11:09pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Richard Prime
HEREFORD United are slipping into dangerous territory at the foot of the League Two table after a fourth successive home defeat.
Tonight’s reverse was played in front of the Bulls’ lowest crowd in the Football League — a meagre 1,208.
Hereford had an early let-off when Richard Rose’s attempted clearance hit Phil Jevons and gave the Shrimps striker a clear run on goal but keeper Adam Bartlett made an excellent block.
Neat footwork from Marc Pugh saw the Bulls leading scorer get in their first shot which keeper Barry Roche blocked with a foot.
But Hereford continued to come under pressure and it was no surprise when the visitors took the lead on 24 minutes.
Simon Hackney delivered a deep cross to the back post and Jim Bentley raced in to head home.
United should have equalised two minutes later when an unmarked Ryan Valentine met a Kenny Lunt free-kick but completely miscued his header from 10 yards out.
A blunder by Valentine at the other end gave Mark Duffy a clear run on goal only for Bartlett to turn the ball on to the post with Jevons firing the rebound wide.
The Bulls did test Roche again on 38 minutes when he blocked Leon Constantine’s shot.
Even after Mathieu Manset replaced the injured Gavin McCallum on 43 minutes, Morecambe looked the better side.
Hereford started to show more purpose in the second period and Roche did well to save a low shot from Pugh.
Manset and Constantine arrowed efforts wide but it took Hereford 75 minutes to even force a corner.
They could not capitalise and although Constantine had the ball in the back of the net 10 minutes later he was ruled to have fouled Will Haining as he ran through.
Hereford: Bartlett; Green, Rose, Jones, Valentine; Pugh, Lunt, McQuilkin, Sonko (Done 46); McCallum (Manset 43), Constantine. Subs not used: Adamson, Preston, Downing, Gwynne, King.
Attendance: 1,208.
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