HEREFORD manager Josh Gowling said that the execution of the final ball into the box cost his side as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of rival Kidderminster Harriers.

Jack Bearne’s first half strike separated the sides while Hereford struggled to muster a response in front of a bumper crowd of 3,221 fans.

Coventry City loanee Marco Rus alongside Jack Holmes provided Hereford’s biggest threat but struggled to test Harriers’ goalkeeper Tom Palmer. 

“We work on things, you look at the areas we got into in the first half especially and that final key pass we fell short on today, said Bulls’ manager Gowling.

“We did get ourselves in good areas Jack (Holmes) did and Ryan (McLean) did at times, Kane (Thompson-Sommers) had one of those games today where he hooked the ball on rather than playing.

“When you’ve got ball players in there you want them to get onto the ball and play. I don’t think we did that enough. The final ball, the final delivery, the execution of that cost us the game.

Gowling blasted Harriers’ for their game management tactics and felt that before their winning goal his side deserved a free-kick.

“When they scored it was a case of time-wasting pretty much for the whole game,” he added.

“I thought the foul that he (the referee) gave an advantage for was our foul and we’ve ended up conceding from it.

“I just felt that the times we played and put passes together, they looked like they struggled against us but that was few and far between, that’s probably the disappointing side of things in possession.

“They (Kidderminster) work hard and press so you’ve got to have a bit of calm and composure in possession when you’re up against that,

“I don’t think we did that enough. I don’t think we recycled the ball, we went into areas at times and didn’t come out to recycle the ball enough. That side of the game along with the final delivery has cost us.”

Gowling was criticised for some fans for not having a ‘Plan B’ to combat the defensive strategy of their visitors once going behind.

The Bulls boss said his side did go more direct for struggled to breakdown a ‘solid’ Harriers side.

“Our full-backs did get forward enough Jack (Evans) got forward on Thierry (Latty-Fairweather’s) side, I think Latty has done his hamstring again,” added Gowling.

“I don’t think we got forward enough on that side of the game. We shifted the formation and went a bit more direct in the second half when we were chasing the game. We do have a Plan B that’s for sure.

“At the end of the day they (Kidderminster) sat in, they were solid, they took their time from re-starts, slowed the game down and slowed the momentum down.”