Hall Saves A Point

Brandon Hall Saves Darlington's Penalty

Son of Eric watched Hereford draw 1-1 with Darlington yesterday afternoon.

The best day of the year so far saw fans arriving with ice creams in the sun. Vincent had flu so Patten started alongside Haines in defensive midfield. The unchanged defence was skipper Hall, Gillela, Pollock, Pearce, and Revan. Up front was Faal, with Storey, Owen-Evans and Kouhyar in offensive midfield. Egan, McLean, Touray, Klukowski and Pinchard made up the bench.

Darlington set up 4-4-2 with both wide midfielders quick to push up and played an attractive football very similar to much of Hereford’s play this season. They started well and had control of the game as Hereford looked a little lethargic with several players miscuing passes. Darlington played the ball at the back, Owen-Evans pressed Lawlor and won a block tackle. Tom was fouled but referee Ouchene played advantage and the ball rolled across the box to Faal who reacted quickest clipping a low hard shot to the right to take the lead.

Sorry No Pictures Of The Goal

Darlington came back and kept on footballing with captain Hatfield and Rose running midfield, Haines and Patten failing to get to grips with them. Hatfield was picking out diagonal balls in behind and looking to play one-twos, Rose was sitting a little deeper. There was a swirling wind and Haines struggled to allow for it overhitting several of the longer passes he normally pings so sweetly. Patten was good at dropping in to cover when full backs attacked but offered little creatively.

Hatfield was being allowed far too much space in the hole and saw a gap on the right-hand side of Hereford’s back four. He drew out Pearce and played a one two, surged into the box behind the stranded Pearce he played in Thompson who had made a diagonal run across the box. Thompson got to the ball just before the advancing Hall who had to come out and just caught the Barnsley loan player’s leg. Thompson went for a clear penalty. Pearce came over and had a long talk to Hall. The ball was placed on the spot, but it was rocking a little in the wind and Pearce pointed this out, so the ball was advanced a little so that it was on the goal side of the spot. Hatfield had been waiting all the time. He ran up and struck a hard shot to the left, but Hall dived forwards and across palming the ball away. A fine save.

Darlington are an admirable side. They play football the right way and without nonsense. In many ways they are like Hereford, looking great but without enough of a cutting edge. Thompson was the pick of their attackers working across the backline with his combination of pace and physicality showing why he is at a higher-level club. With one Quakers break TOE tactically tackled a Darlington player and was booked. At half time Hereford were ahead against the overall balance of play.

In the second half Hereford got tighter on Hatfield and Rose. They no longer had the freedom of Edgar Street to dictate play, but the Bulls still struggled creatively. Storey seemed to be forced deeper and worked back well but made little offensive impact. Faal challenged physically and took his goal well, but Premiership veteran Wheater marshalled him well and neither Kouhyar nor Owen-Evans got up close enough to him to provide an additional attacking threat. Darlington still had the better of the game and Pollock had to pull back Thompson at the expense of a foul when the speedster got behind him.

Darlington's Free Kick Went Into The Hereford Wall

Darlington took off Lambert for Rivers and trying to improve Hereford’s prospects Gowling brought on McLean for Faal with Storey going up front. The Quakers brought on Cassidy for Dos Santos. Darlington then got the goal their play deserved. An attack down the inside left channel saw Pearce fail to cut out a flick by O’Neill on the edge of the box and the ball bounced awkwardly for Lambert who pressed by Pollock got a shot away which ballooned up and over Hall in slow motion. Gillela desperately tried to hoick the ball away, but it was over the line, and he only whacked it up into the net. A messy goal which could have been cut out earlier.

McLean made the greatest attacking impact and had one superb run into the box beating several players and having his shot blocked for what would have been the goal of the season. You can see the fear in defenders’ eyes when Ryan runs at them, and Hereford’s prospects improved further when Pinchard came on for Patten who had badly overhit a couple of passes. Kouhyar got in a couple of shots one saved well down to his right by Taylor. Finally, Hereford had the better of the play with the two smallest players on the pitch Harry and Ryan instrumental in the Bulls improvement.

Sub Harry Pinchard

The referee was balanced but inconsistent failing to book Griffiths for a nasty foul. He advised Haines after half an hour or so that he had done three bad fouls and if he continued fouling, he would end up booked. Luke kept on getting his foot in as he always does often at the expense of a foul, but the referee appeared to forget what he had said. A Darlington corner found Lambert clear at the back post and he headed over when it was easier to score Pollock having badly lost his man. Touray came on for Kouhyar as time was added on.

Too many Hereford players had six out of ten performances. Hereford’s improved resilience won a point when earlier in the season this would have been a loss. Tom is now tightly marked by almost every team and that is no surprise, he is well known and regarded at this level. His goal scoring and assist record speaks for itself. I wonder whether rather than being played as a 10 in the modern parlance he would be better as a 6 or an 8 gaining more space and time on the ball. Tom was still an influential player creating the goal with his pressing, earning a necessary yellow as Darlington broke. When Hall saved the penalty the Hereford player nearest to him to help clear the ball was Tom. He would have been more influential than Patten, and if Pinchard is now fully fit his substitute appearances suggest he would trouble sides as a 10.

Hereford need to score more goals and win most of their games left to get in the play offs. It was interesting that both Hodgkiss and Lloyd watched the game from the upper Len Weston when usually injured players are in Block D of the Merton stand. As wise, experienced players they will provide additional feedback for Josh. The crowd fell away to 1763 with less than 100 making the long trip from County Durham. Man of the match was Hall who had no chance with the deflected goal and saved the penalty to ensure Hereford picked up a point.