HEREFORD  12 - 3  EARLSDON

Wyeside, Saturday 18 December 2004

Powergen Midlands 3 West (South)

Earlsdon attacked from the start with ex-Coventry flanker Rob Calloway the catalyst of many of the away side's moves. Most of the first half was played in the Hereford half but it took 20 minutes for the opening score. Full back Mike Jones missed his first shot at goal, when a Hereford forward was penalised for handling in the ruck. However he got his second attempt over when a similar offence gave him the chance.

From the kick off Hereford dominated for a ten minute spell, Billy Grisman passing out some good ball to the backs, but a knock on or forward pass stopped the flow to Des White on the wing.

After thirty minutes Hereford were awarded a penalty in front of the posts for the Earlsdon backs being offside. Unfortunately, Gary Preece, playing his fiftieth first team game, missed the kick. After this miss Hereford returned to their own 22 and defended right up until half time.

Onto the second half with Earlsdon looking to enhance their slender three point lead. Tim Harvey was called upon constantly to use his boot to clear the Hereford lines, along with some stout defence from Ben Jenkins and Des White. After 15 minutes Hereford won some ball in midfield and subsequent inter-passing between forwards and backs resulted in a try for Gary Preece in the corner. Preece failed with the conversion but Hereford were finally in front, at 5-3.

Again the Hereford defence was tested to the full and Earlsdon camped down on the Hereford line for twenty minutes in an attempt to get over the line. Some tremendous work from all the forwards and in particular skipper Wilf Rees along with Andy Johnson and Luke Clifford, kept the visitors from scoring.

Hereford were really under pressure but the team realised they had to play in the Earlsdon half and score again to make the points safe. With under five minutes to go the game was decided when Hereford set up an attack from their own line with a try that reminded their supporters of the heady days when Hereford were a National league side. Adam Knight started the move when he went round his winger he offloaded and the ball passed through over 8 sets of hands amongst the forwards and backs with Richard Mayson giving the final pass for Billy Grisman to go over virtually between the posts. Preece added the conversion to make the final score 12-3.

Sponsors Travis Perkins presented scrum half Billy Grisman with the Man of the Match award after the game.

Club Chairman Guy Griffiths presents Gary Preece with his First XV tie for having played fifty First XV games.
Gary was 22 years old this week. He started playing in the Under 8's and is a real success story for the junior, youth and now the senior section at Hereford Rugby Football Club. Nine of the current First team have come up from the Junior and Youth Sections. This shows that the hard work and commitment from those coaches involved really does play dividends.
Photo by Ben Hussein, reproduced with kind permission of the Hereford Times, copyright owner.