Full-time: Hereford United 3 Alfreton Town 3 (From Hereford Times)

4:52pm

WASTEFUL Hereford cast away another great opportunity to move up the Blue Square Bet Premier table when they cast away a two-goal lead at Edgar Street.
Leading 3-1 with goals from Ryan Bowman (2) and Stefan Stam, Hereford’s feeble defending allowed Alfreton back into the game to claim a deserved point.
Hereford boss Martin Foyle made one change for the visit of their Nottinghamshire rivals, whom they beat 3-0 earlier in the season.
Joe Heath was left out with Will Evans returning, meaning that James Musa moved to left back with Evans accommodated in a three-man midfield, alongside Harry Pell and Josh O’Keefe.
A car-crash en route to the game, although not serious, deprived Alfreton’s ex-Bulls boss Nicky Law of the services of left-back Ross Killock.
Hereford had the first shot of the game with Evans sending a volley high over after Musa’s free-kick had only partially been cleared.
The Bulls continued to have the better of the early attacking and Pell sent a shot dribbling wide after Ryan Bowman had knocked down an Andy Corbett cross.
On 12 minutes, Alfreton’s Daniel Meadows was lucky to avoid a booking after barging Pell off the ball.
Alfreton gained the first corner of the game on 17 minutes but it led to a Hereford breakaway which was spoiled by Evans’ shot, an attempted drive from a good 35 yards which was easily saved by Phil Barnes.
A second Alfreton corner followed and, after a similar pattern, Hereford broke out again, only with more success on this occasion.
Evans worked the ball to Sharp who sped away down the right before pulling the ball back for Bowman to side-foot home.
Hereford had a great chance to extend their lead when Watkins and Bowman both beat the offside trap.
But the pair failed to make the best use of the opportunity and Watkins’ pass was picked off by the Town defence.
The visitors should have been level on 34 minutes.
Josh Law raced away down the right and picked out Paul Clayton with his cross but the striker blasted high over from eight yards when he should  have hit the target.
Hereford raced back down the other end and Sharp did well to get in a shot which went a yard or two wide.
Clayton, however, had better fortune on 37 minutes, taking advantage when Bittner failed to gather a through-ball to shoot into the top corner of the net.
But the Bulls regained the lead in first-half stoppage time.
Bowman was fouled on the corner of the penalty area and Evans lifted the free-kick to the far post where Stam rose highest to thump home a header.
Bowman was denied by a fine save by Barnes as Hereford opened the second period in a lively fashion.
The ball went behind for Hereford’s first corner of the game and it produced the third goal.
Evans’ cross was met by Luke Graham who headed goalwards for Bowman to race in to get the final touch.
Alfreton hit back with a corner on 55 minutes which Josh O’Keefe had to head clear to concede a further flag-kick.
This time, Bittner was able to gather Law’s cross, albeit at the second attempt.
But the keeper was beaten on 57 minutes with a goal out of the blue.
A long-throw from the right fell to Nathan Arnold who drilled a low shot on the turn into the far corner of the net.
Hereford replaced Evans with Joe Heath with the substitute moving to the left-back berth.
And the visitors were back on level terms on 64 minutes when Matthew Harrioitt’s cross from the Alfreton right was met by Connor Franklin whose header carried too much pace for Bittner, who got two hands to the ball but failed to keep it out.
And the Bulls had a let-off three minutes later when Arnold’s shot took a deflection to go inches wide of Bittner’s left-hand upright.
Hereford’s fans were in shock but got behind their team in a bid to inspire them again.
And Stam was only just off target with a header from Heath’s cross.
Stam’s central-defensive partner Graham also went close with a header from Pell’s free-kick.
Hereford should have done better in stoppage time when Sharp’s cross picked out O’Keefe in yards of space in the area.
But the midfielder’s header was weak and the danger was cleared.
Hereford: 4-3-3: Bittner; Corbett, Graham, Stam, Musa (Smikle 83); Pell, O’Keefe, Evans (Heath 61); Sharp, Bowman, Watkins. Subs not used: Clist, McQuilkin, Perry.
Alfreton: 4-3-3: Barnes; Law, Kempson, Franks, Franklin; Meadows, Streete, Harriott; Tomlinson (Worsfold 81), Clayton, Arnold. Subs not used: Taylor, Quinn, Wilson.
Referee: Justin Amey (Dorset).
Attendance: 1,565 (including 54 from Alfreton).
Goals: Bowman, 20 min, 1-0; Clayton, 37 min, 1-1; Stam, 45 min, 2-1; Bowman, 48 min, 3-1; Arnold, 57 min, 3-2; Franklini, 64 min, 3-3.
Yellow cards: Alfreton – Kempson, 59 min, foul; Tomlinson, 80 min, foul.

