With Hereford United travelling to Alfreton on Saturday, BN looks back to the last time the Bulls played at the Impact Arena. That was on October 25th 2005.
POOR BULLS SCRAPE THROUGH
It
needed a replay, extra time and then a penalty shoot out for Hereford
United to finally dispose of their lower league opposition Alfreton Town
in the F.A. Cup Fourth Qualifying round but following the 1-1 draw last
night, The Bulls find themselves in the first round proper with an away
tie at Cambridge City. Ryan Green was missing for the Bulls and so Rob
Purdie filled in at right back, making way for Craig Stanley to come
back into the midfield, in United's only squad change from the side that
started on Saturday.
Although
the home side started well at the Impact Arena, it was Hereford who
posed the first threats at goal. Early on Jon Brady had the away
supporters thinking his twenty yard effort was flying into the bottom
corner, but it drifted inches wide. Brady turned supplier for United's
next shot; his free kick fell in the box to Tamika Mkandawire, whose
shot on the turn was palmed behind by Adam Legzdins. Stanley shot wide
for Hereford again before Jon Stevenson linked up with Gary Mills but
his effort was just wide.
The
Bulls should have taken the lead just before the half hour mark, but
the cross bar denied Mkandawire from close range and with little more
than half an hour gone, it was the hosts who fired in front. A half
cleared corner fell to Jason Blunt on the left and his cross was met by a
flying header which beat Craig Mawson at his near post, and to add
insult to injury for Graham Turner, it was his son, Mark, who'd netted.
Alfreton played out the half the much better side as the travelling
fans' frustration grew.
The
second half began much the same but then, on fifty three minutes, Craig
Stanley popped up with an unlikely equaliser, with his head! Man of the
match Jon Brady, a constant threat down the right, cracked in another
great cross and Stanley was on the end of it at the far post, leaving
the 'keeper with no chance. Alfreton lost a key player, Chris Bettney,
through injury and picked up a couple of bookings and they appeared
rattled by the goal. Danny Carey-Bertram fired over in his last
contribution, as Andy Williams was introduced up front with ten minutes
of the half remaining.
Andy
Ferrell intercepted a ball across the defence with five minutes to go
and raced clear, before squaring to Williams who, from six yards, failed
to convert as Legzdins made himself big and turned the ball behind.
Then, in the final moments, a golden chance fell to Godder, but having
beaten Purdie to a cross, somehow directed his header wide of the mark
and thus, the game went into extra time.
The
first half of the added period saw the introduction of Guy Ipoua with
the largely ineffective Matt Bailey making way. The extra time saw one
good chance either side of half tiem for United; in the first Alex
Jeannin smashed a left footed drive across the goal face and wide and
after the break, Purdie was played in, running in from the right, but
his poweful drive was parried away. The result remained at 1-1 after 120
minutes of football meaning a penalty shoot out would decide the tie.
Tony
James stepped up confidently and hammered in Hereford's first, to level
things up but Ferrell saw his shot brilliantly saved meaning it was
still 1-1 after two penalties each. Williams and Graham Evans, who came
on for the injured Stanley late on in extra time, both saw their
penalties go in, although the 'keeper got a hand to both as Craig Mawson
saved a second penalty leaving it up to Guy Ipoua to win the match with
United's final penatly. The experienced Cameroonian made no mistake
either as he smashed the ball down the middle of the goal, much to the
relief of the travelling 150 or so fans in a crowd of 740.
HUFC:
Mawson, Purdie, James, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Ferrell, Pitman, Stanley,
Brady, Bailey, Carey-Bertram. Subs: Beckwith, Blewitt, Evans, Williams,
Ipoua.