HEREFORD  25 - 16  OLD HALESONIANS

Wyeside, Sunday 21 November 2004

Merit Table

The visitors led first with a penalty after seven minutes before the home side hit back five minutes later with a try from lock Rod Edwards which was converted by scrumhalf Colin Osborne. However the visitors struck again halfway through the first period when they scored an unconverted try to take the lead 8 - 7.

With ten minutes of the half remaining Hereford produced the move of the match when fullback Richard Rees attacked from inside his own half and fed flyhalf Andy Tanner who transferred to centre Richard Preece and two passes later prop Rob Walsh was left with a fifteen yard sprint to the line for a touchdown which was again converted by Osborne. This score should have settled the nerves but the visitors never gave up and were rewarded with a penalty on the stroke of halftime which reduced the deficit to three points.

Front rows Mark Osborne and Chris Brown replaced Walsh and hooker Ian Barnfather in the second period and although the scrummage held firm Hereford were unable to clear their lines and fifteen minutes of pressure and a succession of penalties eventually led to another unconverted try for the visitors to take a two point lead.

The home side then brought on two Under 18 second rows when Paul Williams and Tom Denny replaced Edwards and Chris Steel and from this point onwards the opposition began to tire. Excellent work by man of the match Richard Harris set up Tanner with a drop goal with eighteen minutes of the match remaining and another drive from Harris straight from the resulting kick-off allowed Tanner time and space to chip over the defence for wing Tim Berrow to outpace his opposite number for a try in the corner.

The final substitution brought eighteen year old prop George West onto the pitch for his debut when he replaced Greg Ritchie who was also making his first appearance in a Hereford shirt and the combination of youth and fresh legs meant the hosts finished the match camped in their opponents half and it was left to Osborne to complete the scoring when he kicked a penalty from near the touchline.