Hereford  v  Tamworth

Sat 17 Feb - 15:00 National League North

Hereford

0-0

Tamworth

Match Report

The Lambs made the trip into Herefordshire to take on The Bulls on the back of a 12 game unbeaten run, of which only 2 were draws. And going into the 13^th match Jas Singh was also protective of his new club record of 808 minutes without conceding a goal, the last one coming in the final game of 2023, when Lewis Hudson, now at Hereford and starting the game at Edgar Street, scored in the 2^nd minute at Dales Lane in the Lambs 2-1 win over Rushall Olympic.

Andy Peaks made two changes to the side that had defeated Farsley Celtic the previous weekend, with former Bull Jordan Cullinane-Liburd suspended, and Kai Williams on the bench, Liam Dolman and Ben Acquaye came into the side in similar roles, while Jamie Willets and Kyle Finn started against one of their previous clubs.

One game finished prior to kick off, with second place Scunthorpe away at Scarborough and the goalless result meant The Lambs started the game eleven points clear of The Iron who would have a game in hand at the final whistle.

In their red shirts, with blue socks and red shorts, Hereford got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the end with the travelling faithful alongside Pond’s goal and the first shot from either side came on 2 when Finn picked up the scraps on the edge of the area and volleyed high over the target into the large empty terrace.
Willets was forced to head a strike from Williams away for a corner as a wall of noise from the terrace at the opposite end, greeted the flagkick and Howkins glanced his header wide of the far post.
Singh was forced to pull off a flying stop to deny a volley into the floor from Cowley which bounced up and looked goalbound on 8, but the flag had gone up anyway to halt play.
The referee had to deal with a melee after some pushing and shoving on 12 resulting in cards for Acquaye and Lyden and both benches were not left out of the card action too.
Tonks was able to unleashed his first throw of the game on 18 but it was cleared away by a strong defensive back line and although Curley spotted an opening from a Tshikuna pass on 18 he dragged his shot from 25 yards wide of the left hand upright without troubling Pond.
After receiving the ball from Milnes down the left Acquaye cut back into the right channel on 20 and unleashed a drive towards the top right corner, but it rose over the corner of the frame.
At the other end, Wiliams forced a right sided corner off Cockerill-Mollett and Babos’ low ball to the near post was flocked on and then smothered by Singh.
The Lambs keeper raced out to clear the ball away from the incoming run of Williams on 23 and plucked the resulting cross out of the area and on 27 Milnes pushed Babos to the floor just outside the area on the right corner of the box, so Hudson took the deadball and it rebounded to Babos 25 yards out but his shot deflected off a teammate for a goalkick.
There was another booking for Cockerill-Mollett on 34 for pulling Wiliams to the ground in a similar position to Milnes foul, and Babos put the ball into the danger area for Williams to connect with and it took a last ditch boot from Willets to get it away from the goalline and prevent the opening goal of the game.
A Tamworth freekick from Milnes, just inside the Hereford half on 38 was dealt with and when a long quick ball down field skipped out of play, Singh required treatment and allowed both sides to refresh for the final 5 minutes of the half.
Despite some good quick forward play between Milnes and Tshikuna on 41, the former was unable to get a placed shot away from the edge of the area, then on 44 Milnes took a another shot from a similar position and it struck a Bulls defender for a left sided corner, but a foul halted play.
In the first of two minutes added time at the end of the first half a right sided cross from Lyden was headed over the target by Williams and Deacon was unable to get closer to a Milnes cross that keeper Pond in the next move.
Hereford countered though an in a frantic few seconds in Singh’s box Cockerill-Mollett was brought down and then Milnes was upended resulting in a yellow card for Howkins in the final action of a non stop first half.

HT 0-0

Arlott-John replace Acquaye before The Lambs restarted the game but it was Hereford with the first attack resulting in a corner after good work by Williams down the left, which Dolman headed away.
A right sided flagkick by Finn on 52 was plucked out of the air by Pond, and the keeper was perfectly positioned to catch Arlott-John’s effort a minute later.
Williams made headway to force a corner off Dolman on 54 but The Lambs regained possession and through Arlott-John again, made the home defence earn their crust without Pond being tested.
Another Bulls corner was dealt with by Cockerill-Mollett and Tshikuna and Finn raced up field but Finn was unable to get past Downing in the penalty area.
Milnes took a knock on the hour and was unable to continue, so Sundire replaced him in the middle of the park.
Williams threaded a pass to Skinner on 62 and Dolman put his angled shot behind for a corner, but not before his linesman reminded him of who was kicking which way, and Arlott-John hooked the ball away.
There was another corner on 64 from Hudson’s cross which came off Curley, and Tshikuna headed Babos ball behind for another which Tonks headed away.
Deacon needed treatment for cramp on 65 and when play resumed, from a short Tonks throw, Arlott-John tried a shot from 25 yards but put it into the home terracing behind Pond and the same player struck low into the arms of Pond in the next move.
Two long Tonks throws from the right were dealt with first by Downing, and then by Pond on 72, as the 245 travelling fans urged their side on from the other end of the ground.
Sundire was involved in getting the ball out of midfield to Curley on 74 and his shot from distance was on target but also straight at Pond, and Sundire tracked back to deny a run by home sub Kouhyar 78 causing The Lambs fans to break into song once again.
However, Kouhya nearly struck on target from the restart angling his shot from the right just past the far post.
Pond somehow allowed the loose ball to slip under his feet on 81 and only just managed to clear it away a yard or less out, resulting in a corner which Cameron headed away from Dolman and from Tonks’ throw, Tshikuna’s shot was put behind for a Lambs corner. Before it was taken, Wreh replaced Deacon and the flagkick was sliced over his own bar by Cameron. It was cleared on the left for two Tonks missiles and Pond gathered the second one at height.
Hudson was close but no where near close enough on 89, sliding in to try and turn a deep right sided cross in at the far post, and Cowley found space to fire a shot into the arms of Singh in the next move before Sundire was penalised for pulling the same player down, on the edge of the area as six minutes added time was shown.
Cowley set up the deadball and it struck his teammate en-route allowing The Lambs to regroup for the final minutes.
Tonks was handed a long throw on 84 which Pond punched away and behind for a corner, and Pond was clearly feeling an injury as the ball came in, but took it at height and the referee spotted something as he released Kouhyar down the right, but as the whistle had gone, play had to be stopped and Hudson was booked for his protests.
There was still time for Arlott-John to force corner on the left as the clock hit 98 but it was headed away for Tonks to try one last throw and Pond punched it away as the whistle blew on another point and another cleansheet (898 minutes)

TEAMS

Hereford
Pond, Skinner, Hudson, Teixiera, Lyden (Mendes 79), Downing, Babos (Kouhyar 74), Cowley, Williams (Phillips 86), Cameron (c.), Howkins
Subs: Southern, Rooney
YC: Lyden 5, Howkins 45+3, Hudson 90+4
RC: Mendes (after final whistle)

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Willets, Dolman, Cockerill-Mollett, Milnes (Sundire 60), Tonks, Tshikuna, Finn, Deacon (Wreh 83), Acquaye (Arlott-John HT)
Subs: Phillips, Williams
YC: Acquaye 12, Cockerill-Mollett 34

Referee: Mr. S. Reed
Assistant: Mr. J. Wooley, Mr. G. Pearce

Att: 3048 (TFC 245)