It probably doesn't seem like it but it's five years today since Hereford played Camberley in a FA Vase Quarter Final Tie.
So with no football for the Bulls this afternoon why not look back at that game with reports, pictures, reaction and match footage.
Match Footage -> 2016-02-16 | Hereford FC v Camberley Town | FA Vase Quarter Final - YouTube
Hereford FC Footage -> @HerefordGoals: Hereford FC 3-2 Camberley Town - FA Vase Highlights - YouTube
Camberley Manager Dan Turkington Interview -> Hereford FC 3-2 Camberley (AET) Dan Turkington Interview - YouTube
Match Report:
Extra time Mills breaks Camberley hearts
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| John Mills |
Peter Beadle made two
changes from the team that comfortably overcame Sporting Khalsa in
midweek. Harvey Rivers was replaced by Martin Horsell in between the
sticks and Nathan Summers had recovered from illness to take the place
of Ryan Green, who started his three-match ban for his dismissal at
Hartley Witney.
Hereford attacked the
Blackfriars End in the first-period but the majority of the early
stages was at the Meadow End, with the away side pumping long balls
towards the Bulls' back-line. It was Hereford though who had the first
real opportunity; Bundu made room on the left to roam past his marker
and his cut-back was cleared from danger by the defender. Camberley also
had a chance throygh Bobby Dormer but his rising shot from 20 yards was
never troubling Horsell.
Mid-way through the
first-half, Camberley took the lead. Summers was booked for tugging back
at the away team's number 9, who was looking to break towards goal. A
right-foot cross towards the back-post was met by Bunyan, who rose above
Jamie Willets to power a header in off the post.
The home team were struggling to deal with the tricky weather conditions, with Camberley looking fairly comfortable at the back. However, it was Bundu who was the threat collecting a pass from Dylan Bonella and going down under inside the box but the ref adjudged it a dive and duly booked Bundu. On reflection of the highlight video, it looked as though it was the correct decision.
The Sierra Leonean had another chance minutes from the interval when good work down the right allowed Jimmy Oates to send a deep cross to the back-post and Bundu controlled but the ball sat up and when he eventually struck goalwards, the 'keeper Craig Bradshaw denied him by with a strong reflex save.
Hereford were forced
into a half-time change as Pablo Haysham went off with an injury, and
Rob Purdie took his place. Yet, Camberley were still the side
threatening and a Dormer header went-close. At the other end, Aaron
Birch fed Bundu in a great position on the left but his first-touch was
heavy and was gathered by Bradshaw. The Meadow End were in fine voice
and calls for Mills were answered just after the hour mark, as he
replaced Joe Tumelty. Minutes later, Mills had twisted past his marker,
not once but twice and leaving him flat on the floor before crossing to
the back-post where Symons threatened but the ball hit a defensive hand,
and the referee awarded a penalty. Bundu, fresh from his spot-kick in
mid-week against Khalsa, picked up the ball and sent it down the middle
to equalise.
Purdie lashed a shot over from 25 yards as the home crowd were eager for Hereford to push on but the visitors had other ideas and went ahead once again. Camberley worked a move up the right-wing and a pass inside was deflected into the path of Bunyan, who beat Horsell to the ball to nick it goalwards with his left boot. Despite Oates' best efforts to clear off the line, the linesman flagged and Camberley were 2-1 up.
Bundu forced a smart save from the feet of Bradshaw before Hereford equalised minutes later. Bonella's pass was knocked into the path of Purdie by Birch; the sub composed himself and chipped a cross to the back-post where Mills headed down into the path of Symons, who flicked into the net from four yards.
Bonella nearly found the far post with a curling left-foot shot, after his initial corner couldn't beat the first defender and Bonella also flashed a sweet half-volley wide off the target. With five minutes added on at the end of the ninety, Hereford were lucky to escape with extra time when Camberley broke on the right-wing. Perry Coles got past Edwards and his powerful strike from an angle was blocked by Horsell and a follow up effort from the same player was blocked.
In to extra time we
went with the game on a knife edge. The visitors were starting to tire
and Coles was on his last legs but was forced to continue as Camberley
had made their three subs for the afternoon. Good hold up play from
Symons allowed him to find Purdie, who set up Bundu. The winger hit it
first-time, curling a right-foot shot from 20 yards off the post with
the 'keeper rooted to the spot; the follow-up effort from Mills went
wide but he was given offside.
Ross Staley was
introduced as Symons pulled up just before half-time in extra time. The
former Shortwood winger nearly made an instant impact, his direct
running style saw him ghost past a couple of defenders and create room
for a shot but a low drive was pushed away by Bradshaw. Hereford pressed
on in the second fifteen minutes, with Mills firing over from the edge
of the box with a volley and Purdie's low shot pushed behind by
Bradshaw. It all looked set for a replay until the final minute of the
game when Camberley's resistance was broken and Hereford found the
winner.
