Hereford United played their final home warm-up game before the Conference season begins on August 13th against League Two outfit Notts County. The County side included a number of well known players including former Premiership players Kevin Pilkington, Rob Ullathorne and Gavin Gordon.
Graham Turner opted for a 3-5-2 formation with trialists Andy Ferrell and Stacey Coldicott pairing up with Jon Brady in the middle of the park. Their was also a debut for Guy Ipoua following his signing yesterday alongside Adam Stansfield in the attack. Wayne Brown, signed from Chester City on a one-season loan, was named on the bench before being introduced to the home crowd midway throught the second half.
United started very brightly with some neat football, allowing County very little in terms of possession and so it was no surprise when the home side took the lead after eight minutes. Ferrell fed a neat pass out wide to Brady on the right flank. His pin-point cross was met at the far post by Ipoua, whose diving header beat Pilkington at the near post.
Ipoua showed good strength and held up play very well; he seemed the sort of attacker that Bulls fans have been longing for. A neat flick on the by-line found Ryan Green moments after the opener but the Welshmans shot was parried away. Ipoua collected the ball again and won a free kick on the right. Brady squared it to Alex Jeannin but his low effort was saved without much trouble.
The Magpies had a couple of decent chances later in the half but neither hit the target as Steve Scoffham and Andy White attempted to level things up. Ipoua was once again felled on the right and Tamika Mkandawire went close with a close range header following Brady's excellent delivery. Hereford did manage to make it 2-0 before the break though.
Ipoua held off his marker and threaded a pass through to Stansfield. He raced onto the through ball and marginally beat Pilkington to it. He poked a foot at the ball, which seemed to hit a defender before flying into the air, before being met by the head of man of the match Green, who converted from inside the box.
County came back into the game after the interval and grabbed a goal back moments after both sides had made changes. Coldicott and Ferrell were withdrawn and replaced by Craig Stanley and Rob Purdie and within two minutes Jake Sherriden, who'd only been on the pitch a couple of minutes himself, scored from the edge of the box. His inswinging cross-come-shot caught Craig Mawson out and dropped into the far bottom corner.
Ipoua and Mawson were taken off as Brown was handed a home debut in goal and Danny Carey-Bertram was given a run out in the attack. Brady set up another attack in which Stansfield crossed for Purdie, who couldn't find the target, before United made their final two changes with Andy Williams and Sam Gwynne taking the places of Brady and Stansfield.
Carey-Bertram's sprint down the right and cut back inside won The Bulls a corner as his near post strike was pushed over the bar. Jeannin crossed to the far post where Dean Beckwith nodded back into the middle for Mkandawire who managed to head inches over from no more than two yards out.
In the closing stages Brown made a good stop for Hereford while, at the other end, Williams hit a snap shot wide and Stanley's effort was deflected behind.
The crowd of 777 were treated to United's best display of their pre-season campaign so far. Should Graham Turner secure the signings of Stacey Coldicott and Andy Ferrell, Hereford will have a very strong squad for the start of the season. After todays performance most Hereford fans will be hoping that Turner will be able to name the same starting eleven from today against their first opponents, Scarborough, of the season in two weeks time.
HUFC Team: Mawson, Green, Jeannin, Beckwith, James, Mkandawire, Brady, Coldicott, Ferrel, Ipoua, Stansfield. Subs: Brown, Carey-Bertram, Purdie, Stanley, Gwynne, Williams.