We go back 17 years today for today's look-back. Hereford were at home but visitors Mansfield took all three points.
United Find A Bogey Side? (Saturday January 13th 2007)
Have Hereford United found a first bogey team in League Two, or is it just coincidence that they've played very poorly against Mansfield Town this season. The disappointing 3-1 defeat at Edgar Street this afternoon wasn't quite as bad as the 4-1 demolition earlier in the season in the reverse fixture, but United will be aggreived at suffering a double defeat against one of the lower sides in the table.
United had almost a full side to choose from as well, though the only absentee is aruguably the most influential player - skipper Tamika Mkandawire was still suffering the effects of a groin strain from New Years Day at Wycombe. Andy Williams returned to the team, meaning a replacing of Rob Purdie to left back and Simon Travis to right back.
The Bulls started reasonably well with Tim Sills latching onto a block from Williams' run, though his shot was tame and Jason White in goal saved easily. However, when Mansfield scored with ten minutes gone it was all down hill from there. The goal could have been easily prevented also, as the original shot from Stephen Dawson's cross, which came in once he found himself in plenty of space on the right, was blocked but it fell to an unmarked Barry Conlon at the far post. Conlon converted making no mistake to net on his debut for The Stags.
Hereford's
best outlet was Travis down the right, though more often than not he
found himself being marked by two players. He did manage to supply a
couple of crosses though, and the second in quick succession led to a
corner, which required a desperate Gareth Jellyman clearance to deny
Dean Beckwith an equaliser. Mansfield had another glorious chance to
double their advantage when Conlon's cross fied pass was cut out by Luke
Webb, but the ball fell loose to Giles Coke, giving him a clear run on
goal. Wayne Brown made a fantastic save though to keep United in the
game.
Johhny Mullins crept around the back of the defence to volley a free kick from the left well into the Meadow End before Sills flicked on to Alan Connell, whose volley was deflected behind for a corner as the half came to a close.
Travis, following a switch of play from Webb, fired a low shot wide after the restart, as Hereford began to build some pressure kicking towards a less than full Meadow End, part of a gate of 3,048. Possibly United's best football of the game came just before the introduction of Stuart Fleetwood on fifty nine minutes, as Sills played in Connell down the left, who centred to Purdie. Purdie was quickly met by White, who gave him no space and turned his shot behind. Connell made way for Fleetwood.
Straight after the strikers introduction, White made a vital save to keep his side in front. An inswinging free kick from Andy Ferrell was destined for the back of the net, as it flew through the crowd, but his fingertips took the ball just over the bar. Purdie then burst into life down the left and picked out the run of Fleetwood to his left, but the Welshmans low placed effort lacked conviction and White made the save. Fleetwood got in behind once again, but his time, from the right of the box, he lifted his effort over.
Mansfield almost got a second goal against the run of play, but Beckwith got in a saving tackle to stop the run into the box of Michael Boulding, who'd replaced Conlon the scorer of the first, but the ball broke to Coke. He slid the ball across the goal to the far post where another sub Martin Gritton was waiting, but it was just too far in front of him. Hamshaw then broke into the box unchallenged, as the balance of the game changed, and it took a vital block from Beckwith to deny him Mansfield's second but three minutes after Gareth Sheldon's introduction United found themselves dead and buried.
A good reverse pass, following a corner, caught United out on the right allowing Coke lots of space. He waited for Boulding to drop of Hereford's backline, squared the ball for him and the sub netted on his debut as well, firing into the roof of the net with some conviction. The Bulls attempted to reply as another Ferrell free kick required a finger tip save to deny it, before Sheldon netted his first goal for Hereford. A long ball was clipped to Williams in the box, who showed good strength before laying on for Sheldon. From the edge of the box Sheldon slammed the ball into the far top corner, with one minute left and the three injury time.
United
were caught by the sucker punch though as Brown threw out to try and
trigger a counter attack, but The Stags quickly won the ball back and
had three attackers against just Brown and Phil Gulliver, who was stand
in captain. They made easy work of it as the ball was centred to Martin
Gritton who tapped in to make it 3-1.
All in all it was a pretty awful result, and the performace was just as bad. Goals are proving hard to come by for United, and it doesn't help that the strikers aren't producing the goods, not only in terms of goals. The creativity is pretty much non-existent at the moment also, suggesting improvements need to be made in the midfield. Let's all hope that Graham Turner's got a couple of quality signings lined up before the end of January.
HUFC: Brown, Rose, Gulliver, Beckwith, Purdie, Travis, Ferrell, Webb, Connell, Sills, Williams. Subs: Giles, McClenahan, Thompson, Sheldon, Fleetwood.
MTFC: White, Mullins, Baptiste, Buxton, Jelleyman, Dawson, Coke, D'Laryea, Hamshaw, Gritton, Conlon. Subs: Muggleton, Hjelde, Arnold, Boulding, Lloyd.
We were not good enough - Gulliver
He started by apologising to the fans.
"For some reason today we were not good enough. We can't blame anything on the conditions only ourselves.
"We just couldn't string two passes together."
Gulliver thought that, with the wind behind them going downhill, his side would have got at Mansfield more in the second half.
"We had a few chances but after we tried going forward they broke on us a few times."
Gulliver praised Sheldon's goal but "after that we shot ourselves in the foot again by conceeding yet another stupid goal which was a carbon copy of their second one."
A delighted Billy Dearden, the Mansfield manager, told the press core that he was very proud of his players today.
"Hereford is a very difficult place to come and other teams have come unstuck here.
"Both teams tried to play good football in difficult conditions.
"We were under the cosh or a while at 1-0 up and then we couldn't get out our half for 20 minutes after the break.
"But I thought Jason White was terrific in goal. His decision making was good and he made two tremendous saves. So I was a bit disappointed we let one in as I thought we could have done better defensively.
"It has been a difficult time with what's been going on off the field and the protests don't help us."