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SCARBOROUGH (home) 13/09/03 Hereford's unbeaten start to the season continued as they overcame Scarborough at Edgar Street, notching up their fourth consecutive win in the process, and their eighth match without defeat in all. The same eleven that have started every match this season did so again this time, with the only change being on the substitute's bench where Danny Carey-Bertram returned after injury. The two defences dominated in the opening exchanges, with there being few attempts at goal. It was Hereford who carved out the first few meaningful opportunities however, when on fifteen minutes a long ball out of defence from Tony James found Danny Williams on the right wing. He took the ball past full-back Michael Price before putting in a low cross that Rob Purdie only just failed to connect with. Steve Guinan was the next to have a go, when his twelve-yard shot smacked against the crossbar, with the ball only just being cleared in time as Ben Smith shaped to shoot. Scarborough could not create many chances against a Hereford defence that had Tony James, Andy Tretton and Ryan Green all in excellent form. O'Neill Donaldson did well to get a shot away when under pressure from goalkeeper Matt Baker, but his attempt comfortably cleared the bar. After half an hour, United were in front after being awarded a free-kick. Danny Williams had had a couple of attempts from direct free-kicks that had both been comfortably fielded by goalkeeper Leigh Walker. This time however, Michael Rose stepped up to take the kick and, from twenty-five yards out, he bent the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the net for a stunning goal. The Bulls created a few other half-chances, but it was their Yorkshire opponents who came closest to scoring during the rest of the first half, when the ball rebounded to Jimmy Kelly, and his well-struck volley from twenty-five yards only just cleared the bar. The same player had had a tame free-kick easily saved by Baker just minutes after Rose had opened the scoring at the other end. Scarborough started slightly the brighter of the two sides at the start of the second half, but once again they failed to find a way past Hereford's back line, as Matt Baker was not forced into making a serious save. Hereford eventually weathered the storm and created several chances. Guinan missed when he just failed to connect with the ball from a Williams cross, just as Purdie had done in the first half. From another Williams cross, Purdie's close-range header was saved superbly by Walker, and many other chances went begging. Eventually United scored a second goal. Again the goal came a free-kick after a bad foul by their sometimes overly physical opponents, and again Danny Williams played a part. His kick was met by the diving Paul Parry, who headed home his second goal in as many games. Parry had been enjoying another good game in midfield, and deserved his goal. Even now the pressure on Scarborough's defence was relentless, with a Parry shot going narrowly wide and David Brown getting in the way of Ben Smith as he went to shoot. Smith had other chances throughout the match; in the first half he ballooned a shot well over the crossbar, and in the second he had two efforts that flew comfortably wide. Hopefully this is just a temporary blip, as today he did not look like a player who has scored six goals from midfield so far this season. United rued these missed chances, as with minutes to go the Seadogs scored a soft goal and then put the home side under intense pressure for the remainder of the match. There seemed to be no danger as a clearance fell to Michael Price. Nobody closed down the full-back however, and he had plenty of time to put over an excellent cross for Mark Quayle to head home a simple goal. Boro kept the ball for most of the rest of the match, but could not do much with it and the Bulls ran out 2-1 winners. Today's victory was based around another excellent defensive display, with Tretton and James in outstanding form. Ryan Green also excelled Ð he is getting better with every match. In front of those three, Jamie Pitman had a good game, breaking up many attacks and setting his colleagues on their way forward. From the evidence of the opening eight matches, there seems to be little reason why United should not still be at the top at the end of the season. They have been playing some excellent passing football that other sides have not managed to cope with. Today showed that some of the bigger and more physical sides won't have much luck, although the diminutive Rob Purdie struggled to find a way around Matt Redmile in the visitors' defence. Perhaps more physical presence is needed in our own side. Still, I can't really grumble after such an impressive start. Let's hope it continues. Team and ratings: Baker (7), Green (8), Tretton (8), James (9), Rose (7), Williams (8), Smith (6), Pitman (8), Parry (8), Purdie (7) (sub Brown (6)), Guinan (7). Subs not used: Scott, Teesdale, Craven, Carey-Bertram.
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