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| Pablo Haysham Scored Hereford's Second Goal |
After a minute’s silence to commemorate the life of the late club chaplain Shaun Skinner, the Bulls got the game underway attacking the Meadow End in the first half. Pablo Haysham had an early chance on goal, but his powerful shot from outside the area was blocked by Jamie Price.
With three minutes on the clock, John Mills forced visiting keeper Joe Parry into making his first save of the game. After beating the last man, Mills’ initial shot was parried by the keeper, but the former Didcot man managed to pull the ball back to try his luck from an acute angle, but the recovering defence cleared the ball off the line.
Another long-range effort from Haysham four minutes later was inches wide of the target, with the hosts firmly in control of the game.
In the 12th minute, after cutting into the box from the left-wing, Pablo Haysham was brought down by the backtracking Ben Mammola, with the referee immediately pointing the spot.
Hereford’s top scorer, John Mills, stepped up to take the penalty, making no mistake as he buried the ball in the back of the net despite the keeper diving the right way.
With 26 minutes gone of the first half, the referee awarded Hereford a free kick after Tristan Plummer was fouled on the right. Mike McGrath's delivery to the far post was headed behind by Steve Kingdon, with John Mills unlucky not to increase Hereford’s lead as he tried to turn the ball home from the corner.
With Tiverton trying to clear the ball from a jumbled defence, Pablo Haysham latched onto the end of a loose ball and sent an unstoppable lofted shot past keeper Parry to double the lead.
A determined run down the right from Tristan Plummer moments later ended in his deflected effort sailing straight into the arms of the keeper, before Tivvy capitalised on a dip in Hereford’s tempo following an altercation between the two benches.
Six minutes from the break the hosts pulled a goal back with Tom Gardner firing the ball into the roof of the net from a set-piece.
HT: Hereford 2 – Tiverton Town 1
The second half started slowly, with Hereford's first chance a snapshot from centre-back Ryan Green, but Tiverton’s stopper was untroubled as the ball curled wide of the goal.
Nine minutes after the restart, a strong penalty shout for Hereford was turned down by the referee. After Gogglebox Star Tristan Plummer was seemingly brought down by a Tiverton defender, the referee signalled for a goalkick after the ball went behind.
With the hosts awarded a free kick in a dangerous position, Levi Landricombe should’ve done better as his effort sailed high and wide of the mark into a vocal Meadow End.
Eight minutes later Alex Harris did well to deny Tiverton the equaliser. Rob Purdie left the ball to go behind, but Tiverton managed to whip in a cross to Tom Bath whose shot was saved by Harris.
Hereford then had a number of chances to regain their two-goal lead, with a rare shot from midfielder Mike McGrath whistling wide of the upright, before Tristan Plummer saw his shot from an acute angle punched clear by the goalkeeper.
With eight minutes left on the clock, John Mills evaded numerous challenges from the yellow shirts of Tiverton as he worked his way into the box, but his rising right-footed effort hit the crossbar.
In the 89th minute John Mills managed to pull the ball back for Rob Purdie in the centre, but his weak effort was straight at the keeper.
Deep into stoppage time Mike Symons had the ball in the back of the net, slotting home Mike McGrath’s neat pass, but he was adjudged to have been offside and the goal ruled out.
FT: Hereford 2 – Tiverton Town 1
Att: 3,049 with 72 in the away enclosure
Sponsors’ MotM: Goalscorer Pablo Haysham
Hereford: A. Harris, Oates, Edwards (c), Purdie, Green, Preece, Plummer (Molyneux – 87’), McGrath, Mills, Haysham, Symons.
Subs not used: Sinclair, Fortune, Williams, Horsell.
Tiverton Town: Perry, Hurst, Price, Gardner, Kingdon, Mammola, Norrish, Short, L. Landricombe, Bath, M. Landricombe.
Subs: G. Rogers, S. Rogers, Walton, Rosenquest and Carter.
Next Game: Slimbridge Away on Saturday 4th February at 3pm. Tickets here (link).