Full-time: Hereford United 2 Bradford City 0 (From Hereford Times)

Full-time: Hereford United 2 Bradford City 0

5:22pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in Reports By Richard Prime

Hereford put their dismal recent form behind them with an excellent win over Bradford City.

Goals by Mathieu Manset and Jake Jervis enabled the Bulls to bring their woeful sequence of four home defeats to an end and move closer to confirming safety.

Boss Graham Turner included on-loan Lewis Young, the brother of Aston Villa star Ashley Young.

Young was named alongside Mathieu Manset as the Bulls sought to end their poor scoring run.

Turner’s other recent acquisition, Jake Jervis, was named among the substitutes alongside Leon Constantine who was dropped to the bench.

Hereford conceded the first corner of the game after just a minute and it almost produced a goal.

Robbie Threlfall’s flag-kick was met by the unmarked James Hanson whose effort went a yard the wrong side of an upright.

With Bradford making a lively start, Gavin Grant made a surging run into the area, sidestepping Ryan Green, but seeing Bulls keeper Adam Bartlett get a touch on his shot to deflect the ball behind for another corner.

Hereford won their first corner after 10 minutes and referee Danny McDermid waved away Bulls appeals for a penalty when Ryan Valentine powered in a shot from Marc Pugh’s cross.

Hereford had a great chance in the 13th minute when Manset and Young worked a neat one-two which resulted in an excellent cross from the Watford man.

But, unfortunately for the Bulls, the ball ran just out of reach of Gavin McCallum.

Hereford continued to impress with their approach work and forced another corner on 18 minutes.

Goalkeeper Matt Glennon punched away Pugh’s flag-kick.

Glennon missed another free-kick from Pugh which flashed across the area moments later, but so did all the Hereford attackers and the ball ran out for a goalkick.

Bradford had been pegged back for long periods but, on 23 minutes, Michael Flynn broke forward to drive a shot high and wide.

Bartlett then had to pull off a superb one-handed flying parry to keep out a flicked header from Gareth Evans.

As both sides continued to attack, Glennon had to dive to hold a flying header from Darren Jones after a well-placed Kenny Lunt free-kick.

Hanson then got the better of Jones to set up a shooting chance for Flynn which the midfielder drove low but straight at Bartlett.

A sweeping end-to end saw Evans get in a shot but the effort lacked sufficient pace to beat Bartlett.

Hereford took the lead from a Pugh corner after 33 minutes.

The winger’s flag-kick was headed back across goal by Ryan Valentine and Manset was on hand to nod in from a yard out.

A block by James McQuilkin from a shot by Adam Bolder prevented a swift Bradford response.

And City continued to push plenty of men forward as they sought to level with another Bolder effort flying wide on 42 minutes.

But Hereford continued to have chances of their own and Richard Rose headed a Pugh corner wide two minutes before the break.

Hereford made a lively start to the second period and Lunt had a shot blocked before Pugh fired wide from a good position.

But City should have levelled when Luke Oliver had a shot superbly blocked by Ryan Green with Evans blazing the rebound high over.

Hereford continued to look much more of an attacking force than in recent matches and almost extended their lead on the hour.

McCallum sent Pugh away on the left and his cross was powered towards goal by Manset only for Threlfall to head off the line.

The dangerous Hanson forced another fine stop by Bartlett with the Bulls keeper diving to push the ball around an upright.

Hereford’s defence lived dangerously at times and Evans hooked a shot just over when he should have hit the target.

The Bulls, however, extended their lead on 81 minutes.

A long punt forward by Bartlett flicked off the head of Luke Oliver to substitute Jake Jervis who showed excellent control before finishing with equal skill.

Hereford: Bartlett; Green, Jones, Rose, Valentine; Young, Lunt, McQuilkin, Pugh; McCallum (Jervis, 71 min), Manset (Constantine, 71 min). Subs not used: Adamson, Preston, Gwynne, Done, Sonko.

Bradford City: Glennon; Bateson, Clarke, Oliver, Threlfall; Evans, Bolder, Bullock (McCammon, 59 min), Grant (Daley, 52 min); Flynn; Hanson. Subs not used: O’Brien, Rehman, McLaughlin, Kendall, O’Leary.

Referee: Danny McDermid (Middlesex).

Attendance: 1,926 (332 from Bradford).

Goals: Manset, 33 min, 1-0; Jervis, 81 min, 2-0.

Yellow-cards: Bradford – Bullock, foul, 45 min; Oliver, 90 min, foul.