Our next momentous match from the Video Vault involves the Bulls in a dramatic FA Cup First Round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion which took place on the 15th of November 1997.
Hereford were out for revenge following the Bulls’ relegation at the hands of Brighton barely six months previously.
Only three Hereford players had survived from the doomsday encounter – Andy de Bont, Brian McGorry and Rob Warner. Unbelievably, de Bont turned out to be the hero, even saving a penalty to keep United in the FA Cup.
Tensions were high in the early stages, but Hereford proved to be the better side. A crowd of 5,787 watched Graham Turner’s side savour victory with an excellent second-half performance, this after de Bont somehow clawed away Paul McDonald’s well placed spot-kick awarded after Richard Walker had brought down Craig Maskell in the area, just three minutes after the interval.
Hereford took the lead on 56 minutes. Murray Fishlock and Jamie Pitman provided the link up play before Neil Grayson slotted the ball home past a despairing Rust. However, Brighton levelled within five minutes. Stuart Storer’s angled drive finding the back-of-the-net through a crowded penalty area.
Substitute James McCue (or was it Miscue) failed to convert on at least two occasions before Hereford pressure eventually told when Ian Foster was bundled over in the box enabling Grayson to restore the Bulls’ lead with a well taken penalty with a quart-of-an-hour remaining.
After the match boss Turner said: “There was a lot of pride in the way we played today, and we’ve given the supporters plenty to sing about”.
Hereford: de Bont, Rodgerson, Fishlock, Pitman, Warner, Walker, Cook, McGorry, Grayson, Foster, Mahon. Sub: McCue
Referee: Gerald Ashby (Worcester)
Attendance: 5,787
[…] As the Hereford fan site Talking Bull admitted, “tensions were high”. And after it remained 0-0 at half time it was the home side who struck first to go 1-0 up, through Neil Grayson. But this was not before Albion had missed the chance to take the lead themselves after Paul McDonald’s penalty kick was saved by the Hereford ‘keeper. […]