BURY (home) 16/09/06

Andy Williams snatched a late winner in a drab encounter with Bury that seemed destined to finish goalless.

It says much about the quality of Hereford’s own performance that it took until ten minutes from the end to break down opposition as lacklustre as the visiting Lancastrians, who barely registered a shot at goal. A scrappy game that never had any real rhythm to it took a long time to settle, and it took fifteen minutes for a semblance of a chance to be carved out. The Bulls successfully defended a Bury corner, with Richard Rose – one of six changes to the side – bringing the ball clear at pace before his attempted through ball deflected off a defender, requiring Shakers goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to charge from his goal and clear the ball from the onrushing Tim Sills.

With Wayne Brown making a welcome return in goal, the home defence looked more than able to cope with the few attempts Bury could muster. Brown was swiftly out to make a good save at the feet of Tom Youngs, and did well to turn over a misplaced cross from Richard Baker. Other than that, the Bulls custodian was woefully underemployed.

His opposite number Schmeichel was similarly under worked in the Bury goal. Stuart Fleetwood hit the bar but had already been ruled offside, and Williams’ header across goal from a corner was comfortably claimed by Schmeichel.

The on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper acrobatically kept out a header from Tim Sills – from one of the few decent crosses that were aimed at the striker’s head – and Fleetwood should have done much better than to head the ball wide from close range following Williams’ superlative cross. The Welsh under-21 international fluffed a couple of other chances, and Schmeichel easily dealt with a shot from distance by Williams.

Hereford at least attempted to pass the ball around and retained possession fairly easily, and it was from an aesthetically pleasing move that the deadlock was finally broken. Simon Travis was released down the left flank, and he beat Mark Scott for pace before sending in a cross for the well-positioned Williams to smack into the top corner.

It was enough for all three points. Bury are second from bottom and on this evidence it is easy to see why: they simply posed no goal threat. Their reaction to going a goal down was to bring on Daryl Taylor, a man who Hereford fans will have less-than-fond memories of. That said, United never looked like conceding a goal. The presence of Brown between the posts gave new confidence to a back line in which Tamika Mkandawire and particularly Dean Beckwith were outstanding.

Team: Brown, McClenahan, Beckwith, Mkandawire, Giles, Travis, Purdie (sub Sheldon), Williams, Rose, Sills (sub Connell), Fleetwood. Subs not used: Thompson, Gwynne, Jeannin.

Star man: Dean Beckwith