HEREFORD  20 - 15  STAFFORD

Wyeside, Saturday 6 December 2003, 2:30pm

Powergen Midlands 2 West League

Hereford dominated the whole game until the last 10 minutes when the players took their “foot off the gas” and allowed Stafford to come back into the game. With the likes of Ben Jenkins, Will Mcquaid and Andy Johnson leading from the front there was enough experience to see them through. Lock Phil Jones made a huge contribution after some niggling injuries that unfortunately have confined him to playing a part in only one league fixture before this one.

Hereford started with several changes of position, moving Charlie Langford to full back and Gary Preece to fly half to cover for the injured Colin Osborne.

Hereford attacked consistently from the kick off and a rolling maul created the space for Matthew Pritchard to feed to the backs and then get on the end of the pass to race over in the corner. Jeremy Grisman just missed with the conversion and Hereford had a 5 point lead.

Following a rare Stafford attack Hereford were penalised for not releasing the man in the tackle and David Mottershead kicked the 3 points.

Industrious work form Richard Preece never allowed Stafford to settle but despite winning lots of ball Hereford could not break down the Stafford defence. Towards the end of the first half Stafford were finally penalised for offside at the ruck and Jeremy Grisman kicked the 3 points to give Hereford a small buffer at the break.

At the break Ben Stephens came on for Gary Preece and Jeremy Grisman moved into the fly half spot. This seemed to galvanise the backs and they set up a number of penetrating runs. The second half followed the pattern of the first with Hereford gaining the advantage and it was not long before Ben Jenkins put Will Mcquaid in some space to move forward in. McQuaid found prop Ben Priday, who galloped 20 metres to score Hereford’s second try in the corner. Again Grisman just failed with the kick.

Hereford now had a 13-3 lead and pushed forward looking to settle the game. Good defence from Jimmy Crompton allowed the ever-present Jenkins to find Mcquaid again who slipped the ball to Ben Stephens. He found a gap through the middle and scored under the posts. Grisman converted to take the task beyond Stafford at 20-3 with just less than 10 minutes left.

However Hereford then contrived to commit a series of errors, which let Stafford back into the game. From a fumbled speculative kick from the away 22 down into the Hereford 22 the ball was set up wide for Stafford number 8, Carter, to run in at the corner. 20-8.

Hereford kicked off, relaxed again and Carter broke through to score under the posts. Mottershead kicked the conversion and from a position of dominance for 70 minutes of the game, Hereford was left biting their finger nails for the final minute.

Hereford Chairman Guy Griffiths said, “the players knew they had to win and did not let themselves down. They know the task ahead and after today realise a game lasts for 80 minutes. When you have a team down and out you must step up a gear and complete your dominance, not relax thinking you’ve already won. However I was pleased with the commitment of the players as a whole, especially the senior players who led by example. On at least 3 occasions in the past they have lost the game in that last 10 minutes for lack of concentration, but they had enough points on the board to guarantee the win this time".

In their final game of 2003, Hereford travel to Aston Old Edwardians on 20 December knowing again that they need 2 points to enable them to keep in contact with the middle of the table clubs. Throughout January and February they have 8 games of which they must be looking to win at least 6 of them. With Phil Jones and Chris Fairley now available, new Aussie Flanker Steve Scott, the hopeful return of Des White in the new year, along with the injured Osborne and Sam Walker, Hereford are certainly capable of getting the points they need.