A look back to November 4th 2003:
Cobblers!
Hereford
United 1 - 1 Northampton Town
(after extra time - Northampton win 4 - 3 on penalties)
(after extra time - Northampton win 4 - 3 on penalties)
Despite leading the
Conference and playing a team at the wrong end of the Third
Division, it was Northampton Town who overcame Hereford United to
progress to the next round of the LDV Vans Trophy, but in the
cruellest of fashion.
Hereford missed Paul Parry, Danny Williams, Andy Tretton and Daniel Carey-Bertram while Colin Calderwood's side were boosted by the non-contract signing of former Nottingham Forest defender Des Lyttle. It was, though, a slightly weakened side and there was no place for ex-Bull Christian Hargreaves.
Lawrie Dudfield's goal fifteen minutes from time appeared to effectively settle the game as an encounter, which had seen United go close on several occasions. However, David Brown popped up with three minutes to go, which sent the game into extra time.
The game opened with Steve Guinan's long range effort forcing a superb save out of Cobblers goalkeeper Lee Harper, and Guinan should have given Hereford the lead half way through the opening period from close range, but he failed to connect with Ryan Green's low cross.
It wasn't all one-way traffic, though, as Northampton struck Matt Baker's goalpost just before the half-hour mark. Josh Low found Derek Asamoah, and the Ghanian saw his half volley rebound away off the bottom of the upright. Soon afterwards, Marc Richards tried his luck in nodding the ball over Baker, but the United stopper backtracked to tip the ball behind for a corner.
In the second period, the 103 fans from Northampton were delighted when Lawrie Dudfield, on as a substitute, put the away side into the ascendancy. He linked onto a Paul Harsley free-kick to fire home from eight yards. This came after Baker had made a magnificent double save from Richard Walker earlier in the half, while Tony James and Ben Smith had both gone close at the other end.
But their good fortune wasn't to continue, as three minutes from time, a promising move on the Hereford right saw Rob Purdie break from his own area, travel sixty yards and laid the ball over the Jamie Pitman on the right. His cross fell kindly for Brown on the edge of the box, and his effort sailed past Harper to level the scores.
On the minus side for Hereford, Michael Rose picked up a yellow card for obstruction, his fifth of the campaign, and that means the left-back will miss United's trip to Shrewsbury Town in just over two weeks time.
United were made to sweat in the last minute of added time when a Dudfield header rebounded back off the bar, but the game then went into extra time, with the silver goal rule in action. If any side scored in the first period, then the game would end after fifteen minutes, otherwise it would continue for another half, and then, if required, penalties.
Martin Reeves should have won the game in the last minute of the first half as his long-range effort rebounded off the post afrter Dudfield had done the hard work, beating off a challenge from Tamika Mkandawire. The Bulls then broke, and the lively Nick Harrhy beat a Northampton man to hit a twenty yard shot. Harper, though, was equal to it.
Welsh international Paul Trollope struck the post after the restart, while Guinan hit the post from close range in the last minute after Ryan Green had crossed from the right.
Into the penalty shootout then, taken in front of United's home support at the Meadow End. David Brown stepped up for the first spot-kick, sending a right-footed shot into the left bottom corner. Martin Reeves then equalised, sending the ball into the roof of the net. Next up was United skipper Tony James, and he smashed his ball into the top corner, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Richard Walker then fired wide, giving United the upper hand, and Michael Rose took full advantage by netting into the bottom corner.
With the score at 3-1, Josh Low fired over the top by literally inches and it was left to Steve Guinan to win the match for Hereford. From the spot, United's top scorer smashed the ball miles high of Lee Harper's goal, and so Northampton had to score to stay in the match. Martin Smith was the man who stepped up, sending the ball past Baker into the bottom corner.
United's fifth penalty was taken by Jamie Pitman with the score at 3-2, but it was saved low to the right. Scorer Lawrie Dudfield was given the task of netting to keep his side in the match, and he scored straight down the middle to send the game into sudden death. Nick Harrhy, on as a substitute for his Hereford debut, was unlucky as his penalty hit the feet of Harper and rebounded off the crossbar. Chris Willmott wrapped up the win, though, with Northampton's sixth penalty, as it sailed into the roof of the net.
Hereford missed Paul Parry, Danny Williams, Andy Tretton and Daniel Carey-Bertram while Colin Calderwood's side were boosted by the non-contract signing of former Nottingham Forest defender Des Lyttle. It was, though, a slightly weakened side and there was no place for ex-Bull Christian Hargreaves.
Lawrie Dudfield's goal fifteen minutes from time appeared to effectively settle the game as an encounter, which had seen United go close on several occasions. However, David Brown popped up with three minutes to go, which sent the game into extra time.
The game opened with Steve Guinan's long range effort forcing a superb save out of Cobblers goalkeeper Lee Harper, and Guinan should have given Hereford the lead half way through the opening period from close range, but he failed to connect with Ryan Green's low cross.
