Although not the prettiest of displays, Hereford claimed the all-important three points with a narrow 1-0 win over Frome Town at Edgar Street on Tuesday evening.
Hereford manager Pete Beadle made two changes to the side that lost at Basingstoke on Saturday, with the experienced Rob Purdie and fans' favourite John Mills coming back into the side as Pablo Haysham and Mike Symons dropped to the substitutes bench.
Attacking the Meadow End in the first half, Frome went close to grabbing an early goal with three minutes on the clock. After Hereford's defence failed to close Darren Jefferies down, he could only shoot wide from the edge of the box.
A couple of balls into the box failed to put Frome's defence under too much pressure, with Rob Purdie's cross going behind and a John Mills lofted ball header clear by Ben Withey.
In the 25th minute Keyon Reffell had a great chance to open the scoring, but his shot struck the post. After getting on the end of Pring's downward header, Reffell calmly got into a decent central position but his effort couldn't beat the post. Despite rebounding back into the area, it didn't fall kindly for a white shirt as Frome lumped the ball clear.
With Hereford seemingly wanting to walk the ball into the back of the net, it was John Mills who broke this pattern as he broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. Reffell teed up Mills, but after his initial shot was blocked by the keeper, he didn't make the same mistake twice, poking the ball into the back of the net.
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| The Initial Shot From John Mills Was Blocked But He Made Sure With His Second Shot |
On the stroke of half time, a good chance for Billy Murphy could have seen Hereford going into the break with a two goal cushion. With Rob Purdie's corner from the left being punched clear by keeper Kyle Phillips, Billy Murphy firmly headed the ball back towards goal but it was wide at the near post.
HT: Hereford 1 - Frome Town 0
At the start of the second half, the Bulls were gifted an early corner as Keyon Reffell's high and wide snapshot was deemed to have taken a deflection, but there was little pressure on the visitors' defence from the corner that followed.
In what was a relatively quiet evening for Hereford's defence who were still without Ryan Green, a Frome corner in the 55th minute was dealt with. A free kick from Connor Roberts was nodded behind by Cameron Pring, but there was too much on the corner as Oates was able to head clear.
Eliot Richards couldn't find the target with his header on the hour mark. Following some good build up play on the left wing between John Mills and Cameron Pring, Pring chipped the ball to Richards who was unable to add a second.
Martin Horsell was forced into making a save in the 74th minute as Jonno Davies raced through on goal. With just the keeper left to beat, his shot across the face of goal was saved by Horsell at full-stretch.
In front of the Meadow End, Eliot Richards' replacement Pablo Haysham had a shot well-saved by Phillips, with John Mills firing the the follow up effort into the side netting.
In the final ten minutes of the game, substitute Mike Symons went closest to getting the second, but his shot was well-saved at the foot of the post after getting on the end of Keyon Reffell's rebounded effort.
Another chance for Symons followed, but once again he couldn't find the back of the net. As Jack Deaman downward header at the back post parried by the keeper, Symons' effort was blocked.
And despite plenty of possession in the closing stages, the Lilywhites were content to hold the ball in the corners to see the game out
FT: Hereford 1 - Frome Town 0
Att: 1,685 with 13 in the away enclosure
Sponsors' MotM: Keyon Reffell
Hereford: Horsell, Oates, Liburd, Deaman, Pring, Reffell, Murphy, Richards (Haysham - 78'), Purdie, Mills (Symons - 83'), Myrie-Williams.
Subs not used: Bird, Smith, Puddy.
Frome Town: Phillips, K. Miller, Withey, Roberts, Mapstone, Knowles, Davies, G. Miller, Page (Bath - 64'), Raynes, Jefferies.
Subs not used: Knight, Teale, Griffiths, Cleverley.
Next Game: Gosport Borough at Home on Saturday 24th March at 3pm
Martin Horsell was forced into making a save in the 74th minute as Jonno Davies raced through on goal. With just the keeper left to beat, his shot across the face of goal was saved by Horsell at full-stretch.
In front of the Meadow End, Eliot Richards' replacement Pablo Haysham had a shot well-saved by Phillips, with John Mills firing the the follow up effort into the side netting.
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| Frome's Darren Jefferies Was Red Carded For Swearing At The Referee |
Another chance for Symons followed, but once again he couldn't find the back of the net. As Jack Deaman downward header at the back post parried by the keeper, Symons' effort was blocked.
And despite plenty of possession in the closing stages, the Lilywhites were content to hold the ball in the corners to see the game out
FT: Hereford 1 - Frome Town 0
Att: 1,685 with 13 in the away enclosure
Sponsors' MotM: Keyon Reffell
Hereford: Horsell, Oates, Liburd, Deaman, Pring, Reffell, Murphy, Richards (Haysham - 78'), Purdie, Mills (Symons - 83'), Myrie-Williams.
Subs not used: Bird, Smith, Puddy.
Frome Town: Phillips, K. Miller, Withey, Roberts, Mapstone, Knowles, Davies, G. Miller, Page (Bath - 64'), Raynes, Jefferies.
Subs not used: Knight, Teale, Griffiths, Cleverley.
Next Game: Gosport Borough at Home on Saturday 24th March at 3pm