Feeble Hereford United slip to loss at 10-man Vale (From Hereford Times)

Feeble Hereford United slip to loss at 10-man Vale

9:42am Friday 5th February 2010

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Port Vale

Hereford United 0

HEREFORD boss John Trewick did his best to remain upbeat despite seeing his side slip to a fourth successive away defeat.

The Bulls have not won since December 1 and are being dragged headlong into a relegation battle to preserve their Football League place.

To make matters worse for Hereford, this latest reverse – their sixth in seven outings – came against a side who played the last 50 minutes of the match with 10 men.

Although the status quo was restored in stoppage time at the end of the game when Ryan Valentine was shown a second yellow card to earn his second dismissal of the season.

“I am very disappointed with the result,” said Trewick.

“We conceded again from a very straightforward goal which should have been defended better.

“That lifted them, gave us everything to do and has been a common symptom of matches recently where we have lost narrowly and the opposition have not really had to work too hard for their goal.

“We had a lot of the ball to have created something to get back into the game – we had chances but when your chances come you have got to take them.

“We got into some decent areas and apart from the finish we did OK.”

The opening goal came after nine minutes when Craig Davies latched on to a punt forward from the lively Louis Dodds, rounded keeper Adam Bartlett and fired home.

Hereford had to withstand some heavy pressure for a period and were fortunate not to suffer a second reverse on several occasions, particularly when Tommy Fraser fired against a post.

But Hereford did have their moments and Leon Constantine, on his return to Vale Park, also hit a post as well as having a goal ruled out for offside.

Hereford’s hopes were lifted when Lewis Haldane, Vale’s best early attacker, was sent off for a second yellow card five minutes before the break.

But, despite heavy pressure in the second period, Hereford were unable to break through.

Their best effort came from on-loan striker Lateef Elford-Alliyu who met a cross from Matt Done only to slide the ball outside a post.

The teenager’s all-round contribution, however, satisfied boss Trewick.

“He did some decent things but it was difficult for him because we never established a position in the game where we could go on and be comfortable,” he said.

“He had one chance which narrowly missed at the far post. If that had gone in, it might have lifted him and everybody.

“He is young, has talent and played his part today so I was not disappointed in him.”

Hereford, in pushing forward, were caught out in injury-time when Mathieu Manset lost the ball to ex-Bull Lee Collins who rampaged forward before slipping a pass to Marc Richards who ended the contest.

There was still time, though, for Valentine to get caught up in an imbroglio which brought him his second yellow card of the afternoon.

Hereford: Bartlett; Gwynne, Lowe, Jones, Valentine; Pugh, Lunt, Tolley (McQuilkin, 32 min), Done (McCallum, 75 min); Constantine, Elford-Aliyu (Manset, 71 min). Subs not used: Adamson, Weir, Downing, King.

Port Vale: Martin; Yates, Owen, Collins, Taylor; Haldane, Griffith (Loft, 83 min), Fraser, Dodds (Howland, 83 min); Richards, Davies (Rigg, 64 min). Subs not used: Anyon, Taylor, McCombe, Glover.

Referee: Graham Horwood (Bedfordshire).

Attendance: 4,686 (177 from Hereford).

Goals: Davies, 9 min, 1-0; 90 min, 2-0.

Red cards: Hereford - Valentine, foul, 16 min, foul, 90 min; Port Vale – Haldane, diving, 33 min; foul, 41 min.

Yellow cards: Hereford – Gwynne, foul, 31 min; Port Vale – Taylor, foul, 51 min; Howland, foul, 85 min; Richards, foul, 90 min.

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