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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

On This Day - April 28th 2012


On April 28th 2012 Hereford United travelled to Crawley and were expected to be defeated but it didn't turn out that way.

A look back.


Bulls win at Crawley to take it to the final match

Hereford United came away from The Broadfield Stadium with a fine 3-
0 win against promotion chasing Crawley this afternoon.  A second half strike from Joe Colbeck and a pair from Yoann Arquin stunned the hosts and disrupted their planned promotion celebration.


Richard O’Kelly was forced into a late change when top scorer Tom Barkhuizen was taken ill.  Colbeck got the nod with Harry Pell also given a start in place of Will Evans who found himself without a place on a bench that saw the return of Simon Clist and James McQuilkin.

From the kick-off, Purkiss sent a long ball forward which Facey flicked into the path of Colbeck but his driven cross went out on the far side.  Crawley responded with an Alexander cross that was stabbed home by Billy Clarke but the assistant’s flag was already fluttering in the wind.  Harry Pell broke down the left and his dangerous ball into the box was hacked away by the giant Claude Davis.

Referee Russell incurred the wrath of the travelling Herefordians when McFadzean unleashed a thunderbolt that cannoned off a Hereford player who was stood less than a yard away and awarded a free kick.   

Intentional?  Not a chance.  Could it have been avoided?  Not a chance.  Where do these referee’s get these imaginary rules from?  Russell then allowed advantage to Crawley but when they misplaced a pass he brought play back to award them a free kick.  Two advantages?  How strange therefore that when Captain Purdie was blatantly shoved out of the away nothing was given.

With half an hour on the clock, good work by Lunt and Facey set up Featherstone but his effort was straight at keeper Kuipers.  Then with seven minutes of the half remaining a Crawley corner was cleared up field and Colbeck broke through with only the keeper to beat.  Kuipers was well out of his area as he palmed the ball to safety but the referee, surprisingly, only produced a yellow card.  Kenny Lunt’s effort from the resulting free kick was dealt with by the lucky Kuipers.  The half finished with a disappointing display of so-called professionalism when Billy Clarke took an extended motionless lie down before eventually jogging back to the halfway line to deny the undertakers a days pay.

HT  Crawley 0  Bulls 0

The hosts had looked the more threatening in the first period with their brutal, direct style but United’s defence had held firm with the help of a few last ditch clearances.

A Crawley cross from the left was volleyed a foot wide by McFadzean before The Bulls took a slightly fortunate lead.  Colbeck chased a through ball that should have been dealt with by Kuipers and defender Dean Howell but the pair conspired to abdicate responsibility and Joebeck was able to tap into an empty net.

Adam Bartlett brought hearts to the mouths of the visiting fans with a poor clearance but the resulting Torres’ shot rebounded off the bar before Kenny Lunt gifted another opportunity but recovered to get in a great saving tackle.  Then, when Scott Davies sent in a rocket from the edge of the box, Bartlett reacted superbly to tip over.
 
With the home side pushing for an equaliser, they were careless at the back to allow both Facey and Arquin (on for Colbeck) to break clear.  Facey deftly rounded the keeper and squared to Arquin who gratefully finished unchallenged.

With the casual home fans already heading for the exits, The Bulls struck again through Arquin.  This time the mercurial Frenchman fired home from 18 yards after outpacing his marker to send a delighted 367 visitors out of a total gate of 4615 home to sweat for another week.

FT Crawley 0  Bulls 3

Hereford: Bartlett, Purkiss, Townsend, Anthony, Chambers, Featherstone, Pell, Lunt (McQuilkin 87), Purdie, Colbeck (Arquin 69), Facey (Stam 85). Subs not used: Clist, Clucas.

Crawley: Kuipers, Simpson, Wassmer, Davis, Howell (Neilson 70), Davies (Akinde 83), McFadzean, Torres, Bulman, Clarke (Watt 77), Alexander. Subs not used: Shearer, Mills.

Saturday it is then.

That's a Massive Win said Colbeck

Joe Colbeck scored Hereford United's first goal at Crawley this afternoon and afterwards he spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"That's a massive win, the lads in the changing room are really buzzing.

"It's brought us massive confidence to play at home."

Colbeck described his goal.

"I chested it down and I didn't know what happened between their defender and the keeper.

"As I jinked over the keeper the ball was in front of me and so I put it away.

"It might have been a keeping error by the lad.

"But they all count don't they!

"I thought we were the better side, we were creating more chances.

"They had a little spell ten minutes second-half when they were on top of us but I didn't think they were going to score."
Yoann Arquin scored Hereford's other two goals.

"Yoann has done fantastic the last few games. He is a game changer and hopefully can do the same for us next week."
It's now all down to next Saturday.

"We've got to win it. Hopefully we'll go out and put on the same performance as we have done today."

Confidence Boost for Bulls says O'Kelly

This afternoon's 3-0 win at Crawley was a confidence boost for the Bulls said  manager Richard O'Kelly.

"The opposition today in the second half put us under a lot of pressure," O'Kelly told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"We blocked the ball, we defended well, we kept our organisation well. Had a bit of good fortune.

"But the pleasing thing was when we got the ball we were constructive with it and went forward with a bit of quality rather than somewhere near.

"The problems from Alexander and Clark, we dealt with it really well and when we got possession of the ball we got at their back players which is what the plan was.

"The team that scores first always gives you a boost. You see the body language changing. Today was nice for the players because of the effort they put in."

The Crawley goalkeeper (Kuipers) appeared to handle the ball outside the area in the first half but was only given a yellow card by referee Russell.

"You watch a game and the referee gives a foul one minute for one thing and doesn't the next.

"There was no doubt about it - it was a foul, it was outside the box. I know he was a long way from goal but he's stopped the ball going towards the goal so may be it should have been a red card."

Finally O'Kelly thanked the Hereford United supporters.

"They were fantastic. Some turned up in fancy dress.

"Ever since I have been here the support especially away from home has been really good.

"What we are looking for now is a good crowd next week at Edgar Street to give us a boost and put the pressure on Torquay."