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| Mike Symons Scored Two Of Hereford's Goals |
Attacking the Blackfriars End in the first half, Hereford started the stronger of the two sides almost taking the lead within two minutes. Mike Symons held the ball up well near the touchline before playing the ball back to Jamie Molyneux. The ex-Westfields man had little difficulty in breaking into the box, but the keeper managed to get a hand on the low cross ahead of Pablo Haysham.
A pair of Mike McGrath free kicks six minutes later didn’t prove too troublesome for the Stags defence, the first was headed over by Sam Roberts before the second was blazed well over the bar.
Totton’s first shot came in the 14th minute, but with Ryan Green and Mark Preece closing Dan Munday down, he sent his shot well wide of Alex Harris’ goal.
But Hereford remained on top, taking the lead moments later through Tristan Plummer. Clayton Fortune found Green in the area with his free kick, before Sam Roberts half cleared the ball for the visitors. After winning back possession, the Bulls worked the ball to Tristan Plummer in the centre whose low right-foot drive beat keeper Charlie Searle to open the scoring.
Jamie Molyneux could’ve made it three before the half hour mark, but he couldn’t get a clean header on Joel Edwards’ cross as the ball sailed wide of the mark.
With 32 minutes on the clock, an own goal by Totton extended Hereford’s lead. Tristan Plummer played a neat through ball to Pablo Haysham, but Ian Oliver’s attempted clearance ended up beating his own keeper.
Haysham came close to scoring his sixth goal of the season four minutes later, but Searle tipped his right-footed effort from 18-yards over the bar. Moments later Mike Symons agonisingly sent his header wide of the upright after a pinpoint cross from captain Joel Edwards.
Five minutes from half time, Mike Symons was tripped just inside the area by Sam Roberts, leaving the referee pointing to the spot. In the absence on John Mills, Symons stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to score his first of two goals in three minutes.
The second followed a Hereford goal kick, with Alex Harris finding Edwards on the left. He then played the ball long into the path of Mike Symons who was through on goal, neatly finishing past the keeper to make it five.
HT: Hereford 5 – AFC Totton 0
Hereford would’ve been hoping for a similar performance in the second half, but their chances were limited and the visitors had the first effort on goal. Mitchell Gosney went close three minutes after the restart, but his curling effort whistled wide of the post.
The Bulls had one or two half chances within the opening stages, firstly Tristan Plummer twisted and turned in the area to get a shot away, but his tame effort was gathered by the keeper. Then Mark Preece threatened with his header from a corner, but went harmlessly wide.
In the 60th minute Pablo Haysham was through on goal, but the backtracking defence managed to dispossess him to concede a corner. With McGrath’s delivery bouncing around in the box, the ball eventually broke to Mike Symons who tried his luck from an acute angle, but once again the effort went wide at the far post.
Substitute Jimmy Oates looked bright after he came on, having handful of chances to score a sixth Hereford goal. His first shot was charged down by Ian Oliver after showing some good footwork to break into the area.
Moments later, Mike Symons held the ball up well before offloading to Oates whose shot was straight at the keeper.
A third came after the pair combined effectively once again to carve open the Stags defence, but Neil Williams blocked Oates’ powerful left-foot effort.
A great link up between substitute Jake Sinclair and Joel Edwards two minutes from time could’ve added to the goal tally, but after Sinclair’s back heel to the captain was saved by the keeper at the near post.
Edwards was then called into action and the opposite end, as his goal line clearance denied Totton’s Dylan Knight a late consolation goal.
FT: Hereford 5 – AFC Totton 0
Att: 2,522
Sponsors’ MotM: Tristan Plummer
Hereford: A. Harris, Green, Edwards (c), Purdie, Preece (Oates – 65’), Fortune, Molyneux, McGrath (Edge – 73’), Plummer (Sinclair – 79’), Haysham, Symons.
Sub not used: Williams
AFC Totton: Searle, York, Oliver, Williams, Allen, Roberts, Watts, Hibberd (c), Munday, Gunson, Cooper.
Subs: Wilde, Mowthorpe, Gosney, Knight, Hunt.