A TENTH goal of the season for Michael Collins served up a first away win of his managerial career for Town boss Lee Clark.
The midfielder’s composed finish on 72 minutes handed Town a deserved three points to end a seven-match run without a victory – one in which the Terriers have watched their play-off hopes evaporate.
The positives from Edgar Street were numerous, the only negative being this question – where were these kind of performances over the past month and a half?
And Clark prospered because of his bravery in selection for the clash with struggling Hereford.
Nathan Clarke returned in defence in the place of Chris Lucketti, and plainly took being given the captain’s armband to heart as he produced a true leader’s performance.
And the impressive Anthony Pilkington was pressed into service up front and, aside from not managing to score, did everything but as he and Danny Cadamarteri linked to stunning effect on a number of occasions.
But this was not a Town display about individuals, but more about a team ethic finally beginning to sit in place.
From front to back the side worked for one another, they retained their shape through personnel changes and the whole 90 minutes (which has obviously been a recent failing) and they looked hungry to take the game to their opponents.
While the team in front of them may be looking certainties for relegation, the efforts of midfielder Toumani Diagouraga, winger Jennison Myrie-Williams and striker Febian Brandy, on loan from Manchester United, ensured Town had to be on their mettle and earn the right to control the game.
Hereford certainly let Town’s defensive line know they were not going to have an easy ride and early efforts from Myrie-Williams and Brandy forced stunning saves from Town’s teenage keeper Alex Smithies.
However, Nathan Clarke’s guidance seemed to bring a surety to Town’s back four.
Andy Butler was calm and determined alongside the skipper and full-backs Tom Clarke and Robbie Williams grew in stature as Town began to take hold of proceedings.
Perhaps the presence of Liverpool loanee Martin Kelly on the bench focused a few minds?
Another impressive servant was Michael Flynn.
Initially Hereford’s raids frommidfield caused consternation, but the Welshman’s ability to get a foot in and nick the ball slowly but surely ‘mucked up’ the momentum the home side were trying to build.
The goalless first half was essentially evenly fought and Smithies’ early heroics were matched by Bulls’ keeper Peter Gulacsi pulling off some good saves from Cadamarteri and most notably Pilkington, who in one instance he denied twice as the Town striker fired in the first shot and then reached the keeper’s parried block, only to see the man between the sticks produce a second stunning save.
The second half saw the tide steadily turn and the introduction of front-runner Andy Booth on 58 minutes tellingly tipped the balance.
Clark’s astute change saw Pilkington move wide on the right flank and Hereford began to look stretched as Booth brought Town’s widemen and midfielders more and more into the picture.
Nathan Clarke’s long-throws and efforts from Cadamarteri and Pilkington had already ensured Gulacsi was feeling the heat before Collins delivered the killer blow.
The move was indicative of all Town were doing right as Tom Clarke, Pilkington and Cadamarteri were all involved in patiently creating the platform for the ball to be delivered into the box and Booth met the final cross with a flick that left Collins to guide a volley beyond the scrambling United keeper.
Pilkington, for seemingly the umpteenth time, tested Gulacsi again with 10 minutes on the clock, but it was the home side who made the running in the dying minutes.
Led by substitute striker Andrew Williams, the strugglers fought for a lifeline but Smithies was well capable of dealing with the barrage on his penalty area and their best effort saw Williams turn Myrie-Williams neat delivery into the six-yard box into the side netting.
