Hereford are up to fifth in the National League North table after beating Warrington Town 2-1 at Edgar Street.
In a dominant game for the Edgar Street side, it could've been a much greater scoreline if it wasn't for some poor finishing and fine goalkeeping from Warrington Town stopper Dan Atherton.
Jason Cowley opened the scoring in the 26th minute after Alex Babos stole the ball from the keeper's feet, with a sending off for the hosts coming before and after the first goal.
With a penalty in the dying stages of the first half pulling the hosts back level, Hereford had the upper hand after the break and substitute Ethan Freemantle found the winner in the 77th minute after Babos crossed it.
On a chilly, but not sub-zero December evening at Edgar Street, it was Warrington who created the first chance of the game. Josh Amis was able to rise the highest in the box to get his head on the end of a threatening Declan Walker cross from the right, but his effort narrowly missed the upright with Bulls keeper Curtis Pond at full stretch.
Down at the Blackfriars End, Jason Cowley started brightly as he danced his way partially through Warrington’s defence, but his shot from the edge of the area hit a defender and went behind for a fruitless corner.
After a spell of failing to get the ball down on the deck and retain possession in midfield - a problem which has plagued the side most of the season - an Alex Babos free kick on the left was delivered too deep into the area and punched clear of the area. The Bulls worked quickly to recycle it though, with Yusifu Ceesay playing in Jason Cowley who burst into the area. He struggled to connect with the bobbling ball though, missing his strike, and the attack petered out.
Moments later, Babos broke forward from midfield after playing a neat one-two with Aurio Teixeira to open up space in the middle of the park. He was then fouled on the edge of the area, being pushed from behind, with Bohan Dixon the first player into the referee’s notebook.
Despite a beautiful kick from Babos, leaving the wall well-beaten, goalkeeper Dan Atherton was well-positioned to grab the shot as he searched from the top corner.
The opener did come with 26 minutes on the clock, the perfect time to score after Warrington went down to 10 men. Connor Woods was given his marching orders after reacting angrily in an altercation with Tom Pugh, with the loanee also shown a yellow for the initial foul. But as the visitors tried to reorganise themselves, keeper Atherton was caught with the ball at his feet - a dubious tactic he’d already tried earlier in the first half.
Babos was able to steal possession, with Jason Cowley eventually finding the back of the net after beating the panicking defence.
Cowley could’ve had a brace minutes later as he got onto the end of Babos’s parried shot, but keen not to be at fault for another goal, Atherton pulled off a second save to keep the deficit at one.
With two more chances for Babos and a Cowley showing his athleticism with an overhead kick saved by the keeper, the Bulls soon had a good two-man advantage in what was proving to be a feisty encounter.
Bohan Dixon had failed to control his game after his early booking, earning a second yellow for a foul on Jack Tolley.
The chances kept coming from Hereford, with Ceesay pulling away from his man and rattling the post. The rebound fell kindly to Teixeira who forced goalkeeper Atherton into a fine save, with Adam Livingstone putting yet more pressure on Warrington’s defence as his shot skimmed the top of the bar. Pugh then had a chance to double the host’s lead, but his header from Teixeira’s cross sailed wide.
But against the run of play, Warrington played the ball through to Amis in the box. He was judged to be fouled by Nathan Cameron and after protests by white shirts and the Meadow End, Sean Williams pulled his side back level from the spot deep into first-half stoppage time after sending Pond the wrong way.
Half time: Hereford 1 - Warrington Town 1
A corner early in the first half for Hereford could’ve seen them restore their lead. After Jack Tolley’s cross from the left was sent behind for a corner, Aaron Skinner’s quick corner was played short to Alex Babos. In turn, he found Teixeira whose cross was met by the head of Cowley who couldn’t do enough to steer the ball into the back of the net.
The Bulls continued to pile the pressure on a deflated Warrington side, sitting understandably deep and taking their time with goal kicks, with Tom Pugh’s jinking run - where he beat two men - and subsequent powerful effort being denied by the keeper among the best.
That was until the 60th minute when Atherton somehow denied a rasping, long-range shot from Paul Downing and then recovered in time to deny Cowley’s similarly powerful shot from within the 18-yard box.
The Lilywhites’ high pressing and pinning back of Warrington continued, but a combination of fine saves from Atherton and last-ditch defending saw the scoreline remain level.
Three rolls of the dice from Caddis saw Ethan Freemantle, Koby Arthur and Adam Rooney come on in favour of Jack Tolley, Adam Livingstone and Tom Pugh to bolster and freshen the attack.
And with the pressure continuing, Freemantle restored Hereford’s lead with 15 minutes left of normal time. A curling cross from Babos was met by the Kidderminster loanee and, with the help of the upright, saw his flicked, back-heel hit the back of the net. The goal came much to the relief of the home fans who had been growing frustrated Hereford hadn’t yet retaken the lead.
Having played much of the half against a nine-man defence with Pond lurking around the centre circle, Warrington’s first real chance fell to Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. It was substitute Matt Grivosti who drove a ball right across goal but the striker poked the ball wide from point-blank range.
Warrington's Twitter bemoaned the ball getting stuck in a muddy goalmouth but after the significant rain over recent days - and the freezing temperatures last week - credit must be given to groundsman Ben Bowen. Overall, the pitch looked in top condition for this time of the season, especially given seven first team home games have been played on it since the start of November.
What mattered tonight was the three points and, as is usually the way, playing against teams with 10, or in this case nine, men can be tricky as they defend heavily - especially when they pull themselves back level from a penalty on the stroke of half time.
Bouncing back from Saturday was important and despite finishing not being top class at times and a fine keeper in Atherton, it was a case of job done for Hereford tonight.
Full time: Hereford 2 - Warrington Town 1
Attendance: 1,742 (24 away)
Sponsors’ man of the match: Alex Babos
Hereford: Pond, Skinner, Livingstone (Arthur 56), Teixeira, Downing, Ceesay, Babos, Cowley, Pugh (Rooney 75), Tolley (Freemantle 56), Cameron
Subs not used: Southern, Howkins
Warrington Town: Atherton, Walker, White, Hannigan, Woods, Williams, Amis, Dixon, Popoola (Harris 46), Buckley-Rickets, Wisdon
Subs not used: Goudie, Gill, Griyosti, Bennett