Hereford fans will be hurting today. Make no mistake, yesterday was a missed opportunity.
Regardless of what Josh Gowling may have said leading up to the game, Hornchurch were the underdogs and not Hereford. Of course the Urchins had an unbelievable run to reach the final, knocking out three National League sides along the way, including Notts County in the semis. They also had a wily old boss in Mark Stimson, a manager who had three FA Trophy successes under his belt.
However, the Bulls were still a league above their opponents and were in excellent form themselves, albeit they had only played Trophy games since the turn of the year. Would Hereford get an opportunity like this again?
Many people predicted it would be a tight affair, but a lot of Bulls fans were confident that Gowling's side would win. And that confidence was increased when they went ahead in the 13th minute, an excellent short corner routine finding Tom Owen-Evans, who calmly slotted home via a deflection.
The rest of the half was quite a scrappy affair, although Hereford were well in control and went into the break deservedly in the lead.
However, the longer it was 1-0, Hornchurch were always in the game. Go 2-0 up and you would think that would be enough for Hereford. That is why it was so disappointing that they were so passive in the second half. Instead of 'really going for it', the Bulls sat back and slowly but surely the initiative swung in Horcnhurch's favour.
As mentioned, Stimson is an experienced manager and his substitutions proved telling, whereas Gowling had little on the bench to call upon. Eventually, Hornchurch's pressure told and they got their equaliser with 15 minutes remaining. It was now the Urchins who were firmly in the ascendency, and when they went ahead with just four minutes remaining, you sensed it was too late for Hereford to get back into it. The third goal just rubbed salt into the wounds, but while it wasn't a 3-1 win, Hornchurch were deserved winners.
Throughout the competition, Hereford's strong defence has proved telling, with their only goal conceded prior to the final being the very late Aldershot equaliser in the quarters. And it was their attacking play that let them down at Wembley. Even though they were in control in the first half, they didn't create a glut of chances; instead choosing not to shoot when in good positions. They needed some pace out wide and a crafty playmaker to unlock the Hornchurch defence. Michael Bakare and Joey Butlin had poor games up front, but they were starved of service. Maybe if Lenell John-Lewis was still at the club, he may have made a difference. Who knows.
Hornchurch, on the other had, had Liam Nash who expertly took his goal, while experienced striker Chris Dickson was excellent for them after coming off the bench just before the hour mark.
Nevertheless, Hereford fans shouldn't feel too disheartened. Of course it's disappointing to lose at Wembley again, especially as it was against a lower-graded side. But would everyone have taken another Wembley trip at the start of the season? Of course they would. And considering that the vast majority of games during this campaign have been behind closed doors, at least 3,000 fans still had the opportunity go to the National Stadium to cheer on the mighty Bulls once again. Some supporters don't even get to see their team play at Wembley once, never mind twice in just years.
And under the management of Gowling and Steve Burr, there is cause to feel excited going into the new season. The pair have helped revitalise what was, let's be honest, a sinking ship. Whatever people's views are on Pete Beadle's departure, you cannot argue that there was a real connection between him and the supporters and everyone could relate to the players. Sadly, under Marc Richards and then Russell Slade, that connection wasn't there and attendances started to dwindle, with the football being hard to watch.
Gowling has come across as someone who knows how important the fans are to the club and how it is an integral part of the community. And wasn't it great that we had this Trophy run to keep the season going? Imagine if December was the last time the club played and we had to wait until August to see them again?!
Of course there is nothing like watching live football, but credit must go to CJP Broadcast Solutions, who provided the excellent live stream service from Edgar Street throughout the season. At least it meant fans can still see the games, even it was from their home, and feel some sort of connection with the club.
Touch wood, everything will be back to normal next season with fans allowed to attend throughout the campaign. If that is the case, then every club is on a level playing field. Gowling will no doubt be starting to think about who he wants to retain, although he probably already knows most of the players that he wants to keep. Again what sort of budget he will have available will depend on who he can bring in, but there is definitely signs that the club will be competitive next season and at least be in the play off mix.
Gowling will have the full backing of supporters - that is not up for debate - and despite losing at Wembley, he has had a brilliant campaign as Hereford manager. But he knows that he will have to pick up his players now and go again. As they say, you're only as good as your last result. But he has already shown that he has the makings of being a very good manager, and with the experienced Burr guiding him, things are certainly looking up for Hereford FC.