Downes proud of Bulls' resilience - but is still frustrated

The starting line-up at Buxton

Aaron Downes said he was “proud” of the resilience his Hereford side showed at Buxton, insisting the performance under adversity deserved more than the late heartbreak that denied the Bulls an opening‑day point.

Hereford had battled through a volatile second half, a red card, long spells of pressure and a demanding away environment before Aaron Skinner’s composed 91st‑minute penalty looked to have earned a draw. But deep into stoppage time, Sisa Tuntulwana struck his second of the afternoon after a long run from halfway that went unchallenged — a moment Downes admitted was “really frustrating”.

The manager’s overriding message, however, was one of pride in his players’ response to everything thrown at them.

“They kept going and kept working and kept going,” he said. “I’m proud of how they reacted to a lot of adversity.”

Hereford had begun brightly, creating several first‑half chances through Luke Spokes, Cawley Cox and Jordan Williamson, and Downes felt his side “limited them to long throws and set plays” before the interval. The Bulls then started the second half strongly, pushing Buxton back and finding good territory before the match swung on Preston Bitemo’s dismissal.

Downes described the challenge as “competitive” and reiterated that Bitemo is “not that person”, but the red card forced Hereford to dig in for the final half hour. Even so, they still carved out a major chance when Harrison Iwunze released Cox through the middle, and their persistence was rewarded when Skinner levelled from the spot.

That determination was what Downes wanted to highlight.

“We were close to taking something from the game under real adversity,” he said. “We had to dig in and compete. We had to deal with balls in our boxes, long throws, direct free kicks, corners - we had to deal with that. But we knew we'd get our moment.”

The late concession — allowing Tuntulwana to carry the ball a long distance before the decisive shot — was the only aspect Downes struggled to accept.

He said it came from “allowing one of their players to run all the way across the pitch without a meaningful tackle or contact”, a lapse he felt did not reflect the team’s overall organisation.

Despite the disappointment, Downes stressed that the performance showed the character and resilience he expects from his squad.

“In the main, I don’t think we deserved to lose,” he said.

Hereford now turn their attention to Marine’s visit to Edgar Street next weekend, where Downes hopes the same resilience can be matched with a result.