With the news that Sutton United will be Hereford United's opponents in the next round of the FA Trophy, BN looks back to the last game between the two clubs which took place on May 6th 2000 at Edgar Street.
Already
relegated Sutton United visited Edgar Street in the hope to
salvage one last good memory of Conference football bofore their
return to the Ryman League. However, any hopes of victory were
snatched away from them by Hereford United, and the headlines
grabbed by Steve Piearce. The player started his first match
since September, and his season has been wrecked with injury.
This was a great finale to a promising season, and next season
will promise much more for both Piearce and Hereford United as a
whole.
Paul
Sturgess and Paul Parry didn't feature in the squad, and Paul
Fewings was also absent. Chris Lane returned at right-back, Matt
Clarke playing centre-back with Ian Rodgerson moving to right
midfield. Gavin Williams moved to left midfield as Steve Piearce
partnered former Halesowen Town team-mate Robin Elmes upfront.
Hereford
were by far the better side throughout, and in the first half
they attempted to stamp their authority on the game. Hereford
started brightly and in just the sixth minute an an Rodgerson
cross was headed by Piearce onto the crossbar. Sutton were not
about to waste their final Conference game for a while, as
midfielder Ed Hutchinson missed by miles when one-on-one with
Scott Cooksey, who didn't have much work to do for most of the
afternoon.
It
took thirty minutes for Piearce to open the scoring as he got
onto the end of a Taylor pass, ran all of thirty-five yards and
then slotted it past unlucky Sutton United goalkeeper Gareth
Howells from an acute angle. The Sutton players appealed for
offside but this was waived away by the referee, Mr M North from
Poole.
Eighteen
minutes into the second half, Sutton United equalised through
Keith Rowlands, the former Farnborough player who came on at half-time,
as he slipped the ball past Cooksey.
The
second goal eventually came on seventy-two minutes through John
Snape. The part-time midfielder sent a superb blasting drive from
twenty yards past Howells, who dived but couldn't get a touch.
Hereford's
third and Piearce's second of the afternoon came with just
thirteen minutes left as his shot went into the far corner.
Howells saved the first Piearce shot but only pushed it back to
him, and the striker capitalised. Taylor rounded up a superb day
with a close range effort in injury time, beating Howell's yet
again! The two assistant referee's, Ms J Frampton and Ms A Raynor,
didn't seem up with the play at times but the refereeing by Mr
North was quite good.
This
was a good result for the Bulls, even though it had no impact on
either sides season. Mid-table mediocrity for Hereford, but I
have a feeling that next season big things could happen. Graham
Turner holds the key to several player's futures at Hereford
United, but Fewings must be retained. I think Turner also regrets
signing Leroy May on a two-year contract, so his future could be
in doubt.
Ian
Wright and Robin Elmes battle for the ball after a first half
free kick.
Attendance
= 1,432
Man
of the match - Steve Piearce
Hereford
- Cooksey, Lane, James, Clarke, Wright, Taylor, Rodgerson, Snape,
Elmes, Piearce, Williams
Sub(s)
who came on - none
.