Bishop’s Stortford 0-1 Hereford Match Report

Bishop’s Stortford 0-1 Hereford Match Report 16/12/23

Vanarama National League North

Hamish Arnold

Hereford completed a league double over Bishop’s Stortford with a 0-1 victory at the RDA Stadium on Saturday in the Vanarama National League North. Like the reverse fixture in September, Yusifu Ceesay scored the only goal, coming in the first half, in a closely fought encounter. The Bulls move up to fourth while Stortford stay at the foot of the table.

A cross from a deep position on the left hand side Jason Cowley’s glancing header went narrowly off target. Lassan Mendes’ right wing cross won a corner as Cowley headed against Harry Beadle who blocked the ball. Ollie Southern glanced his header wide from the resulting corner. Darren Foxley’s chipped pass was controlled by Osman Sow who fired goalwards on the half-volley, but it was blocked for a corner, which was punched clear by Curtis Pond, before new signing Emmanuel Oke was offside from Tosin Olufemi’s cross. Foxley’s cross was blocked, it was cleared as far as Gio McGregor who won a corner with a deflected shot. McGregor’s left wing corners were a threat as the inswingers towards the near post could not be cleared by the visitors, until Pond was fortunate to see his wayward punch hit the woodwork and rebound into Ceesay’s path who dribbled clear. Sow’s backheel found Foxley in space in the left side of the box, but his low cross couldn’t find a team-mate in the six yard box and went behind for a goal kick. Alex Babos’ low cross from the right was side-footed into the net by Ceesay in the middle of the box to take the lead on the half hour mark, and it was only in first half injury time that Stortford threatened an equaliser, as Kane Crichlow’s shot was deflected narrowly wide through a crowd of Hereford players.

HT 0-1

Pond got down well to save a low shot from Crichlow, before Oke fired over the bar from Crichlow’s lay-off to the edge of the box. Mbunya Alemanji crossed the ball to Sow in the middle, but a heavy touch allowed the defender to tackle and clear the danger. Lassana Mendes fired off target from 25 yards, and McGregor dribbled into the box at the other end but fired over the bar. McGregor’s lofted pass to Alemanji was controlled back to Pond by a defender, with the striker claiming the ball had been handled, but referee George Warren called play on. Olufemi recovered to block Ceesay’s shot from the left side of the box which Giddens saved. In the dying minutes, Beadle’s long throw was flicked goalwards by Sam Robbins, but McGregor couldn’t apply the finishing touch and Pond saved.

FT 0-1

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Jack Giddens (c)

4 Jack Thomas (Walker 75’)

5 Sam Robbins

6 Harry Beadle (Yellow card 17’)

7 Gio McGregor

8 Kane Crichlow (Greene 70’)

9 Mbunya Alemanji

10 Darren Foxley (Alexander 79’)

11 Tosin Olufemi

12 Emmanuel Oke

14 Osman Sow

Subs

2 Mark Haines

3 Morgan Mahoney

16 Zain Walker

17 Aaron Greene

20 Fraser Alexander

Hereford XI

1 Curtis Pond

2 Aaron Skinner (Yellow card 73’)

4 Aurio Teixeira

6 Paul Downing

7 Yusifu Ceesay (Goal 31’)

8 Alex Babos (Howkins 90+5’)

9 Jason Cowley (Freemantle 90+1’)

15 Tom Pugh

20 Lassana Mendes

21 Ollie Southern

27 Nathan Cameron (c)

Subs

3 Adam Livingstone

16 Jack Tolley

22 Adam Rooney

23 Ethan Freemantle

28 Kyle Howkins

Attendance 520