4:49pm

Hereford should have done better in stoppage time when Sharp’s cross picked out O’Keefe in yards of space in the area.
But the midfielder’s header was weak and the danger was cleared.

4:33pm

Stam’s central-defensive partner Graham also went close with a header from Pell’s free-kick.

4:29pm

Hereford’s fans were in shock but got behind their team in a bid to inspire them again.
And Stam was only just off target with a header from Heath’s cross.

4:24pm

4:24pm

And the Bulls had a let-off three minutes later when Arnold’s shot took a deflection to go inches wide of Bittner’s left-hand upright.

4:23pm

And the visitors were back on level terms on 64 minutes when Matthew Harrioitt’s cross was met by Connor Franklin whose header carried too much pace for Bittner, who got two hands to the ball but failed to keep it out.

4:23pm

And the visitors were back on level terms on 64 minutes when Matthew Harrioitt’s cross was met by Connor Franklin whose header carried too much pace for Bittner, who got two hands to the ball but failed to keep it out.

4:14pm

But the keeper was beaten on 57 minutes with a goal out of the blue.
A long-throw from the right fell to Nathan Arnold who drilled a low shot on the turn into the far corner of the net.

4:13pm

Alfreton hit back with a corner on 55 minutes which Josh O’Keefe had to head clear to concede a further flag-kick.
This time, Bittner was able to gather Law’s cross, albeit at the second attempt.

4:06pm

Bowman was denied by a fine save by Barnes as Hereford opened the second period in a lively fashion.
The ball went behind for Hereford’s first corner of the game and it produced the third goal.
Evans’ cross was met by Luke Graham who headed goalwards for Bowman to race in to get the final touch.

3:45pm

But the Bulls regained the lead in first-half stoppage time.
Bowman was fouled on the corner of the penalty area and Evans lifted the free-kick to the far post where Stam rose highest to thump home a header.

3:36pm

Clayton, however, had better fortune on 37 minutes, taking advantage when Bittner failed to gather a through-ball to shoot into the top corner of the net.

3:34pm

The visitors should have been level on 34 minutes.
Josh Law raced away down the right and picked out Paul Clayton with his cross but the striker blasted high over from eight yards when he should  have hit the target.
Hereford raced back down the other end and Sharp did well to get in a shot which went a yard or two wide.

3:27pm

Hereford had a great chance to extend their lead when Watkins and Bowman both beat the offside trap.
But the pair failed to make the best use of the opportunity and Watkins’ pass was picked off by the Town defence.

3:19pm

On 12 minutes, Alfreton’s Daniel Meadows was lucky to avoid a booking after barging Pell off the ball.
Alfreton gained the first corner of the game on 17 minutes but it led to a Hereford breakaway which was spoiled by Evans’ shot, an attempted drive from a good 35 yards which was easily saved by Phil Barnes.
A second Alfreton corner followed and, after a similar pattern, Hereford broke out again, only with more success on this occasion.
Evans worked the ball to Sharp who sped away down the right before pulling the ball back for Bowman to side-foot home.

3:10pm

The Bulls continued to have the better of the early attacking and Pell sent a shot dribbling wide after Ryan Bowman had knocked down an Andy Corbett cross.

3:07pm

The Bulls continued to have the better of the early attacking and Pell sent a shot dribbling wide after Ryan Bowman had knocked down an Andy Corbett cross.

3:01pm

3:01pm

Hereford had the first shot of the game with Evans sending a volley high over after Musa’s free-kick had only partially been cleared.

2:43pm

HEREFORD boss Martin Foyle made one change for the visit of their Nottinghamshire rivals, whom they beat 3-0 earlier in the season.
Joe Heath was left out with Will Evans returning, meaning that James Musa moved to left back with Evans accommodated in a three-man midfield, alongside Harry Pell and Josh O’Keefe.
A car-crash en route to the game, although not serious, deprived Alfreton’s ex-Bulls boss Nicky Law of the services of left-back Ross Killock.
Hereford: 4-3-3: Bittner; Corbett, Graham, Stam, Musa; Pell, O’Keefe, Evans; Sharp, Bowman, Watkins. Subs not used: Heath, Clist, McQuilkin, Smikle, Perry.
Alfreton: 4-3-3: Barnes; Law, Kempson, Franks, Franklin; Meadows, Streete, Harriott; Tomlinson, Clayton, Arnold. Subs not used: Taylor, Quinn, Wilson, Worsfold.
Referee: Justin Amey (Dorset).