs of Craig Mawson, sending the ball into the air above Mawson. The 'keeper lepped up off the ground to punch clear but the ball was sent goalbound and dropped behind the covering Mkandawire, and bounced into the net.
Mark Robinson shot wide from twenty five yards before Carey-Bertram played Green down the right in a Hereford counter attack that ended with Green's cross being headed behind for a corner. Mkandawire then had a super chance to level the scores when he bought Jamie Pitman's free kick down on his chest and then lined up a shot from six yards that was blocked on the line. Green then latched onto Carey-Bertrams touch following a throw in by Travis, and appeared to be tripped in the box but again nothing was given. This was just before half time, but before the whistle was blown for the end of the half Exeter had doubled their advantage.
Aful, challenged by Robinson, layed the ball back to Scott Hiley who delivered a cross that was touched away towards the back post by Mkandawire, but Dean Moxey was well placed to strike the ball left footed across Mawson and into the far bottom corner.
Just five minutes of the second period had passed when Sean Devine wrapped up the victory for the home side. A long ball was played from the Grecian's defence towards Mkandawire who handed the chance to Devine on a plate by mis-kicking and giving the attacker a clear run on goal. He made no mistake in tucking the ball beyond the reach of Mawson for 3-0. Exeter pressed further and it took a goal line clearance by Green to deny the home side a fourth until Tony James made a costly error.
The skipper attemped an aerial pass across his penalty box but it was intercepted by Moxey's head, and he played Devine in behind the defence whose shot across goal was turned in by James, who was rushing back to defend. Hereford made a double sub soon after, but it was clearly too late to get anything from the game. David Brown was introduced for Stansfield and Rob Purdie took to the field in place of Graham Hyde. The changes seemed to improve the performance but Hereford still had no goals to show for it. They have only scored once in their last three games.
Man of the match Green crossed for Stanley, after good football by United, but his shot was deflected over from fifthteen yards. The resulting corner fell to Mkandawire on the ground and he got a shot away that was blocked by Paul Jones in the Exeter goal. Brown tested Jones with a first time effort after Pitman's free kick and then Mkandawire forced a low save out of Jones with a headed effort from Green's free kick. Moxey had Mawson beaten again with a close range effort that he lifted over the advancing 'keeper, but James was on hand to clear before Santos Gaia hammered a full volley from around the half way line, following Robinson's clearance, that dropped just the wrong side of the post.
The three hundred or so Hereford fans in the crowd of 4,280 know that Hereford simply weren't quite good enough today and the result will bring the team back down a peg or two having suffered a big dent to their promotion aspirations. The pairing of Hyde and Pitman in the centre of midfield does not seem to be working. United have only scored one goal from three with this partnership, and if they thought it was assisting them defensivly then today will mean questions are asked. Six points from the next two games are a must for Hereford.
HUFC Team: Mawson, Travis, James, Mkandawire, Robinson, Stanley, Hyde, Pitman, Green, Stansfield, Carey-Bertram. Subs: Tretton, Smith, Scott, Purdie, Brown.
ECFC Team: Jones, Hiley, Sawyer, Gaia, Jeannin, Moxey, Buckel, Aful, Taylor, Edwards, Devine. Subs: Rice, O'Sullivan, Clay, Sheldon, Ibe.