A look back to April 26th 2014 and a Conference game at Aldershot:
Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough….
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| Scorer Sam Smith With Michael Rankine, Jarrod Bowen and Jamie Edge |
….that’s
what we call a Great Escape.
Hereford
United secured their Conference Premier status with a two goals to one win at
Aldershot’s Recreation Ground this evening when goals from Sam Smith and
Michael Rankine sealed the victory that meant Chester’s
draw with Salisbury
was insufficient to prevent them dropping to the regional division.
Peter
Beadle kept faith with Jamie Edge following his introduction in place of the
injured Billy Murphy in an otherwise unchanged side from the team the defeated
Alfreton last weekend.
With close
to 800 travelling Bulls’ supporters raising the roof, the game started with
United attacking the end occupied by their own fans. In an understandably nervous opening few
minutes, Oyeleke dragged a shot wide of Danny Lloyd-Weston’s goal and Sam Smith
was equally wide of the mark with The Bulls’ first attempt. Frankie Artus’ searching through ball into
the left channel found Rankine but the ball was cleared for an uneventful throw
before a Kingsley James ball into the box caused some concern for the home
defence but was eventually punted upfield to clear the danger.
After a
tentative start, The Bulls started to put together some much improved Beadleball
and following a rash challenge on Kingsley James, the ball was worked out to
Jarrod Bowen who whipped in a dangerous cross from wide right that just failed
to find the onrushing Rankine.
In the next
attack, Rankine turned his marker and went down in the box after being caught
by a trailing leg but referee Peter Banks failed to stick to the Woolmer script
and waived away the penalty appeals.
United
continued to look bright and busy despite Sam Smith being a little harshly
penalised when a defender simply stumbled over the ball. With twenty-five minutes on the clock, Molesley
blasted over when well placed before a Chris Bush overlap earned a corner on
the left a couple of minutes later.
Frankie
Artus’ flag kick picked out Luke Graham and his thumping header was cleared off
the line but Sam Smith was on hand to bundle the ball into he net and give The
Bulls real hope that survival was a possibility.
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| Sam Smith Put The Bulls Ahead |
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| Smith wheeling away to celebrate -Picture From Andy Compton/Hereford Journal |
Meanwhile,
over at The Deva, the Jesters had already taken the lead over Salisbury
but cheers erupted from The Bulls section of the Aldershot crowd minutes later
when news filtered through that Salisbury
had equalised.
Kingsley
James saw a shot blocked by what looked suspiciously like a hand while, at the
other end, DLW was smartly down to collect an effort from Mekki at the near
post. Jarrod Bowen was scythed down in
midfield and from the free-kick Ranks was strangely penalised for apparently failing to fall over when pushed in the back.
The referee was less than impressed with Oyeleke’s crude challenge on
Ranks soon afterwards and rewarded the Shots’ player with a flask of yellow. The resulting free kick found Kingsley James
on the far side of the box and he drove purposefully into the area. Two rash challenges could easily have forced
the referee into a decision but KJ chose to stay on his feet and the ball was eventually
cleared.
HT
Aldershot 0 Bulls 1 (1-1 at The Deva)
The second
period started with a burst of pressure from the hosts that upped the pulse
rate of the travelling Herefordians. Sam
Smith was fouled and Bushy’s free kick was met with a Rankine header but keeper
Morris was well placed to gather.
Rob Purdie
won a free kick on the right midway into the Shots’ half and when Artus’ cross
arrived at the back post Luke Graham rose to head into the net but, sadly,
there was a fluttering flag on the far side that ruled out the strike.
The Bulls
continued to press and Smith was caught offside by the narrowest of margins
before Molesley’s low drive was cleared by Dom Collins. Then a good chance fell to Jarrod Bowen who
found himself one on one with the keeper.
The youngster had the confidence to round the host stopper rather than
shooting but unfortunately the move took him too wide and his effort on the
turn was just over the bar.
As the hour
mark approached the Bulls fans heard the Jester had re-taken the lead with a goal
from Rooney so it was back to biting the finger nails. Kingsley had a goal-bound shot blocked and
DLW had to back-peddle to tip a shot from distance over the bar before another
shot from Mekki skidded just wide of the post.
Then, with
fifteen minutes of normal time remaining, Aldershot
struck back. Oyeleke ceased on a loose
ball on the edge of the box and rifled a low shot in off the inside of the
upright. Things were not looking good.
There
followed a flurry of substitutions from both teams that saw The Bulls replace
Jamie Edge with Jon Brown, Dan Walker replace Jarrod Bowen. Very soon after, Cory Williams came on for Sam
Smith.
Jester were
winning and The Bulls were looking doomed then Dan Walker stretched his legs
down the right and cut in along the bye-line to deliver a low cross into the
box. Michael Rankine arrived with
perfect timing to sweep the ball into the net from ten yards to give The Bulls
the lead for a second time in the game.
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| Michael Rankine Secured Hereford's Victory |
Hopes were
now pinned on a Salisbury
equaliser at The Deva and it arrived less than a minute later. With one eye on the Recreation Ground and the
other on the smart phone, Bulls fans signalled Jamie White’s strike at The Deva
with the same delight as Ranks’ goal.
The four
added minutes seemed like an hour and when referee Banks blew the final whistle
there was an agonising two further minutes before the refresh button was
finally redundant and the celebrations broke out both on and off the pitch.
FT Shots 1
Bulls 2
Bulls:-
Lloyd-Weston, Bush, Graham, Collins, Purdie, Bowen (Walker 86), James. Edge (Brown 80), Artus,
Smith (Williams 80), Rankine. Unused:- Sam Gwynne and Joel Edwards.
Shots:-
Morris, Oastler, Tonkin, Phillips, Stanley,
Barker (Roberts 79), Mekki (Bubb 85), Moseley (Rowlands 89), Oyeleke, Williams,
Scott. Unused:- Patterson, Williams.
Attendance
3593 including 772 delighted Bulls fans.
No after
match thoughts, no MOTM, we won and that’s all the matters.
Well done all.