 |
| A First League Goal For Harry White At Edgar Street |
The game started fairly slowly, but as soon as the clock struck ten minutes Hereford seemed to liven up.
The hosts really should have taken the lead from the first corner of the game, but Ryan Green agonisingly struck the post with his header after getting on the end of Billy Murphy's flag kick. The rebound fell nicely to Harry White towards the edge of the area, but he fired well over.
Just a minute later it was Jennison Myrie-Williams who should've put the Bulls ahead after being played through by Eliot Richards. But with just the keeper left to beat, the former Newport County man's shot lacked any real conviction and was straight at the advancing keeper.
The Whites were well on top of the game, not giving Blyth a sniff at goal, but weren't able to capitalise themselves. A free kick near the corner flag midway through the first half was another great chance for Hereford to score their first National League North goal, but it wasn't to be. As Eliot Richards delivered the ball into the box, Harry White got the ball tangled in his feet and Blyth hurried to clear the danger.
In the 25th minute Eliot Richards connected well with Jennison Myrie-Williams' cross after he beat his man, but Spartans keeper Peter Jameson was able to deny the Welshman from point-blank range.
But 29 minutes into the season and Harry White broke the deadlock in style. Newly-installed captain Jordan Liburd played the ball through to Harry White who coolly beat his man, created enough space to get a shot away and rifled the ball home.
A physical Blyth side registered their first shot on target with Daniel Maguire snapshot not putting Hereford keeper Martin Horsell under too much pressure.
With half time approaching, Marie-Williams was easily dispossessed as he cut into the box with the ball going behind for a corner. After his previous two corner failing to beat the first man, it was a case of third time lucky for Richards who managed to find the head of Mike McGrath to double his side's lead.
 |
HT: Hereford 2 - Blyth Spartans 0
An attacking change for Blyth at the break saw Jamie Holmes replace Sam Brotherton who had picked up a yellow card.
Like at the start, it was a quiet ten minutes at the beginning of the second half. The impressive Eliot Richards carried on delivering threatening set pieces into the box, although in the 50th minute the ball managed to evade all the white shirts in the box and harmlessly went behind.
Blyth did start to grow into the game a little, putting Martin Horsell under pressure. After Lance Smith fouled captain Robert Dale, who's appearance today was his 300th in a Blyth shirty, Kieran Green glanced a header over the bar. A chance for substitute Holmes came in the 62nd minute, with Horsell diving down low to prevent the visitors from pulling a goal back.
As they looked to ramp up the pressure on Hereford, another attacking substitute for Blyth saw them introduce Lewis Horner for captain Robert Dale, but Hereford took the lead almost immediately. Lance Smith teed up Eliot Richards as the pair raced forward, with Richards completing a really good performance as he slotted the ball past Jameson.
Three minutes from time, Harry White was in search of his second goal of the game as he worked his way to the edge of the area. Despite Danny Greensalde advancing from his left-back position into the box, White opted for a shot which sailed wide.
Overall it was a decent start to the league campaign for Hereford as they scored three goals and kept a clean sheet thanked to the solid centre-back pairing of Ryan Green and Jordan Liburd.
Undoubtedly there will tougher tests to come, with table-toppers Stockport County beating FC United of Manchester 5-1 this afternoon.
Although the sponsors selected Harry White as their man of the match, for Bulls News it was definitely Eliot Richards. He bossed midfield today and created countless chances.
More of the same please!
FT: Hereford - Blyth Spartans
Att: 2,836 (99 away)
Sponsors' MotM: Harry White
 |
| Tim Salder (On Right) Sponsored Today's Match. Tim Has Supported Hereford For 50 Years. The First Game He Watched Was Against Romford On August 17th !968. |
Subs: Bird, Sainty, H. Smith, Hockey.
Blyth Spartans: Jameson, Nicholson, Liddle, Green, Buddle, Brotherton (Holmes - 46'), Rivers, Oliver, Maguire (Fewster - 84'), Reid, Dale (c) (Horner - 72').
Subs: Watson, Skirpan.
Next Game: Nuneaton Borough Away on Tuesday 7th August at 7.45pm