YUSIFU CEESAY’S powerful strike helped Hereford FC on their way to a 3-0 victory over Cambridge City and through into the FA Cup fourth qualifying round.
First half goals from Alex Babos and Ceesay dented their Northern Premier League Midlands opponents’ hopes of causing an upset before Jack Tolley sealed the win after 71 minutes.
The hosts started brightly with Ceesay forcing a save from Joe Welch in the City goal after seven minutes when Aaron Skinner’s whipped cross found the winger inside the box.
Alex Babos was brought down on the edge of the box by a lunging Stefan Broccoli challengr seven minutes later. The Bulls midfielder stepped up to convert the subsequent free-kick, whipping the ball over the wall and into the net to give Hereford the lead.
The visitors were nearly given a reprieve after Kyle Howkin’s back pass sold Curtis Pond short, but the goalkeeper was sharp off his line to deny Bradley Rolt’s chance.
Hereford nearly doubled their lead on 30 minutes when debutant Ethan Freemantle saw his effort deflect off Taylor Parr and loop over Welch before dropping onto the top of the bar.
The Bulls scored their second goal in splendid fashion on 42 minutes when Ceesay rifled the ball into the top left-hand corner of Welch’s net from a tight angle on the edge of the box.
Cambridge City returned for the second half looking for a route back into the game, but Rolt could only blaze over the bar when found inside the box by Broccoli after 57 minutes.
The visitors best chance came on 68 minutes after Broccoli broke away before sliding in Stan Leech with only Pond to beat, but the substitute fired straight at the goalkeeper’s legs.
Hereford wrapped up the game minutes later when with his first touch of the game substitute Tolley skipped by fullback Micheal Davies before slotting in Hereford’s third goal of the match, only seconds after coming on.
Hereford: Pond, Skinner, Livingstone, Teixeira, Lyden (Tolley 70), Downing, Ceesay (Stanley 73), Babos (Arthur 78), Mendes, Freemantle, Howkins
Unused Subs: Cranston, Sterry, Singh, Rooney
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