Full-time: Hereford United 0 Braintree 0 (From Hereford Times)

4:55pm

Hereford: 4-5-1: Bittner; Gallinagh, Stam, Todd, Heath; Marsh, (Smikle 56); Pell, Evans (McQuilkin 69), Clist (Perry 56), Clucas; Bowman. Subs not used: Hanford, Feeley.
Braintree: 4-4-2: Naisbitt; Quinton, Massey, Paine, Habergham (Sparkes 74); Symons, O’Connor, Davis, Mulley; Holman (Sheppard 85), Marks. Subs not used: McDonald, Dawkin, Daley.
Referee: Adam Bromley (Devon).
Attendance: 1,537 (including 35 from Braintree).
Yellow cards: Braintree – Symons, foul, 44 min.

4:41pm

With chances now starting to arrive at both ends, Bowman headed a Clucas corner over.

4:39pm

The Bulls did get the ball in the net on 80 minutes through Smikle but the former Kidderminster and Cheltenham had strayed offside.
Almost immediately, Braintree almost took the lead.
Mulley worked some space to cross and Marks’ powerful header came back off an upright.

4:36pm

Hereford finally forced their second corner on 76 minutes and Clucas’ flag-kick led to a prolonged spell of Hereford pressure which ended with United’s first on-target shot, a drive from James McQuilkin which Dany Naisbitt dived to push away.

4:23pm

Will Evans shot wide from 30 yards as Hereford continued to strive to break the stalemate.

4:17pm

The Bulls made a double substitution on 56 minutes, bringing on Brian Smikle and Perry and reverting to a 4-4-2 formation.

4:07pm

Hereford made a promising start to the second period and a mazy run by Andy Gallinagh took him into the penalty area before the Braintree defence got the ball away.

3:48pm

The visitors forced their fifth corner of the game on the stoke of half-time with, again, Marks heading wide from Quinton’s cross.

3:42pm

On 42 minutes, Clucas volleyed high over but it was a rare effort on goal in a game which had largely become bogged down in midfield.

3:33pm

Hereford won their first corner on 32 minutes after some good perseverance by Ryan Bowman.
Clucas took the flag-kick but the ball was cleared without undue alarm by the Braintree defence.

3:31pm

Braintree were certainly having the better of the play and Daniel Holman might have done better after a good move down the left and a short pass from the lively James Mulley.

3:16pm

But the visitors should have taken the lead three minutes later from their second corner.
The Bulls defence failed to pick up the run of Sean Marks and he met Quinton’s cross only to head just wide of the target.

3:12pm

Hereford had a good opening after 12 minutes.
Will Evans sent Phil Marsh to the bye-line and he dragged the ball back to Sam Clucas who first-time right-foot shot was badly misdirected.

3:08pm

Braintree won the first corner of the game after a lacklustre opening.
Bradley Quinton’s cross was met by Matt Paine with his header held by James Bittner.

2:42pm

HEREFORD boss Martin Foyle went with the side which finished the game at Nuneaton to start against Braintree.
This saw Joe Heath make just his second start of the season at left-back while Stefan Stam, playing alongside Chris Todd in the heart of the defence, regained the captaincy.
Simon Clist was drafted into the midfield while the most recent acquisition, Kyle Perry, who has arrived on loan from Nuneaton was named on the bench.
Also making his first appearance among the substitutes was youth-team player Louis Feeley, who scored a hat-trick in the recent FA Youth Cup win over local rivals Pegasus Juniors.
Hereford: 4-4-2: Bittner; Gallinagh, Stam, Todd, Heath; Pell, Evans, Clist, Clucas; Marsh, Bowman. Subs not used: Hanford, Feeley, Smikle, McQuilkin, Perry.
Braintree: 4-4-2: Naisbitt; Quinton, Massey, Paine, Habergham; Symons, O’Connor, Davis, Mulley; Holman, Marks. Subs not used: McDonald, Sparkes, Dawkin, Daley, Sheppard.
Referee: Adam Bromley (Devon).