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| Kieran Phillips scoring Hereford's third goal of the afternoon |
Hereford have claimed a much-needed win to keep any hopes of the play-offs alive after Farsley Celtic crumbled in the first half and conceded four goals.
A late consolation goal from the visitors - who arrived at Edgar Street late and delayed kick-off by half an hour - meant the game ended 4-1, but Hereford could’ve scored goals in the second half too.
Paul Caddis, banned again from the touchline, made four changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Brackley last weekend. Dom McHale was handed his debut, with Jordan Lyden and Tope Obadeyi returning from injury and Kieran Phillips starting ahead of Andy Williams and Jason Cowley.
Lyden quickly made himself known to the referee after kick-off, fouling theatrical Clayton Donaldson and earning himself a yellow card. From the free kick, Chris Atkinson headed towards Curtis Pond but it proved an easy save for the Bulls’ keeper.
But Bulls fans who thought ‘oh here we go again’ were proved wrong in the eighth minute when Hereford took the lead. Debutant winger McHale was upended in the box after getting onto the end of Jid Okeke’s ball and referee Ashley Clarke immediately pointed to the spot. With McHale and Obadeyi both wanting to take the spot kick, the latter did and duly dispatched it past visiting keeper Harry Allen.
Pond was once again called into action, this time racing off his line to snatch possession from Donaldson’s feet as he tried to latch onto the end of a ball over the top.
But Caddis’s side kept the pressure up and any early danger from Farsley soon subsided. Alex Babos doubled his side’s lead in the 19th minute with a well-worked goal, Obadeyi sent Lewis Hudson on his way down the left, with the ball working its way to the midfielder who made no mistake.
Five minutes later, the Lilywhites were three goals ahead. After passing the ball around in defence, it was sent over to Obadeyi on the left who burs forward. He then sent a low ball to Kieran Phillips lurking in a sparsely populated area and drilling home.
The Bulls should’ve been awarded another spot-kick as Babos’s cross was blatantly handled, by the man in black quickly dismissed the calls. The pressure continued as McHale tried to set Phillips up for his second, but Allen was alert to the danger.
McHale continued to look lively, squirming his way into the box as half-time approached. But instead of laying the ball off, he opted to carry on and eventually was dispossessed by one of a handful of Farsley defenders.
Goal number four came in the three minutes of stoppage time a the end of the first half, as Jid Okeke beat his man before finding the bottom corner of the net.
Half time: Hereford 4 - Farsley Celtic 0
Into the second half and Hereford remained in control, with early pressure seeing Alex Babos causing problems for the flailing Farsley.
Okeke was also proving a pest, with the visitors conceding a corner as they tried to deal with one of his several probing crosses. McHale, no doubt wanting his name on the scoresheet and adding to the tally, blazed an effort over the bar from Babos’s corner.
With Teixeira on for Lyden, a quick chance followed for the Bulls as McHale burst into the box and found Phillips, but the Kidderminster forward couldn’t control his shot which sailed over the bar.
In front of the Blackfriars End, Atkinson had an effort from range but Pond, looking bright this afternoon, claimed the ball with relative ease.
After a slightly quieter spell, but with Farsley still under the cosh, Obadeyi and McHale were replaced by Williams and Cowley. The latter almost made an instant impact, when in his trademark pesky style fought for the ball and set up Aaron Skinner who couldn’t find the target from 18 yards.
Phillips had a late effort sail into the keeper’s arms before the visitors pulled a goal back in stoppage time. Ryan Watson’s goal was only a consolation, but a rifled effort from outside the box took a deflection as it sailed past Pond and into the top corner.
A late corner saw Kyle Howkins, who had had a solid game alongside Nathan Cameron in defence, head powerfully towards goal but Allen was equal to the effort.
All in all, a good afternoon for Hereford. A strong win like that should inspire and breed confidence going into another two games which may be marked as must-wins against sides further down the National League North table.
Full time: Hereford 4 - Farsley Celtic 1
Attendance: 2,639 (17 away)
Sponsors’ man of the match: Tope Obadeyi
Hereford: Pond, Skinner, Howkins, Cameron, Hudson, Lyden (Teixeira 58), McHale (Cowley 77), Babos, Okeke, Obadeyi (Williams 63), Phillips.
Subs not used: Rooney, Southern.
Farsley Celtic: Allen, Atkinson, Smith, Evans (Watson 41), Misambo (Turner 46), Allan, Atkinson, Branson, Donaldson (Leverett 72), Steveson, Coulson.
Subs: Sheridan, Carroll.