Bashed By The .....

Yesterday Hereford were put out of the FA Cup at Bishop's Stortford.

Barney watched the game for BN

A beautiful day, a surprisingly good playing surface, the lure of an extended cup run, at a tier seven club that were comfortably seen off last season, what could possibly go wrong? One up after 11 minutes, you might think, not a lot. Until you then think, hmmm, this is football. And we’re Hereford. Oh, and Bulls News needed a match reporter. Sorry everyone, will try to limit the air traffic control (Stanstead is just yards away) gags. Particularly given that my dear friend Andy used them all up when reporting from this venue last season.

So, looking at the team sheet, one thought, yup, here it is, 4 4 2, and that indeed is how it looked on the pitch, with Rooney and Rose (why do I keep calling him Axl, unless it’s his Appetite for Destruction?) looking much more a twin strike force than a nine plus a false nine/fake nine/deep ten/in the hole/I give up, with Ceesay and Matwasa offering the width. It was the visitors who settled the quicker, with most, actually, make that all of the threat coming from Ceesay on the left, and it was he who opened the scoring. The home side failed to clear a corner, the ball falling to Yusifu on the penalty spot, who neatly made a yard before lashing home with his left foot. Ole, ole ole ole, happy days, and to repeat, what could possibly…

Well, not a lot, initially, and while Bishops grew a little into the game, neither keeper could be described up to half-time as particularly busy. Erm, make that all bar the 28th minute. For those of a certain vintage, think ‘Nayim, Seaman, half-way line’, and for those not, look it up, it’s worth the effort. While some fingers may point at our closer to seven feet than six ‘ keeper, I’ll resist, at least until the Monday highlights, but will say that Chapman could and should have claimed a ball into the box ten seconds prior to a 45 yarder whistling past him. All to play for, let’s hope for a quick start to the second period.

They say that it’s the hope that kills you, but, cliché incoming, that ‘good time to score’ moment reared its head, with half the crowd – 764 I think – still elsewhere. The otherwise excellent Robinson was disposed in midfield, leaving a hole, Robinson sized, who’d have thought, at right back, where the three versus two saw a comfortable finish, and the Bulls firmly in the ‘good game to win’ pasture. Which, before long, became ‘concentrate on the league’ meadow. At least three 50/50 challenges became 80/20’s, the ball reached if not the danger-zone then the ‘something bad could happen’ region, and via a deflection and the inside of a post, something bad did happen. 3-1.

Multiple changes followed, Willo, Tex and Tilt for D’Ath, Cosmo and Howkins (if AI were asked to create a tier six CB, you’d surely get Kyle Howkins?), in a, well, let’s say 3 2 5 formation, wing-halves (ask your dads) and all. Of course the Bulls pressed, with some urgency. The buoyed-up Bishops became noticeably more physical, their belief being supplemented by plenty of mid-level, erm, ‘housery’ – and time was running out. It is of course (is there an echo in here?) the hope that kills you, but with 20 left, we had some.

Akheem Rose Headed The Ball Towards Andy Williams

Williams Slotted The Ball Home To Make It 3-2

 

 If you are ever inclined to ask Alexa to ‘Show me a typical route-one goal, this Chapman-Rooney-Willo effort would be a contender, and what followed was pretty much what you might expect. Plenty of Bulls possession, a few half, even three-quarter chances, and three counters from the hosts that could easily have killed the game off. The very decent home keeper reacted superbly to a Rooney volley, a turn and snapshot from Axl whistled inches wide, and the referee, amid a flurry of yellow, somehow denied a blatant penalty when Hudson was upended, including a nonplussed Campbell. Looked a polite enough enquiry to me, but hey, who’d be a ref? The man who was actually the ref further endeared himself to the home support when whistling for an infringement as a corner kick form Robinson was flying into the net. It was, in his defence, a clear and early whistle – the why another question.

And so, the tin-foil replicas of the great trophy are put away for another year, and being honest, we can’t really complain. Hereford had the better players, but on the day, were not the better side. Man of the Match would be Robinson, who at times looked several levels above the rest, oh to have another Ceesay in front of him as well as in front of Hudson.

Final word for the 120 or so Bulls fans. Credit to you, it’s a long way from the Shire, you were spirited, noisy, and didn’t let up. That a couple of you became excited to the point where beer (might have been water, hard to tell the difference sometimes) flew into the goalmouth is something I hope the referee doesn’t mention in his report. No need.