Bulls round off season with a win

4:57pm Saturday 3rd May 2008

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Hereford United 2 Grimsby Town 0

HEREFORD’S promotion party got the extra celebration it wanted with a comfortable win over mid-table Grimsby.

Hereford boss Graham Turner made six changes for the final home game of the season.

Ryan Esson replaced injured Wayne Brown in goal and there were also recalls for Lee Collins, Robbie Threlfall, Steve Guinan, Simon Johnson and Kris Taylor.

The day was assured of a carnival atmosphere after promotion had been achieved the previous week.

And a large crowd packed into Edgar Street to see the players and staff presented with their medals before the kick-off.

The initial exchanges were, as was to be expected with neither side having anything really to play for, very scrappy.

The first serious shot did not arrive until the 20th minute when Johnson raced forward from midfield to drive a 20-yard effort just wide.

But it took a fine save from Esson to prevent Grimsby from taking the lead five minutes later.

The ball rebounded to Danny Boshell and his drive was heading into the bottom corner until the debutant keeper dived to palm the ball behind for a corner.

Hereford had to be content with long-range efforts for a while – Taylor and Toumani Digouraga blasting wide – before taking the lead on 35 minutes.

Guinan’s pass picked out Taylor to find Smith whose first-time shot beat Phil Barnes.

But Hereford almost gifted the Mariners an equaliser two minutes later.

Diagouraga’s back pass went straight to Danny North whose shot from six yards was brilliantly pushed away by Esson.

Hereford pressed forward again immediately and Taylor and Guinan set up a shooting effort for Theo Robinson only for the Bulls top scorer to blaze over.

The teenager only had to wait a couple of minutes to make amends, though, seizing on a Taylor pass to slide a shot past Barnes.

Hereford pushed forward strongly at the start of the second period and forced four corners in a two-minute period.

The best chance from these came when Taylor raced along the bye-line before feeding Dean Beckwith whose close-range shot was deflected behind.

Guinan should have increased the advantage on 59 minutes but his header, unmarked, from a Taylor free-kick went high over from six yards.

On 72 minutes, Barnes produced an excellent save to keep out a drive from Robinson and defender Tom Newey showed his alertness to clear off the line as Taylor tried to head in the rebound.

With Hereford still having much the better of the action, Threlfall saw a 25-yard free-kick flash inches wide of a post.

And only a fine save by Barnes prevented Robinson from wrapping up the win from 15 yards three minutes from the end.

Hereford: Esson; McClenahan (Broadhurst, 79 min), Beckwith (McCombe, 84 min), Collins, Threlfall; Johnson, Smith, Diagouraga, Taylor; Guinan (Benjamin, 64 min), Robinson. Subs not used: Rose, Gwynne.

Grimsby: Barnes; Clarke, Bennett, Atkinson, Newey; Till (Taylor, 57 min), Bolland, Boshell, Hegarty; Jarman (Butler, 46 min), North (Bird, 46 min). Subs not used: Montgomery, Bore.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire).

Attendance: 6,020 (including 220 from Grimsby).

Goals: Smith, 35 min, 1-0; Robinson, 42 min, 2-0.

Yellow cards: Grimsby – Hegarty, foul, 26 min.