Guinan gets hat-trick
Hereford United remembered how to score goals as they defeated Barnet 4-0 this afternoon. Steve Guinan got a hat-trick with Ben Smith getting the other.
Four goals get United going
Hereford
United 4 - 0 Barnet
It's been a long time coming, but
Hereford United gained their first league win in seven
and they did it in style.
Barnet were the visitors at Edgar Street, and were duly
overturned by a five-star United performance which
included a hatrick from attacker Steve Guinan.
Manager Graham Turner made a bold move before the game.
reverting to a 4-4-2 formation and dropping captain Ian
Wright in the process. Danny Williams missed out with a
knee injury, allowing Ben Smith to make his first start
in United colours and John Grant to push into attack,
leaving Paul Parry free on the left wing.
Barnet, managed by former Tottenham Hotspur Peter
Shreeves, were two places above Hereford in the league
but tonight lie below Hereford on goal difference.
It took just four minutes for Hereford to break the
deadlock as Paul Parry fired a cross in front of defender
Craig Pope over from the left for Guinan to head home at
the near post.
The away side had few efforts, as Greg Heald headed over
a corner from Mark Gower, and Ben Strevens also missed
the target on another occasion. Paul Parry, at the other
end on twenty four minutes, knocked over another cross
from the left for Ben Smith to smash home from twelve
yards to double the Hereford advantage.
Seven minutes later, it was 3-0. A John Grant shot was
deflected over, and from the corner, taken by Mick
Galloway, was headed down on the far post six yards out
by Guinan.
After the break, Barnet made three changes in quick
succession to stimulate some life into their team, but to
no avail. Junior Agogo tested United stopper Matt Baker
with a couple of chances by Hereford were brimming with
confidence. It came as no surprise when Guinan headed
home another Parry cross for the fourth on sixty four
minutes, in what was a near replica of the first goal.
From then on, United continued to pressurise. Parry
tested goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt, Michael Rose tried his
luck from long range and, in the last minute, Ben
Strevens' shot for a Barnet goal was stopped easily by
Baker.
The change to 4-4-2 appeared to work well for United, as
Parry was free to run the left flank and create three of
Hereford's four goals. Everyone played well, to the
extent that Barnet boss Shreeves labelled Tony James as
the best defender in the Conference. Guinan's hatrick
makes him top scorer this season with six goals, which
really outlines Hereford's scoring difficultues.
There was no problem this afternoon though, as a first
class performance swept aside Barnet.
Written by Terry Goodwin - 30th November
2002.
Hereford United |
Barnet |
Matt Baker |
Danny Naisbitt |
Matt Clarke |
Craig Pope (off,
half time) |
Michael Rose |
Michael Price |
Andrew Tretton |
Lee Pluck |
Tony James (captain) |
Greg Heald (captain) |
Ben Smith |
Mark Gower |
Jamie Pitman |
Ismail Yakubu |
Mick Galloway |
John Doolan (off,
half time) |
Steve Guinan |
Frazer Toms (off, 54
minutes) |
John Grant (off, 72
minutes) |
Ben Strevens |
Paul Parry |
Junior Agogo |
Subs |
Subs |
Rob Sawyers |
Lee Harrison |
Ken Griffiths |
Wayne Purser (on,
half time) |
Rob Purdie (on, 72
minutes) |
Lee Flynn (on, half
time) |
Richard Teesdale |
Jason Soloman |
Ian Wright |
Neil Midgley (on, 54
minutes) |
Yellow cards |
Yellow cards |
|
Lee Flynn (foul, 46 minutes) |
- |
Frazer Toms (dissent,
53 minutes) |
|
Lee Pluck (foul, 85 minutes) |
Red cards |
Red cards |
- |
- |
Scorers |
Scorers |
Steve Guinan (4, 31,
64 minutes) |
- |
Ben Smith (24 minutes) |
|
|
|
Man of the
Match |
Paul Parry |
Attendance |
1471 |
Referee |
Mr. S. Brand (Wirral) |