It wasn't all one-way traffic, though, as Northampton struck Matt Baker's goalpost just before the half-hour mark. Josh Low found Derek Asamoah, and the Ghanian saw his half volley rebound away off the bottom of the upright. Soon afterwards, Marc Richards tried his luck in nodding the ball over Baker, but the United stopper backtracked to tip the ball behind for a corner.
In the second period, the 103 fans from Northampton were delighted when Lawrie Dudfield, on as a substitute, put the away side into the ascendancy. He linked onto a Paul Harsley free-kick to fire home from eight yards. This came after Baker had made a magnificent double save from Richard Walker earlier in the half, while Tony James and Ben Smith had both gone close at the other end.
But their good fortune wasn't to continue, as three minutes from time, a promising move on the Hereford right saw Rob Purdie break from his own area, travel sixty yards and laid the ball over the Jamie Pitman on the right. His cross fell kindly for Brown on the edge of the box, and his effort sailed past Harper to level the scores.
On the minus side for Hereford, Michael Rose picked up a yellow card for obstruction, his fifth of the campaign, and that means the left-back will miss United's trip to Shrewsbury Town in just over two weeks time.
United were made to sweat in the last minute of added time when a Dudfield header rebounded back off the bar, but the game then went into extra time, with the silver goal rule in action. If any side scored in the first period, then the game would end after fifteen minutes, otherwise it would continue for another half, and then, if required, penalties.
Martin Reeves should have won the game in the last minute of the first half as his long-range effort rebounded off the post afrter Dudfield had done the hard work, beating off a challenge from Tamika Mkandawire. The Bulls then broke, and the lively Nick Harrhy beat a Northampton man to hit a twenty yard shot. Harper, though, was equal to it.
Welsh international Paul Trollope struck the post after the restart, while Guinan hit the post from close range in the last minute after Ryan Green had crossed from the right.
Into the penalty shootout then, taken in front of United's home support at the Meadow End. David Brown stepped up for the first spot-kick, sending a right-footed shot into the left bottom corner. Martin Reeves then equalised, sending the ball into the roof of the net. Next up was United skipper Tony James, and he smashed his ball into the top corner, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Richard Walker then fired wide, giving United the upper hand, and Michael Rose took full advantage by netting into the bottom corner.
With the score at 3-1, Josh Low fired over the top by literally inches and it was left to Steve Guinan to win the match for Hereford. From the spot, United's top scorer smashed the ball miles high of Lee Harper's goal, and so Northampton had to score to stay in the match. Martin Smith was the man who stepped up, sending the ball past Baker into the bottom corner.
United's fifth penalty was taken by Jamie Pitman with the score at 3-2, but it was saved low to the right. Scorer Lawrie Dudfield was given the task of netting to keep his side in the match, and he scored straight down the middle to send the game into sudden death. Nick Harrhy, on as a substitute for his Hereford debut, was unlucky as his penalty hit the feet of Harper and rebounded off the crossbar. Chris Willmott wrapped up the win, though, with Northampton's sixth penalty, as it sailed into the roof of the net.
Written by Brian
Goodwin - 4th November 2003.
| Hereford United | Northampton Town |
| Matt Baker | Lee Harper |
| Ryan Green | Luke Chambers |
| Michael Rose | Chris Willmott |
| Jamie Pitman | Martin Reeves |
| Tamika Mkandawire | Marc Richards (off, 64 minutes) |
| Tony James (captain) | Josh Low |
| Rob Purdie (off, 103 minutes) | Paul Harsley (off, 83 minutes) |
| Ben Smith (off, 102 minutes) | Chris Carruthers |
| Steve Guinan | Derek Asamoah (off, 71 minutes) |
| David Brown | Richard Walker |
| Dean Craven (off, 88 minutes) | Des Lyttle |
| Subs | Subs |
| Richard Teesdale (on, 88 minutes) | Paul Trollope (on, 83 minutes) |
| Ben Scott | Glyn Thompson |
| Jordan King (on, 102 minutes) | Tom Smith |
| Nick Harrhy (on, 103 minutes) | Lawrie Dudfield (on, 64 minutes) |
| Danny Moon | Martin Smith (on, 71 minutes) |
| Yellow cards | Yellow cards |
| Michael Rose (unsporting behaviour, 56 minutes) | Marc Richards (unsporting behaviour, 39 minutes) |
| Rob Purdie (unsporting behaviour, 69 minutes) | Paul Harsley (unsporting behaviour, 64 minutes) |
| - | Derek Asamoah (diving, 70 minutes) |
| Red cards | Red cards |
| - | - |
| Scorers | Scorers |
| David Brown (87 minutes) | Lawrie Dudfield (75 minutes) |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| Man of the Match | Tony James |
| Attendance | 1,517 |
| Referee | Mr. M. Fletcher (Worcestershire) |