With former Hereford United keeper Ben Scott in the news this week for helping to save the life of a spectator who had suffered a heart attack, BN looks back to his first Conference start for the Bulls back in October 2004.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Double deflection deflates Bulls
Two
deflected goals by Magno Silva Viera gave a huge helping hand to
Carlisle United as they defeated Hereford United 3-1 at Brunton Park
this afternoon. An own goal by Lee Andrews had handed the Bulls a first
half lead but early in the second Peter Murphy gave Carlisle the
victory.
Hereford
made numerous changes to the squad that drew with Woking last weekend.
Captain Tony James didn't travel, as previously rumoured and Lee Mills
was also absent. Ben Scott made his first start in the Conference in
goal and Tamika Mkandawire returned in place of James after a three
match ban. Jamie Pitman recovered from a back injury and debutised for
Graham Hyde and Mark Robinson was preffered to Danny Williams. Karl
Lewis was the sub goalkeeper.
Brown
had the first chance of the game after two minutes when Hereford
signalled their intentions. Adam Stansfield collected the ball after a
good Hereford move and layed on for Brown whose twenty yard shot was
saved well by Matt Glennon. Soon after at the other end Chris Billy had a
shot over the bar after a scramble in the box. Murphy then forced Scott
into his first save of the game, diving low to his right.
Captain
Kevin Gray had a good header just over the bar following a cross from
Chris Lumsdon minutes before United took the lead. David Brown did well
to break into the area and his shot was well saved by Glennon, but the
ball fell to Adam Stansfield whose shot hit Andrews and found its way
into the back of the net.
Captain
Andy Tretton got a touch on Pitman's free kick and triggered a scramble
in the Carlisle box before Pitman's shot was blocked and cleared. Brown
went close again with a shot from the edge of the box that Glennon
gathered at the second attempt. Ryan Green overlapped well and latched
onto Brown's through ball into the area, but Glennon again saved well to
deny Green.
Then,
four minutes before half time, disater struck for the Bulls. Murphy
supplied another dangerous cross and Viera met the ball with his head
and it deflected off Tretton and beyond the reach of Scott. A minute
later a freak goal handed Carlisle the lead. Viera hammered a thirty
yard effort towards goal and it took a wicked deflection off Mkandawire
that wrong footed Scott and found the bottom corner. Hereford would have
found it hard to beleive they were behind at the interval, having
easily matched their hosts.
Two
minutes into the second period the Whites found themselves further
behind again as their opponents rampaged. A break down the right
resulted in a cross that went all the way across goal and found Brendan
McGill on the edge of the box and he made no mistake in finding the back
of the net for 3-1.
Hereford
tried to break down Carlisle, they had plenty of possesion but the
Cumbrian side were too solid and organised at the back for the Bulls get
through. Williams replaced Green and Simon Travis moved to right
back to accomodate the sub. Hereford did get some oppotunities, but
Carlisle coped with everything that United tried. Man of the Match
Mkandawire headed Pitman's free kick over and Stansfield had an effort
from outside of the box saved.
Mkandawire
blocked Andrews twenty five yard drive before Travis crossed for Brown,
who looked as if he was being held back but the referee gave a free
kick the other way. The 6,400 or so home fans in a crowd of 6,772
thought their side should have had a penatly when Tretton appeared to
handball and then moments later the away fans thought the same after a
blantant push on Stansfield.
Second
half sub Andy Preece went close from twenty yards as Carlisle searched
for a fourth. Brown got a lucky break off a defender following a right
wing cross by Williams, but he was denied by a good saving challenge by
Gray late on.
The
result may be a little harsh on Hereford who really didn't play too
badly and seemed to enjoy a lot of the possesion. The two deflected
goals in quick succession were pure bad luck ; had Hereford gone in at
the break in the lead, as they deserved, then the game could have been
totally different. Hereford need all of their players back to full
fitness for the game in two weeks against top of the table Barnet in
order to change their form around. The Bulls have collected a measly two
points from a possible fifthteen.
A
break in the F.A. Cup against Radcliffe Borough couldn't have come at a
better time for Graham Turner's side. They should look to use this game
to try and restore some much neeeded confidence in the team.
HUFC Team:(4-4-2) Scott, Green, Tretton, Mkandawire, Robinson, Travis, Pitman, Stanley, Purdie, Brown, Stansfield. Subs: Smith, Hyde, Lewis, Williams, Carey-Bertram.
CUFC
Team : Glennon, Andrews, Gray, Grand, Annison, McGill, Lumsdon, Billy,
Murphy, Hawley, Viera. Subs: Shelley, Farrel, Preece, McDonagh,
Westwood.