Lads Club youngsters deserve more plaudits for win

Moon’s side fought their way back from two goals down to win 3-2 in the Herefordshire County Challenge Cup quarter-final with Tom Bendall scoring a brace and Oliver Price the other.

The Bulls side consisted of the under-18s along with dual registration youngsters Liam Bishop and Connor Davies-Austin and first team squad players Kieran Thomas, Ben Pollock, Rhys Davies, Bradley Ash and Kyle Finn.

Moon said his side was also full of youngsters and deserve more plaudits for the victory.

“I think I heard somebody say about what Hereford had out, well I’ve got six under-18s in my team as well,” said Moon.

“Everybody seems to forget that. If you take Mark Hibbard and Steve Bell out of it the team matches up for age.

“I don’t think we got enough respect for that today and I think we should do. It’s okay people saying Hereford were only playing their youth team, well there are five lads who want to be in the first team.”

Brad Ash put the young Bulls ahead after five minutes before Kyle Finn drilled home a second within the opening seven minutes.

“I was disappointed with the two goals which were poor goals on our part and something that we seem to be doing a lot,” added Moon.

“We seem to want to grind and get back into games, people have seen us now five games in a row grind back.

“I thought once we got back into it there was only one winner really. I thought we played well and I thought we had more chances.

“Hereford had theirs as well. Probably not as many as ours and I thought we deserved to win to be honest.

“I think once we adapted to what we were playing against with four or five first team players in the team. If you keep them on their weak foot, there is no quality on the other foot.

“I think the two good finishes that they had, giving somebody half a chance and they have buried both chances to be fair.

“That’s a little bit of a difference I guess why they’re playing there.

“But by the end of the game I thought we probably had two players who were at least first team standard compared to what they were playing against.”

Lads Club turned the tie on its head with Adam Hockey assisting two of their goals and creating a host of chances.

Moon says he is ‘mystified’ why Hockey isn’t given an opportunity to play for Hereford FC.

 “I think to be fair when Adam Hockey decides he wants to play, he’s good enough to play for Hereford FC,” said Moon

“How he doesn’t get an opportunity probably mystifies me the most, I’m outspoken and I will say it, that lad is better than what they’ve got and people who watched today will see that.

“Kieran Thomas is a good player and (Ben) Pollock and he’s run them riot to be fair. The three balls that he’s played across the six-yard box today we should be scoring from.

“I think the problem we’ve got with Adam Hockey is that when he turns up he’s very good but it’s when he turns up and when he wants to play.

“The ability has always been there, it’s whether he gets his head switched on consistently.”

A crowd of 266 watched the quarter-final tie at the County Ground and Moon says that the income will help Lads Club massively.

“I don’t mind who we get in the next round,” added Moon.

“Today for a club like Lads Club to get a crowd of 266 has made us run for another season probably today and that’s what people don’t realise.”