A look back to November 19th 2005 and an away game at Woking.
United finally string two together
Hereford United followed up last weeks impresive victory against Woking with a solid away victory at the Glynn Hopkin Stadium, as Dagenham & Redbridge hosted The Bulls. Graham Turner was able to name an unchanged starting eleven, but Karl Lewis was promoted to the subs bench to cover for the injured Wayne Brown.
Hereford, who had previously beaten The Daggers just once in the Conference, started the game in brilliant fashion, carrying on from where they left off against Woking. Guy Ipoua had headed wide at the far post when play had been well switched to the right and Andy Williams had fired wide before United took a twelth minute lead.
Ryan Green again linked up well with Jon Brady on the right to deliver a cross for Ipoua, whose header was palmed into the path of Williams by Tony Roberts in the home goal. Williams somehow planted the ball against the post, from a yard out with the goal gaping, before he was able to tap the ball in from the rebound; a huge relief to the youngster as he saved himself the embarrassment of an awful miss.
Four minutes later the young attacker headed on target again, from a Brady cross, but Roberts claimed the ball this time and with twenty five minutes gone Rob Purdie should have doubled the advantage. He played a neat one-two with Williams, but when he had a god sight on goal he tamely shot straight down the throat of the 'keeper.
United continued their attractive attacking football throughout the half and Brady should have done better at the far post, but sliced over, and should have had the game wrapped up by half time but it was the home side who almost pulled level, in injury time. Luckily a Paul Benson free header at the far post was blocked by Craig Mawson.
The second half was basically dominated by Dagenham, in terms of possession at least, and United seemed to have lost that spark that they showed all the way through the opening half. However, a counter attack led by Purdie on the left should have resulted in Hereford's second, but Jamie Pitman, a contender for man of the match with Tamika Mkandawire, was denied by the inside of the post having seen his shot beat the on rushing Roberts. The Daggers still failed to convert their possession into chances and it was United, again on the break, who threatened next via Craig Stanleys' header but it was easy for Roberts.
With fifteen minutes remaining The Bulls replaced Williams with Danny Carey-Bertram, but he had little affect on the game as service was limited from the midfield. Purdie hit a low snap shot forcing Roberts into another save and with six minutes left on the clock Turner took the decision to replace Brady with another defender, Dean Beckwith. The decision paid off as Beckwiths' height was helpful in the closing stages that saw a fair few crosses whipped into Uniteds' box, but again there was nothing to trouble Mawson, who made a rare save in the final moments, pushing Mackail-Smiths' shot around the post.
The result is just what United needed following their victory against Woking, and it is the first time this campaign that they have managed to string two league victories together. The two hundred or so away supporters in a crowd of 1,294 were entertained and would have been delighted with the first half of football produced by their side, but the second half was no where near the standard shown in the previous 135 minutes of football played by United.
HUFC: Mawson, Green, James, Mkandawire, Jeannin, Purdie, Pitman, Stanley, Brady, Williams, Ipoua. Subs: Beckwith, Ferrell, Lewis, Evans, Carey-Bertram.
D&RFC: Roberts, Foster , Blackett, Uddin, Griffiths, Goodwin, Southam, Bruce, Moore, Mackail-Smith, Benson. Subs: Cole Overland, Frota, Ward, Kenny Clark.
Two good partnerships says Trewick
A
delighted sounding John Trewick, the Hereford United coach, told Keith
Hall for BBC Hereford and Worcester that the Bulls were worthy winners
this afternoon.
He was very pleased that Andy Williams had scored
his second Conference goal in two games and also commented about two
good partnerships being forged in the side.
"It's fanastic for
him. He took a couple of goes at it of course, kept everybody on their
toes, but it went in the net. That's the important thing.
"He's
confidence must be sky-high. What he has to do now is keep his feet on
the ground, keep working, keep doing what he is doing, because he is
doing ever so well for himself and the team.
"The fans have taken
to him. They want to see a young local lad coming through which is
great. So I'm delighted for him because he's a great lad.
"He's making it difficult for the other strikers because he is warranting his place at the moment.
Taking of the partnership between Williams and Guy Ipoua, Trewick thought they were working well with each other.
"It's been a difficult season for us up front to find the right pairing. They're all good players but strikers hunt in pairs.
"These two guys have shown as good a partnership as anyone certainly since I've been at the football club.
Trewick also mentioned the pairing of Tony James and Tamika Mkandawire.
"When
we came under pressure in the second half, they stood firm. Both
players can go away from this game thinking yep I've done my job."
The coach also related some more details about Wayne Brown's injury.
"He's got a hairline fracture of the wrist. He did it in training on Thursday.
"He
didn't really feel it was injured that seriously on Thursday although
he did have to stop training. Then when he came in on Friday morning,
his wrist was swollen.
"Sent him straight to the doctors, straight for an X-ray, and that confirmed the hairline fracture."