Just back from Hereford

Hello guys, just back from a long frustrating day.

Didn't make it much better that the coach driver decided to get us lost in a few country lanes on the way there, only actually arriving at 2:10 when we were suppose to arrive 45 minutes earlier.

We started the game well and we kept the ball, though the first chance fell to them, but a looping header sailed over the bar. Our first chance came through Feeney, his pressure on the keeper almost forced a goal but the hereford defence managed to clear it. There was very little action up until our goal, and when it came, more good pressure from Feeney forced their defender into looping the ball over his keeper to send the 3 sections of argyle supporters wild. Chadwick had a superb chance to make it 2 0, he turned in the box, found himself one on one from 10 yards and somehow managed to place his shot wide. A short while later, and Feeney went down in the box, penalty given, but Walton smashed his spot kick against the post and argyle went in at half time with little confidence after not putting their chances away.

The second half was poor, very poor, two sides just loosing possesion on every touch. Fletcher coming on helped us but it wasn't enough, Young was terrible, but he should have replaced Walton who was again, woeful. Their goal was a case of poor defending from Purse, Blanchard and Berry, all 3 players had chances to challenge the forward but they didn't seem to want to as he danced into the box and scored.

Hereford, the town looks a dump, the ground is the worst in league 2 in my opinion, its not nice at all and creating an atmosphere is hard though the argyle fans enjoyed jumping up and down and shaking the temporary seating while about 15 green army were ejected from the home ends. Overall, 1200+ argyle fans was a fantastic turnout.

Cole - 7 (had little to do but he seemed to catch everything)
Berry 7 (Poor first half but he was trying to do something in the second)
Purse - 6.5 (Not one of his best)
Blanchard - 6.5 (Didn't do much wrong, didn't have much to do mind)
Williams - 7 (Fine overall, nothing stunning
Macdonald - 8 (Always looked dangerous but given no support at all)
Wotton - 5 (Not brilliant, poor distribution)
Walton - 2 (why is he in the team? and why is he captain?)
Hemmings - 5 (Poor game, always looked to go backwards)
Chadwick - 6 (not up to it at the moment, and missed an easy chance)
Feeney - 9 (Brilliant, loved to run at their defence and caused all sorts of problems)

Young - 4 (Poor, everything he touched went out of play)
Fletcher - 8 (V good both in defence and in attack)

So, Feeney was brilliant, Walton was terrible is the players brief synopsis, nothing that stand out today apart from Warren.

Its a point gained on macclesfield I suppose, but should have been 3 at HT

We pulverised the mighty Hereford 1-1 at their ground Cobi. Show some enthusiasm ffs. Did you not have time for a pint even before the game? That's 0 out of 10

Rubbish !!!!!!!!

We should have been 3 up at the break & were then clinging on at the end.

AFC Phoney have the worst ground in the division at least you can see the game at Edgar street.Easily room for 500 on more on that terrace, stewards checking tickets for the
terrace but not the grandstand

Why on earth did feeney walk across the area before walton took the pen ? think it put him off as walton seemed to want to take it in a hurry.

Chadwick milking applause when subbed........... you missed an open goal mate !!!!! get off.

We cant afford mistakes the like of which were made today.

Its nowhere near over by a long way.........................

sorry cobes but not the best of report's

monti wrote:

sorry cobes but not the best of report's

Well I think its a good effort, well done Cobi

pepsipete wrote:

monti wrote:

sorry cobes but not the best of report's

Well I think its a good effort, well done Cobi

It's not factual though and the reports on the players are incorrect

monti wrote:

pepsipete wrote:

monti wrote:

sorry cobes but not the best of report's

Well I think its a good effort, well done Cobi

It's not factual though and the reports on the players are incorrect

Matter of opinion.

Thanks Cobi, an informative report of a crap game by the sound of it.
Listening to Sparky knowing that the game is always worse than he is describing is frustrating.
Its bad enough having all the Avivas on Boss Hogg's site without having to listen to one on the radio

Ffarquhar wrote:

Thanks Cobi, an informative report of a crap game by the sound of it.
Listening to Sparky knowing that the game is always worse than he is describing is frustrating.
Its bad enough having all the Avivas on Boss Hogg's site without having to listen to one on the radio

Sparksy always does well to make games sound like premier league standard

Hereford is a very run down little town with loads of empty or derelict shops in the town centre. Very friendly locals and every body I spoke to was really incredibly pleasant.

I hit three pubs. The Barrels, which was fine and very cheap (£2.20/pint) and The Herdsmans which was really very grotty but right next to the ground and The Commercial while we waited for our train. Loads of doormen outside the pubs up there. Apparently the police had put everybody on red alert but I didn't see any unpleasantness or need for that at all.

That was the emptiest sold out terrace I have ever seen. There was acres of space and literally hundreds more could have fitted in there. They would never have been able to see very much, get to the toilet or the burger hut but they could easily have got in there. Very strange. Terrible atmosphere in the ground given the importance of the game. The seats behind the goal seemed to be far livelier than where I was was. Apparently they were disintegrating as the game went on and the stewards were worried they were about to collapse.

We should have had the game won in the first half. Walton's penalty was really close but worse was Chadwick's miss. He had shrugged off the last defender and the goalie had committed himself and had gone down early. All he had to do was hit the target and slot it but he missed. 3-0 at halftime would have been fair but it wasn't to be.

The own goal was comical. No need for it to be scored at all but Feeney made the defender panic and we got our reward. I'm not even sure that the penalty was deserved. It all got very scrambly and Feeney went down. The ref gave it immediately but then there was a delay whilst the ref spoke to Feeney and then Walton missed. According to their fans we should definitely have a second penalty for handball in the second half but I didn't spot it and neither did any of our fans that I spoke to.

Their goal was well worked from a soft free kick. No blame to anybody that I could see. I don't remember much goal mouth action or either goalkeeper stopping anything. Lots of battle in the midfield with us getting the best of it in the first half and them in the second. A draw was the right result in the end.

None of our players did terribly badly but Hemmings hardly figured at all and his confidence seems to be shot to pieces. Chadwick was disappointing. Everybody else did OK and battled really hard. I thought Walton huffed and puffed with commendable enthusiasm. Fletcher won loads of headers when he came on. Feeney was all action and bustle and held the ball up well but never actually looked like scoring a goal. He would be my man of the match.

We badly need somebody who can show some footballing intelligence, dictate play, find a pass and keep the ball. The game seems to be a succession of 50/50 outcomes for us and when we have the ball we ought to be making it sway more in our favour than that.

The train service was awful. All the way back from Hereford, 4 hours altogether and 3 different trains, and not a buffet service in sight. No idea where the return train started but apparently the buffet service terminated at Birmingham. It was also very, very over-heated.

So there it was. The pub before was great, the people friendly, the match OK, the result disappointing, the weather good, the trains awful. A typical Argyle awayday.

But we edge a fraction closer to safety as a result. If we go down we'll look back at that first half and see 2 points begging for us to bag them.