Text at top (next game etc)

Next Game: Banbury Away On Friday March 29th Kick-Off 3.00pm

Friday, December 15, 2017

Hereford 0 - Fleetwood Town 2


Hereford's 2-0 defeat at home to Fleetwood Town means there will be no non-league teams in the FA Cup third round. Two almost identical goals from Cian Bolger saw the Whites bow out of the competition to their League One opponents in Thursday evening's second round replay.

Hereford boss Peter Beadle made one change to the side that drew 1-1 at Highbury in the original tie, with Lance Smith dropping to the bench to make way for Mike Symons.

The Bulls had the first chance of the game as Dara O'Shea drilled a shot from range just wide of the target with two minutes on the clock. The visitors soon had a chance of their own, but the offside flag went up against Jordy Hiwula after he slotted the ball past Martin Horsell.
Another chance for the Huddersfield Town loanee followed, but his strike from 18-yards was wide of the target.

Fleetwood's strong performance continued as they took the lead in the tenth minute. Under little pressure from Hereford's defence, Cian Bolger rose to meet George Glendon's inswinging corner and headed the ball firmly past Horsell.




12 minutes later Keyon Reffell came close to pulling Hereford back level, but couldn't capitalise on Baily Cargill's defensive error. Reffell found himself with just the keeper left to beat, but with the backtracking defence closing him down, he fired wide into the side-netting.

Cargill then came close to getting his name on the scoresheet in the 27th minute, but having been allowed far too much time on the ball, he dragged his shot wide from outside the area.

Chance For Jimmy Oates
The first half ended in a quieter manner compared to how it started, with a Cod Army corner on the stroke of half time the closest the visitors came to a second goal. The commanding Horsell did well to punch the ball clear, with goalscorer Cian Bolger impeding Hereford's keeper.

John Mills Is Brought Down

Billy Murphy Took The Free Kick
HT: Hereford 0 - Fleetwood Town 1

With there being only one goal in it at the break, and Hereford attacking the Meadow End in the second half, there was a feeling around the ground that they might just mount a comeback. This looked likely at the start of the half, but the Bulls still lacked a decent final ball in front of goal.

With 53 minutes on the clock, Jimmy Oates provided a good cross into the box, but the keeper leapt to claim the ball before Mike Symons could get his head to it. Garyn Preen's corner three minutes later failed to beat the first man as the danger was dealt with by the visitors.

Fleetwood doubled their advantage in the 58th minute, disappointingly with a repeat of the first goal. The Cod Army forced a corner with Wes Burns' cross being put behind by Jimmy Oates. Once again it was George Glendon who picked out Bolger in the box, and the Irishman had little difficulty in heading the ball home for his second of the evening.





Calvin Dinsley tried an ambitious effort minutes after Town's second, but he couldn't keep his rasping shot down as it sailed into the Meadow End terrace behind the goal.



A free kick to the Lilywhites 25-yards out looked a decent opportunity to pull a goal back, but John Mills' curling effort went inches wide of the upright.



Fleetwood could've been 3-0 up with just over 15 minutes left on the clock, but substitute Lewie Coyle's shot clipped the top of the crossbar.

Despite continued pressure from Hereford, and another ambitious strike from Dinsley, it wasn't to be for the Southern League side who can hold their heads high after a long and lucrative FA Cup run.




FT: Hereford 0 - Fleetwood Town 2
Att: 4,235 with 140 in the away enclosure

Hereford: Horsell, Oates (c), O'Shea, Murphy, Green, Deaman, Preen (Smith - 69'), Dinsley, Mills, Reffell, Symons.
Subs not used: Page, Preston, Haysham, Bird, Franklin, Harris.

Fleetwood: Cairns, Bell, O'Neill, Eastham, Hiwula (Hunter), Burns (Cole), Bolger, Glendon (Schwabl), Sowerby, Cargill, Cole.
Subs not used: Neal, Pond, Nadesan, Biggins.

Next Game: FA Trophy - Dagenham and Redbridge at Home on Sunday 17th December at 3pm