 |
| Andy Williams Goes For Goal Early In The Game |
Hereford have fallen to their first defeat of the new season after a disappointing second-half display against Needham Market.
With the visitors in search of the second win on the bounce after a slow start to their season after promotion, they were able to grab a goal against the run of play in the first half courtesy of Jamie McGrath before coming out with a vengeance after the break.
Needham then saw Jacob Lay and McGrath miss sitters, and Lay denied by the woodwork, before Aaron Chapman saved Dan Morphew's penalty.
Ultimately, Hereford lacked the cutting edge throughout the remainder of the second half to carve out a point to keep their unbeaten run going.
Ahead of the game, Paul Caddis made four changes to the side that grabbed a late winner at Brackley Town on Saturday. Cosmos Matwasa, Montel Gibson, Preston Bitemo and Chay Tilt started ahead of Lawson D'Ath, Ahkeem Rose, Yusifu Ceesay and Aaron Skinner - the latter unable to make it to Edgar Street with a broken down train north of Leominster havoc on the Marches line.
Having kicked off attacking the Meadow End in the first half, Hereford were quick out of the blocks and knocking on the door as they tried to break the deadlock. Chances came for Williams, first seeing a shot spin high and wide from a Sammy Robinson corner he created, and then Cosmos Matwasa. Robinson again the creator, a probing ball forward was met with a glancing header from the winger, but it proved an easy enough save for Danny Cullum between the sticks.
 |
| Cosmos Matwasa Tries To Connect To A Cross |
With the ball spending the majority of the time in Needham's half in Hereford's possession, the Bulls kept trying to create the chances - in the 21st minute, a rasping shot from Chay Tilt from outside the area failed to catch Cullum off guard as his quick reactions saw him make a save to his right.
Frontman Willo then had his second good chance of the game four minutes later, connecting well with Gibson's low ball in from the right but a looping effort was once again equalled by the increasingly impressive Cullum. It was Williams with a great chance again seconds later, but after Matwasa headed down Lewis Hudson's cross into the six-yard box, the striker couldn't quite reach the ball to bundle it over the line.
As the game passed the half-hour mark, the Bulls remained dominant but Needham started to cause problems. First, it was Chay Tilt who brought a counter-attack to a halt, before Robinson repeated the move after an Alex Babos effort was saved at the other end of the pitch.
But after the slight threats from the visitors, they broke the deadlock after 37 minutes. A superb cross-field ball saw Lay thread the ball into the danger area and in a pack of bodies, McGrath was able to poke home.
The Bulls could've pulled themselves back level just three minutes later, but Cullum denied Willo's diagonal header with his sprawling legs after rising at the back post to meet Babos's floated cross.
Half time: Hereford 0 - Needham Market
With one momentary lapse opening the door for the visitors, and Cullum proving his worth to keep a clean sheet, the 2,430 Hereford fans inside Edgar Street would've been hoping for more of the same - if perhaps not a little more clinical - after largely controlling the game in the first half.
But that wasn't the case, despite an early Gibson chance being blocked and Babos firing wide.
With 51 minutes on the clock, a dangerous break down the right from the visitors saw the ball drilled into the box. With Aaron Chapman unable to deal with the danger, Lay popped up at the far post but, agonisingly for the 19 visiting fans, blazed his effort over the goal from point-blank range.
That warning wasn't heeded by Hereford though who, despite bringing on D'Ath for Bitemo, were once again caught out when Hunter's shot was blocked and Dan Morphew's shot from a corner cannoned off the upright with Chapman just watching on.
Coming in for criticism from the Meadow End, Chapman then made matters worse for himself as he conceded a penalty after racing off his line to claim a ball but upending a striker. He did slightly redeem himself by diving the right way - and palming away - Dan Morphen's spot kick in front of the home terrace.
Again, the Whites could've responded quickly as Tate Campbell's initial shot was deflected by Josh Tomlinson down injured in the box before Williams fired the rebound over.
Now defending with 10 men behind the ball, but still not afraid to get forward when they could, Needham continued to frustrate Hereford as the game became desperate and agitated.
Tilt unleashed a speculative effort in the 75th minute, which was deflected wide, before substitute Rose - replacing the creative Gibson at the same time as Yusifu Ceesay came on for Matwasa - saw one shot blocked by Lay from a long Babos through and nearly getting a second but being beaten to the cross by Cullum.
As the game neared the conclusion, Lay controlled a long ball before threading a ball through to Ollie Fraser whose shot couldn't find a way through a crowded box.
Despite some late pressure, the Bulls couldn't find a way back and saw the frustrating night end their six-game unbeaten run. While Caddis's side did have chances, especially in the first half, they didn't change their game enough at the break - the visitors did and they came out on top, with a 1-0 scoreline a relief when it could've been more.
Too many hopeless long balls in the second half didn't help Hereford's attacking chances, and defensively the side isn't quite yet there. What is the best formation? It wasn’t clear if it was four or five at the back and it seems a popular belief that you can’t go wrong with 442 at this level. Coupled with a midfield which sometimes doesn't get a hold of the game, improvements are needed to get anything from the trip to Spennymoor on Saturday - a side who beat Radcliffe 4-2 this evening.
Full time: Hereford 0 - Needham Market 1
Attendance: 2,449 (19 away)
Sponsors' man of the match: Sammy Robinson
Hereford: Chapman, Robinson, Preston, Hudson, Matwasa (Ceesay 57'), Tilt, Bitemo (D'Ath 52'), Campbell, Babos, Williams, Gibson (Rose 57').
Subs not used: Horton, Teixeira
Needham Market: Cullum, Dye, Smith, K Morphen, D Morphen, Chambers, Lay (Curtis 89'), McGrath, Hunter, Allen, Tomlinson (Fraser 78').
Subs not used: Jessup, Ashbourne