TOM’S WONDER GOAL NOT ENOUGH

Son of Eric reports from Fylde where, despite a wonder goal from Tom Owen-Evans, Hereford lost yesterday's game 2-1.

Hereford played their first ever game at Mill Farm home of AFC Fylde. One Hereford fan took the chance for a stag weekend and the Coasters even let him score on the pitch. A wonderful friendly gesture before the game started. 

The whole Fylde set up is very impressive, this is the best ground in the division with a quality pitch. The glossy programme was more typical of a higher level and the stewarding clearly hoped for a bigger crowd. The ground is attractive with stylised floodlights on one side and a massive main stand with high-quality catering facilities. The other three sides have good sized covered terracing which could easily be upgraded if the owner’s fantasies came to fruition. The only thing missing is the fans. Without just over 100 Bulls fans present there were less than 1,000 home fans for an attractive skilled team flying high. During the first half somewhat cruelly, a plane flew over towing a banner which had been displayed over Preston’s nearby ground and with Blackpool a few miles the other way it is hard to see where the fan base can come from. Another millionaire has grown a club from a low level into the League only ten miles away at Fleetwood, surely picking up a generation of floating Fylders.

Mill Farm is just off the M55 with plenty of parking and nearby retail. The relative opulence illustrates just how hard it is for Hereford to win this division despite having a far bigger fanbase. Hereford set up with Hall in goal, Captain Hodgkiss, Pearce, Pollock, and Revan defending. Haines and Lloyd sat behind Patten with Tom on the left and Harry on the right supporting Wright up front. Fylde started brightly and were soon testing Hereford’s backline. Hereford when they got possession were passing the ball well and a good sequence found Hodgkiss in space just outside the box on the right. He did not seem to quite realise how much space he had, and he snatched at his shot catching it well, but it was straight at Neal.

Twice Dobbie playing as an old fashioned inside forward behind Taylor has tried to slip the ball into the centre forward. Both passes were intercepted. Hereford were chasing the win and both Hodgkiss and Revan were getting forward at every opportunity. Hodgkiss had possession nicked away from him up by the halfway line. Dobbie turned and dissected Pearce and Pollock with a clinical pass for Taylor to run through the gap. Pearce chased back but he was never going to win a foot race. Speedster Revan almost got back but Taylor took the ball comfortably on pulling to the right slightly and then shooting across Hall giving him no chance.

It was an impressive turnover goal, but would Hereford have been playing such a high line if they were not chasing the win? Pearce and Pollock have many attributes but only Revan in the back four has real pace. Fylde were on top and moving the ball well showing the benefit of an expensively assembled team. Pinchard offered occasional relief, but the second goal seemed a matter of time. 

A Chance For Andre Wright

Then came the goal of the season out of nowhere. Combative Luke Haines got possession and did not hesitate to hit a thirty-yard pass to Tom just over the halfway line. 

Tom scanned and saw Neal was coming out expecting Owen-Evans to take the ball on and run in on goal. Tom let the ball run past him and hit the bouncing ball first time for a high, top spin lob of an attempt. Neal was stranded. The enclosed ground gave the sense that there was little wind on the terraces but there was a strong blustery breeze taking the edge off the sun.

Tom’s ball soared and dropped. It seemed just too audacious and when the net rippled there was initial silence, surely the ball had dropped on to the net. But no, dipping under the bar perfectly like a calculated golfer Tom had scored a wonder goal of the highest order, superb vision, and top-class skill from the maestro for the delighted Bulls fans to celebrate.

Hereford were encouraged by the goal. Wright was giving both Fylde centre backs a workout, taking a few kicks and when Davis took Andre out, he was rightly booked. Referee Maskrey was impressive stamping on niggly physicality and booking here when many officials would have let things run on. Fylde still looked the most likely and Haughton who scored twice at Edgar Street had two good opportunities. First Hall saved a snapshot and then Haughton got through beat rounded Brandon but hit the side netting when he should have scored.

