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| Robinson Is Red Carded - Pictures From Andy Walkden |
Hereford’s unbeaten away league record is over, after playing three quarters of the match with ten men against a resolute Warrington side. Sammy Robinson’s red card led to an uphill battle for the Bulls, but it didn’t prevent an energetic, front-footed performance.
Going into the game in second place, Paul Caddis made one change, with Sammy Robinson back after suspension and Aurio Teixeira dropping to the bench. The Bulls started with three at the back, with Andy Williams leading the attack.
A small but vocal Hereford following made an impression as the game got underway in clear, cool but calm conditions at the Cantilever Stadium, with Warrington in their yellow shirts and Hereford wearing their white home strip.
Both sides had early chances, with Ahkeem Rose’s early shot saved by goalkeeper Dan Atherton. But Warrington earned a free kick in a dangerous position on 21 minutes, just outside the Hereford area. Connor Woods stepped up to launch a ball over the Bulls wall, and it crashed down off the crossbar. Loose inside the box, defender Evan Gumbs was in space and turned it home to give Warrington the lead.
Worse was to come just a moment later. Hereford had only just kicked off when a Rose ball was threaded through to Robinson, who slid into a challenge to win it. But he was late, taking out James Harris in the process and he was shown a straight red card.
With Hereford down to ten men, they stepped up a gear and took the match to Warrington. Although the home side looked to soak up pressure, Alex Babos created a big opportunity when his drive from 20 yards out crashed off the crossbar and behind for a goal kick.
Warrington lost former Hereford defender Ollie Southern to injury at the end of the half, with the Bulls keen to turn things around after the break. Alex Babos almost equalised straight from the kick-off, with a low drive, and minutes later a Yusifu Ceesay shot was deflected wide after good build-up play.
But as the half progressed, Warrington attempted to absorb possession given their numerical advantage. The home side made changes first, and Aaron Chapman was forced into a fine save from a Connor Woods drive. Chapman later suffered an injury, leading to a nervous few moments for Hereford fans, although he was able to continue.
Paul Caddis - keen to find a breakthrough - responded by taking off Kyle Howkins for striker Ty Deacon, and then Alex Babos for Aurio Teixeira. Inevitably, adding a striker at the expense of a defender was a positive move but it had the potential to leave Hereford exposed at the back. And that proved to be the case.
First, Hereford were caught on the break by Matty McDonald. His chip went over the goalkeeper and over the bar. And two minutes into added time, Josh Amis found space to drill the ball past Chapman, to seal the points for Warrington.
While this wasn’t the result Hereford wanted, the sending off of Robinson was always likely to stretch the Bulls. But credit to Paul Caddis’ side, they maintained their energy and creativity, and continued to search for an equaliser until the dying moments of the game.
Warrington: Atherton, White, Gumbs, Harris (O’Neill, 65), Woods, McDonald, Rodwell-Grant (Amis, 75), Dixon, Douglas, Southern (Bennett, 42), Clarke. Unused subs: Amaral, Miles.
Hereford: Chapman, Hudson, Campbell, Preston, Babos (Teixeira, 82), Williams, Rose, Ceesay, Robinson, Howkins (Deacon, 78), Bartley. Unused subs: Tilt, Derricott, Matwasa.
Referee: Joe Moss
Attendance: 898