Staley took a quick
throw on the left-wing to Edwards, who cut inside his marker to play a
one-two with Birch. The return ball was driven low by Edwards and Mills
found half a yard at the front post on his marker to superbly touch home
with his right-foot past Bradshaw. Cue pandemonium from the home
support and the Hereford players alike. Heartbreak for Camberley but
delirium for Hereford.
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| Joel Edwards Crosses To John Mills Who Made No Mistake |
It was pulsating cup tie, fitting in terms of non-league football for its determination and drama. Camberley can be proud of their efforts; they pushed Hereford all the way and if the game went to a replay, there could have been no complaints from either team. Yet, it was a little bit of quality at the end of the game from Mills, with a deft finish under intense pressure, fitting of the season that the 41 goal striker is having. Only Salisbury progressed in the FA Vase today, with Kidlington and Bowers Pitsea sharing spoils 3-3. Bristol Manor Farm's long trip to Morpeth was called off yesterday so Monday's draw still has an element of uncertainty to it. The semi finals will be played on March 12th and 19th, which means the Loughborough University home tie, and Long Eaton away tie will fall foul to more postponements.
Next up for Beadle's
men is the visit of Highgate in the league on Tuesday. Highgate were
beaten 3-1 today at Brocton but should give Hereford a stiff test,
having won the reverse game at the start of the season 2-1.
Hereford: Horsell, Oates, Summers, Willets, Edwards, Tumelty, Birch, Bonella, Bundu, Haysham, Symons.
Subs: Purdie, Staley, Pilling, Grant, Mills.
Camberley: Bradshaw, Webb, Ford, Sowden, Ellis, Jewell, Emmerson, Bunyan, Coles, Lazarczuk, Dormer.
Subs: Hubbard, Cousins, Hoppitt, Humphrey, Jewell.
Attendance: 3329
Match Reaction:
I Think We Deserved It In the End Said Beadle
Hereford FC manager
Peter Beadle felt this afternoon's game against Camberley Town had been a
'true cup tie' especially given the winning goal didn't arrive until
late into extra time.
"Massive drama, true
cup tie I suppose, going into extra time and scoring so late on as
well," said Beadle in his post match press conference.
"I think we deserved towards the end. I thought we were the team always pressing and pushing and probing.
"But I thought the
performance was one of lots of individuals who didn't quite come up to
standard today, lots of little mistakes and little stutters. The way the
game panned out we just didn't get any momentum going.
"And they took their
chances and I think maybe we took our foot off the pedal but we got back
in at 1-1 and they scored another good goal.
"It was a good goal,
bad defending by Jamie Willets. He's got done and the lad's come inside
and credited a chance and they've scored from it again.
"So disappointed with
the goals we've given away. We had talked about their strengths, set
pieces, throw ins and they used to their advantage well and we defended
most of them fairly well. But we gave away a sloppy free kick for their
first goal and a poor piece of defending for their second one.
"As always we are going to find it hard here because teams work extra hard and of course it's the quarter finals of the Vase.
"But I think we
deserved it and I think earnt our luck even though we didn't play
particularily well, as well as we did on Tuesday, we dug in and rolled
our sleeves up and we get going."
Conditions were difficult with a strong wind blowing towards the Meadow End.
"They were difficult
through the whole game, the wind does blow from end to end here which
makes it difficult to play. The pitch is now starting to get a little
bit bobbly but it was okay, still good.
"The conditions probably added to what was a fantastic cup tie for the neutral."
There was nothing shabby about the finish of one of the Camberley goals.
"I've just went over
and singled him out and said what a fantastic header. Might have been a
younger version of me at the back stick. It was a great delivery and a
great run and a fantastic header. It was a poor free kick on our part,
we were favourites to win it before Nathan got in behind him and pulled
him back and they scored from that.
"We've got away with
it a bit today because we had a lot of individuals who didn't quite
reach the standards they've set themselves recently.
"I think our play
deserved it in the end but we have got away with it because the last
thing I wanted was to go there on a Tuesday night on a smaller pitch and
have to combat their set pieces and their long throws.
"I'm not happy with
the performance. If we think we've played well, we haven't. But we've
done what we set out to do which was to get through to the semi-finals
and now we can have a little look on Monday and see who we draw with the
excitement of knowing it's going to be over two legs.
"The aim was always to get through but I think we could have done it far more comfortably than we did it in the end."
Meanwhile Camberley manager Dan Turkington was very disappointed to have lost.
"Really disappointed, I thought the game deserved to go to a replay." Turkington told BN.
"I think Hereford had more chances but I think we had the better chances.
"I don't think there was a lot separating the two teams over 90 minutes.
"Really proud of the boys. Two good teams coming at each other. Unfortunate to go out in the last minute of extra time.
"We would have fancied a replay at Camberley"