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BARNET (home) 30/11/02 Steve Guinan's hat-trick helped Hereford to secure their first league win for six weeks against Barnet at Edgar Street. Ben Smith scored his first goal for the club on his first start as Hereford secured their biggest win of the season.Hereford stuck with the 4-4-2 formation that had worked so well against Wigan, with John Grant returning to the side after a long injury lay-off. Ben Smith came in to replace the injured Danny Williams. The Bulls started brightly and went ahead after just four minutes. Michael Rose's long ball forward released Paul Parry, whose cross was met at the near post by the head of Steve Guinan, who nodded the ball past Bees' keeper Danny Naisbett. Hereford continued to look threatening, with Matt Clarke and Paul Parry in particular getting forward and causing the Barnet defence no end of problems. Barnet possess the Conference's leading goalscorer in 13-goal Junior Agogo, but he was made to look very ordinary. After a rare defensive lapse, he found himself in on goal but as he shaped to shoot he slipped and fell over, and the danger was averted. Barnet thought they had won a penalty shortly afterwards when Yakuba was felled by the high foot of Andy Tretton, but the referee allowed play to continue.Minutes later it was 2-0. Mick Galloway won the ball in midfield, and again released Parry on the left. He cut inside and fired in a low cross which eluded two Hereford attackers, but Ben Smith was on hand to fire home from the corner of the box. A similar move not long after resulted in a dangerous shot being deflected behind for a corner. The Bulls were posing a big threat at set pieces, and after half an hour they won a corner. The impressive Galloway took it, and Guinan won the ball and looped his header into the back of the Barnet net. Barnet continued to look dangerous in attack, but Agogo was having an off-day and so the chances were not taken. After a shot was blocked, Mark Gower put in a woeful effort that was so far wide it ended up near the corner flag, which just about summed up Barnet's day.In any case, the majority of the Barnet attacks were swept up before any danger amounted, with Tony James having yet another superb game in defence. Barnet made two substitutions at half time, with Lee Flynn and Wayne Purser being brought on. Within a minute of his arrival, Flynn had received a yellow card following a bad foul on Jamie Pitman. Frazer Toms was also booked for dissent, as the Barnet players startedto get frustrated. After 65 minutes, the Whites scored a fourth. Galloway again won the ball in a midfield challenge, before passing to Michael Rose. His forward ball was chested down by Grant into the path of Parry. Once again he cut inside and delivered a perfect cross for Guinan to net his third goal of the match. Not since New Year's Day 1998 has a United player scored three times, with Richard Leadbeater being the last player to achieve this in the 4-1 win over Kidderminster. Parry was a constant threat throughout the game, and nearly added a fifth himself. He again skinned his opponent and cut inside, but this time elected to shoot. His shot beat Naisbett but not the defender on the line. Barnet had chances of their own to score, not least when a low cross failed to be converted despite two attackers being stood not three yards from the goal-line. The one time Matt Baker was called into serious action, he came out well and made a very good save at the feet of Agogo. Hereford might still have had another, with Michael Rose having a couple of ambitious shots from long range. One fifty-yarder was well saved by Naisbett, the other flashed narrowly wide with the goalkeeper just standing there. A long cross into the box by Rose was just missed by the outstretched foot of Guinan, who could have added to his personal goal tally. The game ended with Hereford putting together something in the region of fifteen consecutive passes, before Matt Clarke fired wastefully wide.Hereford played some great football today, but showed the same sort of commitment they have for the whole season. After weeks of frustration, United finally had everything go their way for once. Parry and Clarke constantly worried the Barnet defence; Galloway won every tackle in midfield; James mopped up everything at the back; and of course Guinan scored three goals and will hopefully gain the confidence to score a few more. A superb performance that has been a long time coming. More of the same please lads! The only low point of the match was that many of the 4005 people who witnessed the FA Cup clash with Wigan chose to stay away, resulting in an attendance of just 1471. Hereford: Baker, Clarke, Rose, Tretton, James, Pitman, Smith, Galloway, Parry, Grant (sub Purdie), Guinan. Subs not used: Sawyer, Griffiths, Wright, Teesdale. |
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