Hereford will be banking another £4,500 in prize money after beating South Park at Edgar Street - in what, many fans will admit, was a poor afternoon's football.
Blustery conditions didn't help, and while the pitch is standing up well considering the weather and the fact there have been eight first team games played on it since the start of November, it contributed to a poor display.
Adam Rooney's goal in the 28th minute was enough to see Hereford through to the fourth round - now possibly only four wins from a Wembley final - something Caddis, in his first season as a manager, is certainly setting his sights on.
Attacking the Blackfriars End in the first half, it was Hereford who almost drew first blood. A long ball forward to Koby Arthur - starting on the right flank with Jack Tolley opposite - was flashed across the face of goal but just dealt with by Jack Tucker.
Despite the early pressure, South Park proved they weren’t there just to make up numbers, breaking forward and trying to create chances. The best in the opening stages saw lively winger Jamarie Brissett dance down the right flank and into the area, finding Aioan Brown who forced Curtis Pond into a low save.
Moments later it was Brissett again proving troublesome down the right, this time himself trying to find the back of the net – but it was a tame effort, easily stopped by Pond.
After a Jason Cowley shot was fired well wide, moments later a fluke of a challenge from captain Nathan Cameron in the middle of Hereford’s half miraculously ran through to the striker 40 yards ahead. With just two defenders left to beat, he took the ball to the right-hand edge of the box but his cross was too far ahead of Adam Rooney to put past visiting keeper Daniel Bracken.
Then Tom Pugh - who’s found out this week he’ll be staying at Edgar Street for at least another month on loan from Scunthorpe - delivered a probing ball into the box from a free kick. It was Koby Arthur who was fouled on the edge of the area, with culprit Ryan Healy avoiding a booking, but nobody could rise high enough to connect with Pugh’s ball from the right.
After a questionable spell of trying to play long balls which didn't seem to be yielding the desired results, the Lilywhites did break the deadlock. It was Koby Arthur who played a decent cross over to Adam Rooney lurking in front of goal, with Caddis's assistant heading down into the bottom corner.
South Park tightened up their ranks after conceding and, with Jordan Lyden’s continued absence in midfield still being felt, the game became a pretty scrappy affair. A brief brighter spell came and Jack Tolley, recycling an earlier cross, cut in and saw his low, drilled effort from the edge of the box beat a defender, but it proved an easy save for Bracken.
Before the break, Nathan Cameron went into the referee's notebook after some questionable decision-making, bringing to an abrupt end a spirited and threatening break from the step four side's Jack Tucker. While they might not have set the world alight with their first half performance, it was clear Paul Caddis wasn't going to underestimate them after their 4-1 second round win over higher-graded Bognor Regis Town.
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| Jack Tolley Had A Busy First Half |
Half time: Hereford 1 - South Park 0
All in all, the first half lacked energy and urgency and that continued into the second half. There was an early chance as loanee Pugh unleashed a powerful shot after racing forward, but it sailed over the bar from 25 yards.
It was Pugh again looking likely, after being sent on his way by Ollie Southern, he won a corner after his attempted cross was deflected behind for a corner. After Ollie Southern mistimed his strike after Koby Arthur's corner, it was recycled as Jack Tolley crossed in. The Bulls then had the ball in the back of the net as Cowley headed home, but the linesman's flag was up for an offside.
While there had been half-chances from Hereford, including one from Southern - in at right-back as Skinner moved to the left - South Park weren't conceding defeat just yet. Curtis Pond was called into action 10 minutes into the half after Brendan Murphy found space outside the box and unleashed a powerful drive. After parrying the shot, Howkins was on hand to clear the rebound.
Koby Arthur then saw his effort saved from close range saved by Daniel Bracken, keeping a firm hold of the ball as Rooney went in looking for the rebound.
Both Jason Cowley and Tom Pugh rattled the woodwork, before substitute Lassana Mendes played the ball through to Pugh, in turn teeing up Cowley, whose effort was saved. Fellow sub Arwyn Walby, part of the youth team, was offering his support to Pugh on the left which could've been the better option.
Arthur, limping after a foul from Ryan Healy which saw him booked, was then replaced by Adam Livingstone but he couldn't have a major impression on the game with six minutes left.
There were chances in those dying stages for South Park, only one goal away from forcing the game straight to penalties after 90 minutes, as Ethan Kaiser fired wide and Oliver Twum then saw his header from Jude Molloy's cross saved.
Mendes, who was back after missing Tuesday's game after a family bereavement, could've then put the game out of reach of the hosts but his curling effort couldn't sneak in at the far post after some good build-up play from Rooney and Walby.
All in all, the 1,001-strong crowd witnessed a lacklustre game without any real urgency or intensity and there was quality lacking in both halves. As ever with cup games though, what's important is that the Bulls are through to the next round with another couple of grand in prize money in their back pocket.
That's on top of the £3,750 from the second round, and £18,375 from the FA Cup.
Full time: Hereford 1 - South Park 0
Attendance: 1,001 (25 away)
Sponsors' man of the match: Nathan Cameron
Hereford: Pond, Southern, Howkins, Cameron, Skinner, Teixeira (Mendes 61), Pugh, Arthur (Livingstone 84), Tolley (Walby 70), Cowley, Rooney
South Park: Bracken, Tucker (McElligott 45), Molloy, Healy, Kaiser, Bell, Brissett, McGee, Brown (Date 61), Murphy, King (Twum 67)