Awful Latics bulldozed out of the way
Reporter: by TONY BUGBY at Edgar Street
Date published: 19 January 2009
Hereford 5, Athletic 0
AS the inquest into Athletic’s humiliation at Hereford continues, let’s just hope it was a freak result.
There was no logical explanation why John Sheridan’s side, striving to win promotion, should lose so comprehensively to opponents battling to stay in Coca-Cola League One.
It was Athletic’s heaviest league defeat since Cardiff City won 7-1 at Boundary Park in March 2002.
Athletic were that bad they were lucky to escape with a 5-0 drubbing .
The Bulls were superior in every facet of play. They were quicker to the ball, sharper in the tackle and lethal in front of goal.
This was the side which had scored only 17 league goals in 23 league games before Saturday, the lowest in the division.
Manager Graham Turner had been moaning about his team’s lack of a cutting edge in the build up to the match — but he had little to grumble about at the end of the 90 minutes.
Top scorer Steve Guinan took only 41 minutes to increase his total for the season by 50-per-cent. He scored a first-half hat-trick to make it nine goals this term.
Sheridan must have found Athletic’s display hard to comprehend. He sent out exactly the same side which beat Hartlepool five days earlier to climb to third place and extend their unbeaten run in the league to 10 matches.
Athletic’s confidence should have been sky high and they ought to have had a swagger about their game. Instead, they were left chasing shadows.
What Saturday proved beyond question is that there are no easy games in League One. A neutral observer would have thought Hereford were challenging for promotion and Athletic striving to avoid relegation.
But there is little point dwelling too heavily on the defeat. How the Athletic players respond to Saturday’s debacle could shape the remainder of their campaign.
Athletic certainly cannot afford many more off days like the one at Edgar Street if they are to maintain a push for promotion.
The afternoon started to go horribly wrong from as early as the third minute.
A long throw from Matthew Done — Hereford’s version of Rory Delap — caused mayhem in the Athletic defence and Guinan beat ’keeper Greg Fleming to the ball with a near-post header.
Athletic should have been on level terms moments later when Deane Smalley made a raid down the right and cut the ball back for Dean Windass, whose shot struck an upright.
It was the third time in two matches since he joined Athletic that Windass has been denied by the woodwork.
Hereford doubled their advantage in the ninth minute. Lionel Ainsworth, who is on loan from Watford, evaded Kelvin Lomax and fired a cross low in front of the face of goal for Guinan to force home at the far post.
It was effectively over as a contest midway through the opening half when Ainsworth started a move and then finished it after Guinan’s header came back off the woodwork.
Guinan completed his treble four minutes before the break with a delightful near-post flick across the face of goal from another Ainsworth cross.
The half-time whistle could not have come soon enough as Hereford carved out 12 clear-cut chances.
And, while the hosts left the field to a standing ovation, Athletic’s 703-strong following chanted their anger to the players they came to support.
Sheridan’s response was to bring on Mark Allott and Craig Davies for Kevin Maher and Danny Whitaker at the restart.
Davies played wide right, Smalley switched from the right to left flank and Chris Taylor moved inside to the centre of midfield.
Athletic’s defence was carved open for a fifth time half-way through the second period when Ainsworth was put through on goal and slotted the ball low past Fleming.
It would have been a heavier defeat had Andy Williams’ finishing matched his approach play. He wasted three chances in the final quarter of the game to add to three further misses in the opening period.
Athletic’s frustration saw Neal Eardley booked in the last minute for scything down Ainsworth. Referee Grant Hegley produced a yellow card when it could well have been a red.
The frustration of the fans was evident at the final whistle. Some of the players went over to acknowledge the travelling support and were greeted with abusive gestures.
My lowest point, says Sheridan
JOHN Sheridan’s thoughts were with the 703 Athletic fans who made the trip to Hereford.
Speaking after the 5-0 defeat, the Athletic manager also vowed there would be no repeat of their dire display as long as he remained in charge at Boundary Park.
Sheridan said: “I would like to apologise to the fans because we were both shocking and embarrassing.
“It is the lowest point in my short time as a manager.
“The fans are entitled to moan and groan because our performance was absolutely abysmal. There is no other word to describe it.
“Hereford played very well. They made it very hard for us and they deserved everything they got.
“We weren’t at the races and I think some of our players turned up thinking it would be easy, but Hereford are fighting for their lives.
“We didn’t turn up, yet before the game all my players were talking about this being a battle. Some of them didn’t even come out for the battle. They ran away.
“They were bullied, battered and didn’t deserve anything from the game.
“I’ll never stand for a performance like that, especially in the first half. The goals we conceded were a joke. We gave them the first two which killed us.
“It is my biggest defeat as a manager and I hope it is hurting the players as much as it is hurting me.
“Believe me, it won’t happen again. There is no way will I stand for a team of mine to play like that. We will work hard to put it right.
“I hope this is a one off and a learning curve for the players. We want to rectify it by winning the next game which is against Stockport on Saturday.”
Hereford manager Graham Turner was delighted by his side’s display as the Bulls eased the relegation worries from Coca-Cola League One.
Turner, whose side had not played for three weeks, said: “We got breaks early on and you could see the confidence surge through the side.
“We were full of running, had bright ideas and produced some good play. It is amazing what a goal can do for the confidence and, collectively, we looked a decent side.”
Hereford’s win avenged the 4-0 defeat at Boundary Park three months earlier, which Turner described as one of his most “embarrassing” moments in football.
