Hereford played their first Saturday afternoon game at Edgar Street for over two months on a mild, dry day. Eve replaced Wade in goal. Loanee Melhado made his debut at right back. Captain Haines paired with Thompson, Pendley dropping to the bench. Evans returned at left back. In midfield Pinchard sat with Hanson. Holmes, Thompson-Sommers and Storey played behind Amadi-Holloway with Barnett rested again. The other substitutes were Campbell, Caton and Dinanga. With all day World Cup football on television and Christmas shopping a crowd of 1,778 with 99 from County Durham was better than many expected.
Hereford started brightly and Darlington looked like they may have had an early Xmas celebration at their overnight hotel. Hereford took the lead with one of their best goals of the season. Evans took a throw forty yards out on the left to Pinchard who laid it back to him. Jack surged past two Darlo players. He crisply passed up to Amadi-Holloway just outside the box. Aaron was clattered but the referee played a good advantage as the ball was laid back to Holmes who in one movement received it and put it into the path of Evans who had continued his run.
Jack took the ball wider with his right foot and then having unwrapped the Darlington defence slotted home across keeper Taylor like a veteran striker.
The goal brought out the bad side of Darlington with Purver, Lawlor and Rivers all booked in the space of six minutes all for fouls. The last booking was a credit to referee Corbett as many officials would not have awarded a third yellow so quickly. However when Dodds fouled Storey, Corbett wrongly gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Hereford were playing sweet football with the two Jacks at the forefront. Holmes was getting down the right and crossing, also drifting into the inside right channel. Hereford were playing without the handbrake of the last month. Rather than the fixed 4-2-3-1 this was more 4-1-4-1.
Although Pinchard started sitting in a 6, as Mark Jones has requested he drifted across the pitch popping up wherever needed. Thompson-Sommers nominally the 10 often came keeper and played as more of an 8. Between them Pinchard and Thompson-Sommers were running the midfield in what might be called the Harry Kane formation. For this to work they needed the tireless running of Hanson who always seems to be on the move. It is like some Western where no matter how far and how fast the baddie runs, when they look over their shoulder Sheriff Jethro is always there to keep things in order.
Darlington’s only chance came when Eve ignored Haines direction to send it long and tried to pass out to the right. Lambert intercepted and curled his effort wide of the far post when he should have hit the target. Darlington equalised against the run of play. Lambert dispossessed Pinchard in the middle of the Darlington half. As Thompson-Sommers came to challenge he looked up and saw Eve off his line and tried a seventy yard effort. He hit it too well. Sailing over Eve it looked like it was going in but hit the bar for the longest ever crossbar challenge seen at Edgar Street. Hereford raced back but did not clear their lines.
Darlington showed their quality. Hadley on the left hit a cross field pass to the right. A series of quick crisps passes saw the ball worked inside as several players out manoeuvred the Bulls culminating in a pass to Hazel in the box who laid it back to Liddell just outside the box. His first time shot with the outside of his boot gave Eve no chance.
Hereford had failed to turn their dominance into the second goal their play deserved and the Quakers were delighted to go in on level terms.
Darlington took off Rivers and brought on Felix after the break. The second half was more equal and more quality passing saw Darlington take the lead. Storey's forward pass was intercepted by Dodds who cut in and advanced switching across to left back Suker. In loads of space he fired a long ball down the flank to Hazel who was in the channel between Haines and Melhado. Hazel headed to the byline and easily went past Haines to cross to the far post. Thompson was not far enough back and lunged but could not intercept, leaving Lambert to tap in.
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| A Chance For Hereford |
Hereford took off Storey and brought on Dinanga. Darlington replacing Liddell with Griffiths. Darlington this season have clearly decided that if you can’t beat Southport or Leamington you need to join them. Amadi-Holloway will have lots of bruises from robust treatment but Darlo gave a masterclass in time wasting. Referee Corbett had an awful second half failing to address the cheating, seeming to take the view that as Hereford were not getting bookings he could not keep giving the Quakers yellow cards. Keeper Taylor was ignoring the six second rule and always “forgetting” which side of the net he was taking goal kicks from. Substitutions were a charade of slow motion. Finally when Dodds having looked several times to take a throw in he decided to put the ball down and slowly roll the ball to a slow walking colleague. Corbett finally had enough and booked him.
Darlington went into bully mode. Surrounding Corbett and swearing at him. Jostling him in a way no longer tolerated in the Premiership. No Hereford player came to support the referee. Corbett intimidated, was unable to get the Darlington players to retreat and failed to use the yellow card which abusers like Hazel deserved to get them to stand back and show some respect to him as an official.
There was then a delay for an alleged comment from the crowd which Hazel claimed to have heard. Many Bulls fans were concerned that in view of his and his team mates prior conduct this may have been an invention designed for more time wasting. Referees need to clamp down on time wasting. It affects attendances and there seems to be an implicit “rule” that only one player can get booked every ten minutes or so for time wasting. Clubs like Darlington need to rack up more yellow cards and consequent suspensions so that they do not benefit from their cheating. Keeper Taylor was finally booked for more time wasting.
Darlington replaced Lambert with Mondal at the end and Barnett came on for Pinchard but Darlington saw the game out. Manager Alun Armstrong calls constant cheating “dogged determination”. Nonetheless, the attractive football Darlington showed last season has a streak of nastiness added this season which sees them in second place. For most of the game the Quakers miscued but two passages of quality were enough for them to win.
This was one of Hereford’s most attractive performances at home this season. Again though they were unable to turn their better play and first half dominance into goals. There were many pluses. The return of Evans brings vim and vigour. Melhado looks good going forward but the jury is out on his defensive qualities. Dinanga looked confident and showed a good first touch. Releasing a holding midfielder helps the team but Amadi-Holloway was too often isolated. He worked hard and took multiple fouls. Hereford still do not have a clear defensive partnership with Pendley put on the bench. Haines and Thompson could have done better with the first goal.
Holmes was man of the match a constant thorn in Darlington’s side and he produced several excellent passes including the one which made the goal. Evans was not far behind. A defeat but lots of positive signs and a way forward with Harry Kane in the middle of the park.