Full-time: Oxford United 2 Hereford United 2 (From Hereford Times)

Full-time: Oxford United 2 Hereford United 2

4:56pm Saturday 21st January 2012

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MICHAEL Duberry briefly enjoyed cult status with Hereford fans as he twice put the ball in his own net to give the Bulls the lead at the Kassam Stadium.

But the former Chelsea man regained some of his honour with a last minute equaliser to send United home with just a point.

With Simon Clist ruled out by injury, boss Jamie Pitman was forced into one change for the trip to the Kassam Satdium.

After recovering from a shin injury, Ryan Green resumed at right-back, allowing the versatile Rob Purdie to switch to the left-back position vacated by Clist.

Otherwise, as was to be expected after the previous week’s excellent win at Dagenham & Redbridge, United were unchanged.

Oxford included James Constable, the central figure in an on/off transfer saga involving Swindon Town during the week, and also named new arrival Oli Johnson among the substitutes.

Hereford almost made a dream start.

The Bulls gained a second-minute corner after a Purdie free-kick took a deflection.

Joe Colbeck dragged the flag-kick back to Purdie on the edge of the area and the full-back’s cross-shot was headed off the line near the far post.

Hereford continued to apply plenty of early pressure and there were a few hurried clearances as the Oxford defence had to react quickly.

Purdie was soon in action at the other end, however, blocking a Constable shot after Colbeck lost the ball on the right.

On eight minutes, Constable’s shot deflected off Stefan Stam for the first Oxford corner.

Michael Dubery headed wide from Peter Leven’s flag-kick.

Oxford took the lead on 12 minutes when Adam Bartlett was beaten from 25 yards.

Jon-Paul Pittman let fly with his left foot and the ball flashed past Bartlett’s despairing dive.

Hereford went on the attack again in a bid to claw back and a Yoann Arquin cross failed to pick out Delroy Facey with a cross before letting fly with an audacious 45-yarder, which flew high and wide, after spotting Ryan Clarke off his line.

Bartlett saved well from a fierce Constable drive on 27 minutes conceding a corner.

But Hereford went close on the half-hour from corner of their own with a Purdie effort just clearing the bar.

A minute later, Hereford were back in the game.

Facey sent Colbeck away on the right and his cross ended up in the back of the net as Michael Dubery and Facey challenged for the ball.

Five minutes later, Bartlett preserved Hereford’s parity when he dived to claw a Constable header behind.

A dangerous Alfie Potter cross flashed through the goalmouth with Pittman unable to get a touch as the home side looked for a second breakthrough.

As half-time approached, both Harry Pell and Will Evans got into good shooting positions for the Bulls but wasted the opportunities, driving high over the bar. Hereford suffered a setback when the injury-prone Stam was unable to resume after the break. Sam Clucas took his place, coming in at left-back with Green moving inside and Purdie switching back to the right.

Purdie was soon in the action, making a brilliant block to prevent Potter from scoring after Bartlett had parried a Pittman drive.

Oxford continued to press and their crowd were giving them assistance, baying for penalties in a succession of incidents in and around the Hereford box.

Tom Barkhuizen replaced Facey just after the hour and the Bulls swiftly forced a corner only for Colbeck to curl his flag-kick out of play before it reached the middle.

Barkhuizen made his first real contribution with a 25-yarder which Clarke saved before Bartlett’s hesitation nearly gifted Oxford a second.

The Bulls keeper failed to act decisively to a right-wing cross and was relieved to see Constable bundle the ball inches wide.

But Bartlett more than redeemed himself on 76 minutes with a superb flying save from Simon Heslop’s 20-yarder which looked a goal all the way.

Hereford had a good chance themselves seconds later as Barkhuizen’s knock-down from an Arquin cross found Nicky Featherstone whose powerful drive deflected behind.

And the Bulls should have taken the lead on 84 minutes when Arquin was sent clear by Barkhuizen but dragged his shot across goal and wide.

The goal was not long coming and arrived a minute later courtesy again of Dubery.

The veteran defender arrived ahead of Arquin to meet Colbeck’s cross but his bullet header landed in the corner of his own net.

Duberry completed an unusual hat-trick a minute from time when he arrived to slight a right-wing cross into the corner of the correct net.

Hereford: 4-5-1: Bartlett; Green, Stam (Clucas 46), Townsend, Purdie; Colbeck, Pell, Evans, Featherstone, Arquin; Facey (Barkhuizen 61). Subs not used: Cornell, Lunt, Elder.

Oxford: 4-3-3: Clarke; Batt, Dubery, Wright, Davis; Heslop (Craddock 84), Whing (Hall 72), Leven; Potter (Johnson 64), Constable, Pittman. Subs not used: Tonkin, Worley.

Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).

Attendance: 6,630 (including 397 from Hereford).

Goals: Pittman, 12 min, 1-0; Dubery og, 31 min, 1-1; Duberry og, 85 min, 1-2; Duberry, 89 min, 2-2.

Yellow cards: Hereford – Pell, foul, 36 min; Oxford – Batt, foul, 85 min.