Rampaging Bulls leave Chester boss fuming as he brands defeat ‘criminal’

Fin Shrimpton scoring Chester's first

Departing Chester boss Callum McIntyre admitted he was “appalled” by his side’s performance as Hereford ran out emphatic winners on Tuesday night.

The Blues manager, who is set to leave at the end of the season, described the 5-2 defeat at Sixways as “a really, really sobering evening” and said his team were quite rightly “on the end of a hiding”.

Chester had taken an early lead thanks to Fin Shrimpton capitalising on some sloppy defending before Hereford hit back, and a Connor Woods penalty later pegged Hereford back, but McIntyre was scathing about what followed.

“Appalled at some of what I’ve seen this evening,” he said. “Disappointing underplays the result and a performance that is so far away from what’s required.

“That tonight was absolutely criminal.”

McIntyre pointed to a series of self-inflicted errors, particularly in transition, which allowed Hereford to capitalise.

“We gift an equalising goal away. That can happen,” he said. “What can’t happen is the self-inflicted capitulation that then follows.

“If you’re going to gift possession away in the middle of the pitch under no pressure, teams are going to go and put the ball in your net.”

He suggested four of the five goals conceded stemmed from similar situations — losing the ball cheaply and being punished on the counter-attack.

“The third, the fourth and the fifth are very nearly identical,” he added. “How many times has that happened this season?”

Despite enjoying spells of possession and creating chances, Chester were repeatedly undone by mistakes as two goals from Cormac Daly and one each for Justin Donawa, George Munday, Keziah Martin meant it was the first time Hereford had put five goals past a side in the league since a 5-2 win over Blyth Spartans on 3rd February 2024 - 88 games ago, or 753 days.

“We come out second half, have loads of possession, three massive chances. That can happen if they don’t go in,” he said. “But the final 20 minutes… possession gifted away in the middle of the pitch again. It’s borderline identical.”

For Hereford, it was a night where the atmosphere grew as the game unfolded, something McIntyre acknowledged.

“When it’s 1-1 and the crowd here get right behind them, you have to keep them quiet. They can really get behind the team and they did this evening.”

He admitted he was “shell shocked” by what he had witnessed, although conceded similar collapses have been a theme of his side’s season.

“There is a fragility and a weakness and a lack of confidence,” he said. “Too many times we concede one, we concede two, and then three in a 45-minute period.”

McIntyre accepted responsibility but placed emphasis on individual errors rather than structural flaws.

“You can’t coach those things in that moment,” he said. “Too many of the goals are in our control and we’re giving ourselves mountains to climb.”

He was, however, complimentary of Hereford’s approach on the night.

“I thought they were excellent,” he said. “For the situation they’re in, teams are going to fight. We didn’t match that and we have to take our medicine.”

The defeat leaves Chester with significant work to do between now and the end of the campaign as their play-off hopes fade, though Hereford have now pulled themselves closer to safety as Aaron Downes and Harry Pell try to mastermind a great escape.