NG Woodbuoy reports on this afternoon's game with help from J Zappia.
A cold Oxford afternoon on the edge of the city of spires, away fans outnumbering home.
The match started in a frenzied fashion with both teams measuring each other and also with Hereford learning how the artificial pitch would play.
Hereford’s first attack in the seventh minute saw Smith’s looping header comfortably saved after good work down the left from Pring. This was swiftly followed by Smith beating his man (twice, like he does) and whipping in a cross that Reffell pinged over under pressure. Jamie Bird then got in on the act with a double shot attempt.
But in the early stages the teams looked evenly matched with Oxford’s greater experience playing on the carpet giving them the edge.
While the Hereford team was making mental notes, Oxford, playing at their 3G training ground (think about it), did not waste time and scored the match’s opener within 11 minutes. It was the result of a well-taken corner and some poor defending by Hereford, which gave enough space to Oxford’s Freddie Grant to head in unchallenged and with a little deflection.
At this stage Zac McEachran, Oxford’s playmaker was arguably the best player on the pitch and a constant threat that Hereford did well to contain.
But maybe this is where being on the kind of roll that we are helps. Oxford, third from bottom in Conference South, didn’t look happy with having the lead and Hereford, smelling oxblood, kept pushing them back. Deaman’s header was cleared by the Oxford last man but within 9 minutes the Yellow/Whites were level.
Page, sprung the offside trap with a perfectly weighted ball through the channel and with Millsy one-on-one with the keeper there was only going to be one result – crestfallen custodian spread-eagled and the ball in the bottom corner.
Hereford pushed on and Mills and Smith combined well on the edge of the box with a neat one two in the 23rd minute averted by a strong Oxford tackle. As the half progressed Hereford got the measure of the pitch and realised more and more how well it suited our tight-passing pressing game and the accurate pass, with Bird, Page, Purdie and Reffell covering a lot of plastic in the middle of the mat.
On 33 minutes a rare sight as Mills tracked backed to win a tackle on the edge of our 18 yard box. Must have been that rubber giving him an extra spring in his step.
Hereford ended the half strongly with Reffell making a good run to set up Mills who was judged offside. Smith also had a good breakaway chance from another perfect Page through ball where he beat his marker for pace. Mills just failed to connect with the ensuing cross which flashed across the face of the goal.
H/T: 1-1
As in the first half Oxford started the quicker of the two teams after the break and with the greater intent. But within two minutes Oxford had the post and Lady Luck to thank when Mills hit the upright on another clever break through the channels.
Oxford had their first chance of the half on 57 minutes when Pearce’s through ball set up a chance for Jones’ snapshot.
Page yet again tee-ed up Mills with another through ball but the speed of the surface got the better of Mills control when a grass pitch in late November would have held the ball up.
On a crisp day when football really was the winner and both sides played end to end the proper way - Oxlade-Chamberlain (the Oxford Ox?) then surged from his right back position for City and his shot cum cross flashed across the Hereford goal.
On sixty-one minutes from a free kick on the right about 35 yards out Adam Page whipped in a perfect dipping cross which Dara O’Shea diverted with his head past the flailing keeper as a surge of Hereford players broke the Oxford defensive wall. Page’s second assist of the game.
Still Oxford came back but perhaps without a lot of conviction. They almost got back on terms when a hospital pass out of defence from Deaman (which would have looked more appropriate on a hostess trolley in the Joey Beauchamp Ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital which looms over that end of Oxford’s ground) went straight to City’s McEachran who failed to take advantage.
On 72 minutes, tiring of the game Oxford’s manager Justin Merritt switched to bingo as he threw on subs 14, 15 & 16 in exchange for 9, 10 and 11 including regular strike partnership Paterson and the hipster Jesus Rob Sinclair but salvation was not to be found. City pressed more and Hereford defended deeper, Beadle resisted calls from the away terrace for some fresh legs. But Oxford couldn’t find any clear chances and Horsell, commanding his area all afternoon, did well to collect the ball at the feet of an Oxford attacker after more good work from McEachran.
Smith was booked for dissent after a dust up with his marker Freddie Grant who was finding it hard to live on the Hereford frontline.
Reffell and Smith had a good further combination to put Mills through but was just offside as he rounded the keeper.
In the final minutes Oxford sent keeper Jack Stevens up for a corner and he was stranded as City captain Poku was forced to bring down Page as he almost broke away on the halfway line. A less lenient ref than Mr Tankard might have seen him as the last man and produced more than a yellow.
At the final whistle it was a job well done. Two evenly matched teams both playing the game the way it should be played and Hereford showing that, given a fair wind we wouldn’t look out of place playing every week at Oxford’s level next season.
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| Jimmy Oates and Cameron Pring after the final whistle |
Not a bad performance anywhere in the Hereford line-up from front to back. Man of the match between O’Shea for all round control and anticipation at the back and the goal or Adam Page for two assists which could have been three or four against lesser opposition.
On a personal note I repaid the debt to a Brazilian friend who had got me a ticket for the Final in the Maracana back in 2014. This was the first game we had seen together since and whilst we didn’t have Messi and Mesil on the pitch we both left feeling we had seen a better contest and that a ticket for the FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round was a fair exchange for a ticket to the World Cup Final. Well I know I did.