Hereford were fortunate to go in level but in the second half they matched Fylde. The Coasters played good football and Hereford did too. Gowling had made a clever tactical decision which stopped Fylde from fully dominating. When Darlington played at Hereford a few weeks ago Hatfield ran the show. Since then, Fylde have made him an offer he could not refuse. Darlington wished him all the best saying they could not stand in the way of such a generous deal for one of their players. He sat deep in central midfield. Gowling put Patten on him. Nominally the attacking central midfielder, Keenan instead was forever picking up Hatfield and not allowing him to run through the lines as he had done so often at Edgar Street. This stymied how Fylde hoped to play and allowed Hereford to work well down the flanks.

Haines Received A Knock But Initially Carried On

The Coasters took off Dobbie and Tollitt, bringing on Osborne and Walker. Danger man Haughton got free on the right and fired high and across goal, bringing out a superb full stretch tip away from Hall to keep the scores level. Lloyd had played well but still coming back from injury he was replaced by Vincent. Wright had given the best all round centre forward display since Gordon was snatched away by the Brackley moneymen. Andre was always on the move with a gentle jog constantly asking questions of the Fylde centre backs. He frequently took balls and laid them off and battled well with his markers. McLean came on for him and went on the left with Tom moving to the centre.

Fylde took off Slew for Conran. Hereford were doing well and Pinchard hit several good dead balls. From one the ball bounced around the box and then dropped over the top to Mclean who turned and stabbed home sweetly just inside the near post. The assistant flagged for offside, but this seemed an error judging when the ball arrived rather then when it was headed on. Not for the first time this season Ryan’s quickness of thought and movement caught an official out. Haines had been clattered and was down for a couple of minutes but carried on. He did not seem fully able to run the knock off and maybe he was kept on for his long throws which caused Fylde problems. Eventually though he could not carry on and was substituted for Klukowski.

Hereford were finishing strongly in the six minutes of added time. Breaking away from a Fylde corner Pearce was striding forward. Haughton did not hesitate to tackle him before he could get near the halfway line with a tactical foul at the cost of a yellow.

With Fylde’s last attack it seemed as if Hodgkiss thought the ball had gone out for a goal kick, but the officials saw otherwise, and Fylde’s three substitutes combined for the winner. Walker’s ball on the left seemed overhit, but Slew screwed it back across and Osborne tapped in at the far post. Hereford kicked off and the referee blew up. That was cruel.

How long will Fylde’s benefactors spend money on this project? It is magnificent but only 1042 were present. Fylde only charge £12 one of the lowest amounts in the division to stand and they have a billboard campaign in nearby Wesham advertising forthcoming fixtures. Resources most teams in this division can only dream of. Maybe Fylde’s benefactor thinks like Kevin Costner that if you build it, they will come to the Field of Dreams. There’s humility in the club biography. Chairman Haythornthwaite says the club aim to be in the Football League by 2022 and with this at least 2 years away he could have edited this away. Who's Who | AFC Fylde

The hospitality is excellent, and the club do good work in the community and provide financial support for Fylde women including provision of a second ground which is as good as some in this division. There are all weather five a side pitches outside the main ground. Maybe Fylde will become the Forest Green of the north with a support base building over time.

There were several fine performances for Hereford, Hall, Hodgkiss, Revan, Haines, McLean and Pinchard were particularly good on the ball. Off the ball and my man of the match was Patten. He sat on Hatfield and stopped him running the game. He showed excellent positional discipline always looking to stop Fylde creating. When Dobbie drifted deeper to find space it was often Keenan picking him up and this contributed to Dobbie being taken off early in the second half. When Hereford attacked nobody was quicker at getting back if it broke down to help with defence. Keenan’s running statistics must show him covering more ground than most. For a young player this was the assured defensive midfield performance of a veteran. If he could relax in front of goal he might score, he had a glorious chance on the edge of the box, but his shot was more like a rugby conversion.

Hereford deserved a draw, and the defeat was brutal. Thankfully there’s still hope of a play off place with results elsewhere going for the Bulls.