Football: Yeovil denied record

Yeovil Town. . . . .0

Hereford United. . .0

THE football folk of Somerset turned out in their thousands hoping to see Yeovil Town add to their lengthy list of Football League victims in yesterday's FA Cup second-round tie, but they had to settle for a scoreless stalemate as Third Division Hereford earned a replay at Edgar Street on Wednesday week.

The visitors proved to be made of sterner stuff than Torquay United, who succumbed 5-2 to Yeovil on their own ground in the last round. Hereford denied the home side a record 16th success against League opposition. Many observers had expected Hereford to lose at Sutton United in the last round, but they won at the first attempt; and they also knocked out Woking, the previous term's giant-killers, last season. They have clearly learned how to cope with the demands of facing semi-professional opponents away from home.

It was a scrappy encounter, punctuated by occasional outbursts of crowd disorder behind one goal. The match was halted for a couple of minutes early in the first half as a pair of police horses cantered across the pitch in an attempt to keep order.

There was little of the Cup's traditional romance apparent, on or off the field, despite a ground-record crowd of 8,085 at Huish Park, Yeovil's home for the last three years. Unlike their old sloping pitch in the town centre, Huish Park, although spick and span, is a soulless stadium, sited in the midst of a bleak industrial estate.

These teams were once rivals in the Southern League, and when Hereford last met Yeovil in search of league points, in 1971, their goalkeeper was one David Icke. Alan Judge, yesterday's visiting custodian, showed a few eccentricities of his own (especially when leaving his line to kick clear), but he also displayed his worth with several fine saves, the first in the 11th minute when he dived to push aside a fierce shot from Paul Wilson, Yeovil's youth team coach.

Wilson did not wait long for his next chance; from the ensuing corner his shot was deflected over by Colin Anderson. At the other end, Hereford's first-half attacks usually involved the pace of Chris Fry on the right wing or the guile of Anderson on the other flank.

Hereford enjoyed their best spell in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Tony Cousins and the nimble Owen Pickard both went close in the second period - Pickard with a near-post header from a Fry cross and Cousins with a half-hit shot which nearly deceived Coles.

For Yeovil, Andy Wallace and Mickey Spencer sent shots just wide late in the first half, and Spencer missed the game's best chance in the 66th minute. Mark Hughes, a lively substitute, headed on a left- wing cross from Paul Batty and Spencer belted the ball high over the bar from just five yards.

Yeovil never came close again, but won a replay at Walsall last season so, according to their injured player-manager, Steve Rutter, they will travel to Hereford in hope.

Sanderson (M Hughes, 61), A Wallace, P Wilson, M Spencer (P Nevin, 90), W Dobbins. Player-manager: S Rutter.

Hereford United: A Judge; C Fry (M Nicholson, 72), G Downs, G Davies, A Theodosiou, D Titterton, D Hall, S Brain (S Devine, 90), O Pickard, C Anderson, T Cousins. Player-manager: G Downs.

Referee: R Hamer (Bristol).