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| Aaron Chapman saved a penalty in the second half |
Hereford manager Paul Caddis has bemoaned his "shell-shocked" side's toothless performance as Needham Market came to Edgar Street and picked up their second win of the season on Tuesday night.
With the Bulls unable to score when they were on top in the first half, Needham's goal from Jamie McGrath against the run of play instilled some belief into the newly-promoted side and after the break, they came out with a renewed vigour. Jacob Lay and McGrath missed sitters, and Lay was then denied by the woodwork before Aaron Chapman saved Dan Morphew's penalty.
In the league, Hereford have won only three home games since Christmas, against Blyth Spartans, Farsley Celtic and South Shields, and haven't won back-to-back matches in 2024. Caddis said he would be looking at the home form, but many fans have also criticised the formation and would rather see four at the back, rather than three with wingbacks.
Abruptly summing the game up, he said: "Not good enough. I thought the first half we controlled the game. I thought the game was very similar to Peterborough Sports, we came out in the second half and we just started going back to front far too often, far too rushed.
"We passed the ball for the full first half. We get done with a ball down the side that we switch off with and they get a goal and it just gives them something to hang on for.
"But I've got to say, I thought there was a period of 15-20 minutes where they could have been four or five up. They had two really good chances as well as the penalty, they hit the post.
"I thought we were a bit toothless at the top end of the pitch. I didn't think we won enough first contacts, I didn't think we had, I keep using that word calmness, we had no calmness in the second half at all."
He said his side were great between the boxes in the first half, but didn't create enough chances and games are won or lost in the two 18-yard boxes - both of which Hereford struggled in.
Still needing time to analyse exactly what went wrong, Caddis admitted that in football you're never going to be dominant for the full game, but you're going to have spells.
He said his side were dominant for the full first half but for the first 20 minutes of the second half, Needham created a couple of goalworthy chances which left the Bulls "a bit shell-shocked".
He said he'll look back at the game, but Hereford didn't put their feet on the ball and didn't pass it.
Caddis added: "I'll take responsibility tonight, we didn't win the game and a game that we're expected to win. Our home form of probably the last six months hasn't been good enough, to be brutally honest. That's something we're going to have to look at."