Hereford had a disappointing night against Peterborough Sports who are quickly becoming the Bulls' bogey team at home - failing to hold onto a 1-0 lead and having to settle for a point.
Montel Gibson's first-half goal, squeezing the ball between the upright and the keeper from a corner, was cancelled out by Dion Sembie-Ferris who turned the ball home from a free kick at the far post. His equaliser meant the visitors could pick up their first points of the season.
With fans full of optimism going into the game, Paul Caddis opted to rest Andy Williams with a busy fixture list at the start of the new season and Lawson D'Ath dropped to the bench - possibly in a bid to shore up midfield after a less-than-perfect display at Chorley. In came Ahkeem Rose and Aurio Teixeira for the tie, with fans hoping for a better outcome than the last two seasons and 1-0 defeats.
Attacking the Blackfriars End in the first half, the Bulls easily soaked up any early pressure from Sports, who seemed eager to get on with their time-wasting. A great ball from Alex Babos saw Rose and Yusifu Ceesay combine well, but after the ball went behind Lewis Hudson’s corner was disappointingly short and snuffed out.
Visiting keeper Peter Crook then pulled off a fine save at full stretch from his own defender as a terrible attempted clearance from Tate Campbell’s threaded through ball looked destined for the top right corner.
As the game progressed and Hereford looked to establish a lead, a well-worked move started with Montel Gibson bringing the ball under control in midfield and laying off to Alex Babos, who then took it forward and waited for support from right-back Robinson. He then carried on the run and crossed in to Gibson at the back post but there was just a touch too much on the ball for him to head towards goal.
There were then two massively wayward chances for the Bulls before a Tate Campbell effort forced another strong save from Crook, this time low down to his right.
The Whites didn’t have to wait long for the opener, finding the back of the net seconds later with Gibson at the near post. After seeing a shot palmed away and put behind for a corner, the striker was able to make a darting run to connect with the corner to break the deadlock, finding room between the upright and the keeper.
With the game becoming a little feisty as Peterborough tried to keep hold of possession and make inroads into Hereford’s half - something which they had struggled with throughout much of the first half - Hereford’s chances started drying up but were still able to thwart The Turbines’ chances.
 |
| Was Campbell Impeded? |
Before the half was out, Rose - who was looking to impress as he was handed his first start - glanced a header wide when he arguably should've done better before Kaine Felix had one of the hosts' best and only chances of the half, firing wide of Aaron Chapman's net.
Half time: Hereford 1 - Peterborough Sports 0
With only a one-goal advantage at the break, Paul Caddis's side should've come out for the second half ready to push on and put the game to bed, having been on top and the more threatening of the two teams in the first 45.
But that wasn't to be, with the Turbines looking a little brighter and getting on the referee's good side in what proved to be a stop-start and frustrating second half.
Babos, a reliable creative player, dragged play out wide on the right - where he aimed to fill in with no recognised winger, with Robinson also pushing high - before seeing his lofted shot from the edge of the box tipped over the bar.
The resulting corner was half-cleared by the ever-pesky Ceesay picked up the ball 30 yards out, and found Babos on the left whose low ball in towards Campbell was just cut out for a fruitless corner.
For Sports, their first chance of the half fell to Sembie-Ferris, putting the ball over the top of the bar after lively half-time substitute Will Van Lier.
In front of a vocal Meadow End, Gibson had everything perfect for the second time until his low shot was sent straight at the sprawling keeper. It could've still been a goal despite the lack of conviction, with Crook initially failing to keep a firm grip, finally managing to grab at the ball before it went out of reach.
But the Bulls, quickly becoming out-muscled by a rugged Peterborough, conceded a soft free kick deep in their own half. With the ball delivered to the right-hand side of the box, it was headed back across the face of goal for Sembie-Ferris to redirect into the back of the net.
With Gibson now replaced by Willians, he was instantly involved, intercepting in midfield and bursting down the right, drilling the ball into Rose in the box. After struggling to get away a quick shot, he fought off pressure from defenders but could only hit the side netting, with support from Campbell lurking on the edge of the area.
Teixeira, in his first start of the new campaign but lacking control in midfield at times in the second half, almost scored as he lifted the ball up towards the top corner, seeing the effort palmed away.
The side-netting was then struck as Peterborough Sports started to smell a potential three points, Sembie-Ferris the creator as Dan Jarvis struggled to keep his shot under control.
With time-wasting now becoming ever more obvious, but the referee intent on only chatting to the guilty Turbines until one yellow card late on, the Bulls struggled to keep the momentum going as Peterborough looked to gain some.
In the dying stages of the half, Rose saw a low shot from a free kick flicked up into the arms of the keeper by defender Ashton Fox before Preston Bitemo, who had replaced Alex Babos, unleashed a powerful effort, beating the keeper but smashing the upright.
In just the four minutes of stoppage time, the Bulls were unable to create anything meaningful with only Willo striking the upright but after the linesman's flag was raised for offside.
An even later Peterborough Sports free kick didn't lead to a decent chance, with Hereford's defence relatively sound throughout.
All in all, a case of two points dropped for Hereford. They should've been able to build on Gibson's first-half goal but couldn't. The players still need a little more time to gel and bond, and Caddis too to work out his best starting XI - a strange formation with no right winger to shoehorn Babos into a side with two holding midfielders and two strikers might not be the answer.
Full-time: Hereford 1 - Peterborough Sports 1
Attendance: 2,557 (10 away)
Sponsors' man of the match: Montel Gibson
Hereford: Chapman, Hudson, Campbell, Preston (Matwasa 68'), Gibson (Williams 62'), Babos (Bitemo 73'), Rose, Teixeira, Ceesay, Robinson, Howkins.
Subs not used: Skinner, D'Ath.
Peterborough: Crook, Putnam, Fox (Fryatt 58'), Kamson-Kamara, Lawlor (Van Lier 46'), Gallagher, Jarvis (Goodman 89'), Felix, Sembie-Ferris, Gash, Jones.
Subs: Tootle, Alban-Jones.