Back to the 2000/2001 season for today's archive match report.
HEREFORD UNITED 0 - 0 KETTERING TOWN (December 16th 2000)
Hereford United's dismal home record continued against Kettering Town
today - but they cannot blame a penalty miss for failure to win!
However, the Bulls should have beaten the bottom side convincingly but a
great performance in goal by Ian Bowling meant the honours were shared.
With United not having played for a week after last Tuesday's postponed
LDV Trophy match against Yeovil, today's game was vital to resume
winning ways, especially after last weeks 1-0 defeat against Doncaster.
Kettering Town are bottom of the league, and haven't won a league game
for two months.
Tony James, Paul Parry and John Shirley were missing from the Hereford
squad, so Matt Gardiner partnered Ian Wright in the centre of defence.
Steve Piearce made a comeback on the bench, and came on later. Therefore
the starting line-up was the same as the team that began the game
against Doncaster last weekend. After the Poppies had released Steve
Wilkinson and Robert Codner in the week, both had to be replaced in the
squad. New strikers Amara Simba and Darren Collins started in attack,
and Wayne Duik came back to start in the side, as did Carl Adams.
Early on it was Kettering who made the chances, with both Matt Fisher
and Craig Norman heading in from close range. In the tenth minute,
United made their first chance of the game when Robin Elmes locked onto a
long ball from Paul Sturgess and from six yards out, Elmes' ball was
cleared in a goalmouth scramble.
Then Elmes had a header cleared as Ian Bowling, the Kettering
goalkeeper, managed to push the ball away. Bowling is a veteran
shotstopper who has had much league experience, notably at Mansfield
Town. Bowling watched soon after as Gavin Williams hit wide and then
Matt Gardiner hit over the crossbar for the edge of the box.
Kettering had one notable chance as Darren Collins, a recent £25,000
signing from Rushden & Diamonds, made a good run on the right before
crossing for Amara Simba to head just wide.
In the second half Hereford were by far the better side as the Poppies
camped back in their own half in a damage limitation exercise.
However, Ian Bowling was in top form to keep United at bay. Firstly,
Gavin Williams had the ball grabbed from his feet by Bowling, and then a
good move almost resulted in a United goal. Matt Clarke, who was
outstanding on the right of midfield, hit a superb ball to Robin Elmes.
The teacher knocked it to Robinson, who duly missed the target in
spectacular fashion.
With six minutes of the half gone, United scored the only goal of the
game. Robin Elmes knocked the ball over Bowling, but referee David
Naylor of Sutton-in-Ashfield ruled the effort offside.
By fifty six minutes, Kettering had used all of their substitutes.
Therefore had any player been injured or sent off, a tactical change
would have been very hard for Poppies boss Peter Morris.
Michael McIndoe showed his striking prowess soon after, but a superb
dive from Bowling kept United out as the defence scrambled the ball
away. However, Elmes hit a superb ball back in before it was saved again
after John Snape had provided a pass to Elmes.
Matt Clarke was taken off by Graham Turner and replaced by Steve
Piearce, much to the disgust of the Hereford United fans. Clarke had
been playing well on the ball until that point so the reason for him
being taken off was a mystery to say the least. All the productive play
was coming from the right side, and it all evaporated when Clarke was
taken off.
With Kettering under pressure, they managed to break with fifteen
minutes remaining and Carl Adams hit a superb 30 yard shot catching
United completely off-guard which went over.
Just before the final whistle, Niall Inman had a shot tipped away by
Cooksey with the defensive line of Hereford United opened by the
Kettering player. In injury time, first Piearce and then Williams had
efforts saved by Bowling. Referee Naylor booked just two players - Wayne
Diuk on 27 and Craig Norman on 81 minutes, both for fouls.
The crowd, of just 1,561, was down on last week probably due to a
combination of the bitterly cold weather and the need for last minute
Christmas shopping. Apparently, the shops in the city centre were packed
as people rushed to buy those final gifts.
As Doncaster beat Chester City 1-0, the Yorkshire side are level on
points with Hereford but United remain fourth on goal difference.
Southport drew 2-2 at Leigh RMI so not extending the gap over the Bulls,
but Rushden were 5-1 winners at home to Hednesford. Yeovil remain top
with a 1-0 win at home to Northwich Victoria.
If United cannot start winning at home, and score penalties, they can
wave goodbye to any chance of winning the Conference Championship.
Hereford - Cooksey, Lane, Clarke, Robinson, Wright, James, Rodgerson, Snape, McIndoe, Elmes, Williams
Substitutions - Piearce (67)