Boston United are the opponents at Edgar Street tomorrow. BN looks back to their previous visit twelve years ago on April 14th 2007.
With
Boston United, the visitors to Edgar Street this afternoon, flirting
dangerously with relegation at the start of the day and Hereford United
not all that far above them, The Pilgrims may well have targeted this as
the sort of game they must take something from to avoid a return to the
Conference. So you might expect a bit of a fight from the strugglers,
but it wasn't to be as the game panned out more like a pre-season
friendly, with the sun shining strongly.
Graham
Turner was forced into a change in his defence due to Dean Beckwith's
suspension and so Phil Gulliver deputised, but there was also a return
for Trent McClenahan and Steve Jennings at the expense of Alan Connell
and Luke Webb. However, as the half wore on it seemed these changes
weren't going to help Hereford break their run of five games without a
goal.
Andy
Williams, partnering Steve Guinan in attack, was looking most likely
for The Bulls but his low shot on ten minutes was gathered easily by
Andy Marriot. Gulliver went close soon after following a corner, given
when Jennings' shot was deflected behind, with a free header but he
directed wide of the goal. Williams then fired harmlessley over again
when Simon Travis slipped a ball square to him before Boston had a rare
effort from Paul Ellender. The
visitors did have the ball in the net before the break from Drew
Broughton, but the offside flag had long been raised before the striker
beat Wayne Brown.
Who
knows what was said in the Hereford changing rooms at the break; but
whatever it was it worked! The passing suddenley became fluent and The
Bulls were on the charge and looking dangerous. The chances didn't come
straight away, but a break with Ben Smith, Guinan and then Smith again
found Danny Thomas on the left. His cut back towards Williams was toed
away by a defender though, but Hereford had signalled their intentions.
On
fifty six minutes, on the next real attack, the deadlock was broken and
it was no suprise at all it was The Whites who'd scroed. Brown gathered
a corner and, although Hereford were slow getting out, Williams made a
run and Brown's kick was direct. Thomas popped up in support on the
right and played a pass behind the left back for the run of Travis, but
his cross was cut out. It fell to Smith, but his shot was blocked before
it fell into the path of Guinan, who made no mistake from close range
at the back post.
Everytime
Hereford went forward from then on a goal looked likely. This was
probably helped by Boston, who really looked like a team dead and buried
already. Williams was again involved as Thomas came in from the left
and saw a low shot skim off Marriot's fingertips and behind before man
of the match Smith played a one-two with McClenahan, crossed superbly
with the outside of his boot to Guinan at the far post, who forced
Marriot into a fantastic save with a close range header. The flag was up
for offside though.
The
second goal came after seventy one minutes from another pacy break down
the left as Smith switched play from Travis on the right to Thomas on
the left, and the winger picked out Williams in the box. A fantastic
step over fooled his marker and his drilled cross deflected off the head
of Mark Greaves and into the back of the net. With nine minutes to go
Guinan and Williams were replaced by Tim Sills and Alan Connell, and it
was the latter who looked the more lively. His work paid dividends in
the final minute as he completed the scoring with a free kick twenty
yards out, which he curled precisely into the top corner for 3-0.
It
was ironic that this was probably the worst performance of United's
past four games, but this is the only one they've won. The main
difference, in the second half mostly, was simply that they took their
chances. However, maybe it was the pace of Williams in the front line
that added to the creating of these more clear cut chances, or the fact
that Jennings provided more cover in midfield allowing Smith more
freedom. Whatever it was, hopefully Hereford can keep doing it and
attract a crowd better than the 2,176 today against local rivals
Shrewsbury in two weeks time.
HUFC:
Brown, McClenahan, Gulliver, Mkandawire, Purdie, Thomas, Jennings,
Smith, Travis, Williams, Guinan. Subs: Rose, Thompson, Webb, Connell,
Sills.
BUFC:
Marriot, Greaves, Ellender, Stevens, Clarke, Galbraith, Cooksey,
Farrall, Cryan, Green, Broughton. Subs: Nunn, Maylett, Rowntree.