Monday, April 17, 2006

Hereford United are in the Nationwide Conference play-offs for the third successive season after a hard-fought win over their Midlands rivals.

The game was settled by Danny Carey-Bertram's 58th-minute goal and Hereford, with 76 points in the bag and two games to go, have already passed last season's points tally of 74.

Hereford made three changes from the side which won at Altrincham on Saturday. Goalkeeper Craig Mawson, Jamie Pitman and Nicky Nicolau all returned to the side in place of Wayne Brown, Craig Stanley and Andy Williams as boss Graham Turner strove to keep all of his squad in the action.

On a hard pitch and in windy conditions, the day was unlikely to produce a footballing classic and with Tamworth electing to field a five-man defence, there was little in the way of excitement to rouse the spectators in the first period.

The visitors had the first real effort of the half on 11 minutes when Tommy Johnson picked the ball up after a slip by Andy Ferrell and drove in a shot which Mawson had to parry for a corner.

After that, Hereford had largely the better of the half -- and certainly dominated in terms of possession -- with their best opening coming on 21 minutes.

A Rob Purdie corner was only half-cleared and Ferrell picked the rebound up on the edge of the area. The midfielder's cross slid off the head of Matt Redmile to Tamika Mkandawire but his poorly directed header, when in the clear, was easily gathered by goalkeeper Sean Bowles.

Tamworth substitute Tris Whitman produced the best shot of the first period, flashing in a 20-yarder which virtually scraped the paint off the outside of Mawson's right-hand post.

The winning goal came 13 minutes into the second period and had echoes of the winner at Altrincham.

Again it was a Ferrell through-ball which created the opening but this time Carey-Bertram who raced on to the opening to fire home. This opened the game up and substitute Williams twice went close to adding to the score with good efforts.

Tamworth threatened rarely but Hereford hearts were in their mouths in injury-time when Bob Taylor picked the ball up 20 yards out.

Fortunately for the Bulls, however, the former West Brom veteran cracked his shot a yard over.

HEREFORD: Mawson; Travis, Mkandawire, Beckwith, Jeannin; Purdie, Pitman, Ferrell, Nicolau (Williams 54); Carey-Bertram (Ipoua 83), Fleetwood (Stansfield 65). Subs not used: Brown, Stanley.

ATTENDANCE: 2,809.