- HEREFORD FC have secured their second win of their pre-season campaign, beating Hednesford Town 4-1 in their penultimate friendly.
- The Bulls went into the game after a 1-1 draw away at Newcastle Town on Saturday, but a Joey Butlin brace and a goal each for Yan Klukowski and Ryan McLean saw Hereford secure the victory.
- Hereford are next in action when they entertain Bath City at Edgar Street on Saturday. Re-live all the action from Tuesday night's friendly below.
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- Full time score: Hednesford Town 1 - Hereford 4
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- KEY UPDATES
- 23' Joey Butlin opens the scoring, stabbing the ball home after a really neat bit of play from Hereford. There was a sublime cross-field ball from Lloyd in the build up, with the attack opening Hednesford up down the left.
- 30' Joey Butlins nets his second of the evening, chipping the ball over the keeper. He took advantage of a defensive error from Richards to double his side's lead from some 40 yards.
- 41' Klukowski gets onto the end of a good cross into the box, with his glancing header sailing over the keeper and into the back of the net.
- 58' Hednesford pull a goal back as Andrew Brown gets on the end of Davies's free kick from right. Davies's glancing header beats Hall between the sticks for Hereford and the home side pull a goal back.
- 82' An accurate through ball from a trialist, who has impressed during previous pre-season friendlies, was met by Ryan McLean to slot home.
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- ROLLING MATCH REPORT
- Hereford started the match at Hednesford Town strongly, with the hosts appearing cagey in the opening stages of the game.
- Hereford couldn't come close with two corners within the opening five minutes, but Ryan McLean showed his attacking intent with a spirited run down the flank before getting a cross away.
- Moments later he was gifted a chance to put Hereford ahead, but after picking up a loose ball on the edge of area, he couldn't take advantage of the sloppy defending as he fired his left-foot shot wide.
- After appearing the stronger side within the opening 10 minutes, there were three great chances for Hednesford to take the lead, but some desperate defending from the Bulls kept the clean sheet intact.
- With the Bulls searching for the opening, midway through the first half a sublime bit of play from the visitors saw them break the deadlock. A neat ball out to the left from Lloyd in the build up saw the ball crossed into Joey Butlin in the box, stabbing home from close-range with 22 minutes on the clock.
- High-tempo Hereford then capitalised on some sloppy defending from Hednesford, with Richards losing the ball in a dangerous position, and Joey Butlin chipping the ball over the keeper from range.
- The Bulls' domination continued and four minutes before the break they further increased their lead. Klukowski was able to get onto the end of a cross into the box, with his glancing header sailing over the keeper to net Hereford's third of the evening after an entertaining first half.
- Hereford looked to start the second half in a similar vein to how they finished the first, with three great chances for Josh Gowling's side within 60 seconds of the restart. A downward header from Lloyd, which was just wide of the upright, came just second after a last-ditch challenge denied Butlin his hat-trick before he followed up moments later with another effort.
- Despite the spirited performance from Hereford, Hednesford did pull a goal back against the run of play. After winning a free kick on the right-hand side, Andre Brown's glancing header from Davies's delivery beat Brandon Hall between the sticks for Hereford.
- With a handful of half-chances for both sides following, forward McLean was lucky to escape uninjured when he was flattened by the home keeper, far off his line. Substitute Kouhyar was on hand to take the resulting free kick, but it was an easy collection for the stopper.
- Hereford upped the tempo as the game entered its final 10 minutes and were able to net a fourth. A trialist, who had impressed during previous pre-season friendly played a perfectly weighted ball forward to McLean, leaving him to slot past the keeper.
- With a flurry of trialists coming on for Hereford in the latter stages of the game, Jared Hodgkiss's replacement at right-back could've scored a fifth for the Bulls right on the stroke of full-time, but he was unable to find the back of the net.
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- TEAM NEWS
- Hednesford Town: Wycherley, Webb, Lycett, Rowley, Ludford-Ison, Richards (C), Davies, Parker, Brown, Landell, Cater.
- Subs: Pryce, Camwell, Mendez-Jones.
- Hereford: Hall, Hodgkiss, Hancox, Pollock, Forsyth, Haines, Lloyd, Klukowski, Owen-Evans, McLean, Butlin.
- Subs: Raison, Kouhyar, Whittingham, Trialist x4.
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