It was just another day at the office for Hereford who beat Royston 2-0 at Edgar Street this afternoon. They remain a point clear at the top of the Southern League table going into Monday's game at Redditch.
Hereford manager Pete Beadle slightly shuffled the pack compared to the team that started against Gosport Borough last Saturday, with Keyon Reffell and Eliot Richards starting in favour of Mike Symons, who dropped to the bench, and Billy Murphy who was asbent from the match day 16.
The first chance of the game fell to Eliot Richards, who was playing alongside Rob Purdie in centre-midfield, but his low drive from just outside the box was blocked by Adam Murray.
Ten minutes later Royston thought they’d taken the lead with the ball in the back of the net, but Dan Brathwaite had clearly fouled keeper Will Puddy in the build up.
Two decent chances then came at the other end of the pitch, with both being sent wide. This first came from Pablo Haysham who raced to get on the end of Keyon Reffell’s cross, but couldn’t find the target. Just moments later Lance Smith’s downward header also failed to test the keeper after good work by Jimmy Oates down the right.
After the early flurry of chances, the game quietened down with relatively few clear-cut opportunities for either side and a number of free-kicks unable to be utilised by the Bulls. But in the 39th minute, Lance Smith managed to break the deadlock after a lengthy spell of pressure from the hosts.
Jimmy Oates was able to work the ball into the box with a dipping cross from the right, and Smith was on hand at the back post to forcefully head the ball home, although it looked like Keyon Reffell got the final touch.
HT: Hereford 1 – Royston Town 0
Hereford came back out after the break still lacking the spark that they’d missed in the first half. Rob Purdie’s rushed shot two minutes after the restart was too high to trouble Josh Tibbetts in goal for Royston, and then three minutes later he confidently rose to catch Jimmy Oates’ cross.
With Hereford in control, John Mills couldn’t get a clean strike on the ball as he tried to find the back of the net from Rob Purdie’s corner. Ed Asafu-Adjaye’s attempted clearance fell for Mills on the edge of the area, but his scuffed shot ended up going wide of the upright.
As the half progressed, the Bulls still couldn’t find the target as Eliot Richards also fired wide. Keyon Reffell’s cross from the right had too much on it, but Pablo Haysham was on hand to rescue it on the opposite flank. As the Spaniard played a neat ball back to Richards, he blazed his right-footed shot well-wide.
The Crows managed to exert a brief spell of pressure on Hereford’s defence, but Gus Scott-Morriss’ cross was headed away to safety by captain Jimmy Oates.
But moments later it was Royston’s keeper under pressure as he reacted quickly to keep the score at 1-0. Jimmy Oates’ low cross into the box was met with a snapshot from Keyon Reffell, but Tibbetts was able to smother the ball to deny Reffell the second.
Mike Symons should’ve scored with 81 minutes on the clock as he was through-on goal thanks to a good ball by Lance Smith, but instead of pulling the trigger he tried to find Eliot Richards, but the ball was cut out and cleared.
Seven minutes from time, adopted Herefordian Rob Purdie fired the ball home to double his side’s advantage. Lance Smith was once again involved in the build-up to the chance as he chased a lost cause down the wing, with the defender scuffing his clearance. The keeper managed to prevent the ball going out, but Smith won the ball before teeing-up Purdie to smash the ball home.
FT: Hereford 1 – Royston Town 0
Att: 2,657 with 21 in the away enclosure
Sponsors’ MotM: Cameron Pring
Hereford: Puddy, Oates (c), Pring, Richards, Green, Liburd, Smith, Purdie, Mills, Haysham, Reffell.
Subs not used: McGrath, Myrie-Williams, Horsell.
Royston Town: Tibbetts, Asafu-Adjaye, Chappell, Bridges, Murray, Gaughran, Brathwaite (Castiglione – 68’), Scott-Morriss (Powell – 68’, Frendo (Hankins – 60’), Thomas, Marriott.
Sub not used: Alomenu.
Next Game: Redditch United Away on Monday 2nd April at 3pm.