Twenty years ago both Tamworth and Hereford were in the Conference and they played each other on August 9th 2003
A look back:
A first half goal from Steve Guinan and two second half strikes from Ben Smith sealed the points, before Tamworth skipper Mark Cooper fired home a consolation free-kick fourteen minutes from time.
However, it could have gone very differently had Tamworth capitalised on their early pressure. Marc McGregor, a summer signing from relegated Nuneaton Borough, turned two headers narrowly wide while his shot on eighteen minutes also went off-target. Hereford, though, weathered the storm and should have gone ahead on twenty three minutes when a long-range Danny Williams shot bounced off the crossbar, and Rob Purdie's header on the loose ball bobbled off the post and away to relative safety.
Then the players stopped play and headed for the water bottles, such was the heat at the Lamb. When United came back on, they took control. On twenty eight minutes, Purdie cut in from the left, brought the ball back to Steve Guinan, and the striker fired home from twelve yards which crept inside the near post.
Hereford could have doubled their advantage a minute later, when Ryan Green sailed a ball in from the right channel from all of forty yards out. However, it dropped over the goalkeeper Phil Whitehead and onto the crossbar, missing the target by a whisper.
In the second period, Mark Cooper's free-kick hit Matt Baker's crossbar before a Ben Smith volley sailed wide just prior to the hour mark. Smith, though, made amends on sixty five minutes when a he nodded home a Danny Williams flick-on. Four minutes later, Steve Guinan's shot was saved by the feet of Whitehead, but the goalkeeper was stranded on the floor. Smith picked up the loose ball, and hit it home ro make it 3-0.
With fourteen minutes left, Mark Cooper gave Tamworth hope when his free-kick curled past Matt Baker, but it turned out to be a consolation goal. Despite Scott Rickards striking the post and Danny Williams clearing another effort off the Hereford line, Tamworth failed to find another two goals late in the match and United earned the three points.
A following of around a thousand spurred the Bulls onto the victory, and it is Hereford who head the table after the first day's results.
| Tamworth | Hereford United |
| Phil Whitehead | Matt Baker |
| Richard Follett | Ryan Green |
| Gary Setchell | Michael Rose |
| Dave Robinson (off, half time) | Jamie Pitman |
| Joe Taylor | Andy Tretton |
| Mark Cooper (captain) | Tony James (captain) |
| Rob Warner | Danny Williams |
| Matt Fisher | Ben Smith |
| Darren Collins | Rob Purdie (off, 87 minutes) |
| Marc McGregor (off, 80 minutes) | Steve Guinan (off, 73 minutes) |
| Phil Trainer (off, 65 minutes) | Paul Parry |
| Subs | Subs |
| Scott Rickards (on, 65 minutes) | Ben Scott |
| Brett Darby (on, 80 minutes) | Richard Teesdale |
| Mark Barnard (on, half time) | Danny Carey-Bertram (on, 73 minutes) |
| Joe Hanney | Dean Craven |
| James Lindley | Rob Sawyers (on, 87 minutes) |
| Yellow cards | Yellow cards |
| Phil Whitehead (unsporting behaviour, 50 minutes) | Michael Rose (dissent, 83 minutes) |
| Scott Rickards (unsporting behaviour, 72 minutes) | |
| Gary Setchell (unsporting behaviour, 85 minutes) | |
| Red cards | Red cards |
| - | - |
| Scorers | Scorers |
| Mark Cooper (76 minutes) | Steve Guinan (28 minutes) |
| Ben Smith (65, 69 minutes) | |
| Man of the Match | Steve Guinan |
| Attendance | 2,250 |
| Referee | Mr. D. Birkett (Lincolnshire) |
Delight for Smith after brace
Ben Smith, who netted two goals in Hereford United's 3-1 victory at Tamworth today, was delighted with the outcome.
"It was a excellent start," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.
"We always knew it was going to be a tough game, and they came at us in
the first twenty minutes but Steve Guinan scored an excellent goal."
The conditions obviously had an impact on proceedings, particularly
with the sun beaming down on the pitch. "It was so hot, and it was
really hard to get going, but once Steve scored we had them on the back
foot and deserved the win.
"It helped that we played a part-time team because no matter now
much they train, they're not training as much as us and in the second
half, I think that showed."
Smith was confident that today's victory can be built upon. "Once
you start well, then anything can happen but if we have a poor start,
then we're always playing catch-up. We've started well and if we get to
the top, hopefully we can stay there all season."
Tamworth boss slams defensive performance
It wasn't a pretty sight in the Tamworth dressing room after yesterday's 3-1 defeat against Hereford.Manager Darron Gee told the Non-League Paper: "I don't want to make excuses. We defended very poorly for the second and third goals. It was the sort of defending that we might have got away with nin the Dr. Martens, but at this level you get punished.
"What disappointed me most was that we switched off after the first goal and then gave away another couple after the break with poor marking. We have learned fast, because these are painful lessons. The second and third goals killed us off."
Despite the defeat, Gee was upbeat about Tamworth's chances this season. "I thought our football was good for the first twenty minutes and that has given me some encouragement," he added.
Hereford manager Graham Turner, though, was much happier with the outcome which sees the Bulls hold the Conference top-spot after the opening round of matches.
"We lived dangerously early on, but I never felt uncomfortable," he said. "The goal from Guinan was terrific; he scored fifteen for us last season and I think he could get more this term.
"It was always going to be difficult against Tamworth on their first day in the Conference, but I thought we coped very well."