Hereford United v Torquay United - 5/5/12

[AustrianAndyGull]

Can United make it third time lucky and snatch a win at Edgar Street to pip Crawley to the post? Or will Hereford build on their quite astonishing demolition of Crawley last time out to try and stave of impending relegation to the BSP? Buoyed by a probable sell out away following and the 'win or bust' situation, i'm confident the lads can put the deflation of saturday behind them and put in one last massive performance to see us over the line. I'm sure they all want the season to end on saturday so they can have a well earned holiday and us fans do too! It is the last game of the league season and we still have a genuine chance of going up automatically - that is truly amazing.

The Bulls have endured a torrid season dropping into the relegation zone and being unable to claw their way out thus far. Manager Jamie Pitman was sacked and current manager Richard O'Kelly was appointed last month in what is his first managerial position. A tough job for a novice. They have the WORST record in the league in terms of home wins with just 4 and the WORST record also for home defeats, 13. In addition they also have the WORST goals scored to goals conceded differential at home in the league. Scored 20 and let in 39, almost double. Given that the Gulls have the second BEST away win record in the division behind Southend then you could be forgiven for assuming this game wil be a walk in the park; however, they need 3 points and we need 3 points and we both have the one game in which to get them. I am anticipating an afternoon of high drama.

Hereford currently occupy the last relegation place on 41 points and they are 2 points off Barnet and off safety. They HAVE to beat us and hope Barnet lose or draw at Burton Albion to stay up. Current top scorers include Tom Barkhuizen with 12 in all competitions, Yoann Arquin the big Frenchman who is on 9 and Will Evans on 5 and we can do the double over them having beaten them 2-0 at Plainmoor back in October with goals just before the break from Nico and Bodin. Their most well known players include much travelled Grenadian striker Delroy Facey, Simon Clist and Joe Colbeck.

Hereford smashed Crawley 3-0 last time out and here is the line up:

1. Adam Bartlett
2. Michael Townsend
3. Ben Purkiss
4. James Chambers ( on loan from Doncaster Rovers )
5. Byron Anthony ( on loan from Bristol Rovers )
6. Harry Pell
7. Rob Purdie
8. Nicky Featherstone
9. Kenny Lunt
10. Joe Colbeck
11. Delroy Facey

SUBS: Stefan Stam ( on for Facey on 85 mins ), James McQuilkin ( on for Lunt on 87 mins ), Yoann Arquin ( on for Colbeck on 68 mins ), Simon Clist, Sam Clucas. Hereford did not have a substitute keeper.

Hereford is a nice compact place and for those of you not wanting to spend the pre-match hours getting mullered in pubs there are some quaint streets to explore with niche shops and also the magnificent Cathedral which houses the Mappa Mundi, the famous medieval map of the world. I visited a few years ago on my only trip to Hereford ( we lost 1-0 ) and the Cathedral was a highlight ( doesn't say much about the game that day then! ). There is a huge pay and display car park next to the ground which i think is a cattle market but i would imagine it will fill up quickly on saturday given the crowd expected and the ground itself is a bit of dump with respect and has the narrowest turnstiles in the whole wide world. I stood on the terrace last time i went and it was pretty uncomfortable, at the back you can't see anything and there are also rows and rows of huge concrete pillars supporting the stand above which block the views. Assuming that we are to housed in the same stand.

All in all it should be cracking atmosphere and a cracking game and if we play like we did against Crewe we should win, if the Wimbledon team turns up we'll get turned over. I just feel there will be such desperation from both sets of players that it will be an error strewn match with no pattern and it will be 3-3 which will be no good to either team. I still think that Eunan owes us a few goals and he squandered chances on saturday, he also had a shocker the last time i went to Hereford a few seasons back. I think it was one of his first games in a Torquay shirt but he was so poor i couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Eunan to get back on the scoresheet with 2 and Howe with the other.

THE BULLS V THE GULLS - I much prefer birds over bovines! COME ON SUNSHINE!!!

[HRG]

There is the Merton meadow car park at the ground which is probably the most reasonably priced, or yes the Cattle market multi-storey across the road from the ground. The Courtyard Theatre also has some pay and display parking but is more expensive (£5 for 4 hours). The area around Edgar Street is a bit of a building site at the moment since the Cattle market is being demolished. It really adds to the 'bit of a dump' atmosphere, I find.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Sorry HRG, i did mean the Merton Meadow car park when i mentioned the car park in my thread, just forgot what it was called!

[HRG]

I'll let you off after being so nice about our Cathedral.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thats ok HRG, i suppose what sets me apart from the rest ot us Gulls is that i am more intelligent and appreciate and understand culture. :na: I don't need hops and barley before a game, i just need old maps and ecclesiastical buildings!

[coley in stripes]

Have you noticed how quiet is gone. People have run out of things to say especially after Saturday's disappointment which robbed us of the possible luxury of a draw. Someone's got to find some bottle for the last game, the way thing are going, probably will be Southend....Gulls to draw, Crawley lose and Southend play Macclefield.

[bixieupnorth]

looks like the bookies have all three sides to win, thats what you'd expect obviously, it seems they expect us to be the least likely to win tho, southend are 1/4, crawley 4/7 and we're 11/10

personally i think that late leveller on saturday is the final nail in our coffin, we'll win at hereford but crawley will also, and southend too.

if the suggestions that the ref played all that overtime then we've got to start supporting a conspiracy theory, would a ref really add that much time for rene laughong his way slowly off the pitch??

i watched the scores come in, in the merchants arms in bristol, with another torquay fan and a wednesday mate. he was elated as they won 2-1 at brentford, we'd been celebrating both lil dannys goal and the three hereford strikes at crawley, but still kept saying it'd be just like torquay to concede, but as the clock ticked well past 1655 and it seemed that every other game in the country had finished ages ago, sure enough the dreaded GOAL appeared and then our name was still white which meant the crewes was yellow and we had lost two points in the crullest manner possible!!

we continued to drown our sorrows and then a similar thing happened to weds, blades two down and weds in the box seat, only for them to rally to 2-2 and still be in with a chance! our position switched from that of sheffield weds, ie a point behind with a worse GD to that of weds, in that we both have to win and hope the team above us dont do as well.

impossible to to believe that we could get a measly 3/12 points at this stage of the season and still be in with a chance, albeit a very slim one now

[jonnyfive]

personally i think that late leveller on saturday is the final nail in our coffin

Excessive and illogical. Anything could yet happen. Mind you, I wouldn't put it past Crawley to 'persuade' Accrington to lose on Saturday...

[AustrianAndyGull]

Why don't we all club round and get together a 'win' bonus for the Accy players!

[popside_yidlad]

Lol I wouldnt be against doing that altho not sure how it stands with money by fa rules. If thats not an option then maybe club together and put it in their bar so they can join the celebrations lol

[AustrianAndyGull]

I suppose as Torquay have a large Yorkshire contingent including myself, we'll only raise about 35p and a packet of werthers.

[bixieupnorth]

Excessive and illogical. Anything could yet happen. Mind you, I wouldn't put it past Crawley to 'persuade' Accrington to lose on Saturday...

we will see, i hope yr proved right but we've had that many chances to get ahead of crawley and failed every time that i think we've missed the opportunity now

[Colorado Gull]

It's came down to the last game! We must win, Crawley must lose or draw (come on Stanley!). My prediction is that we will draw 1-1, so will Crawley and Southend will win 3-0 so they will go up. I so hope and pray that my prediction is wrong! I will be in the terrace singing my heart out right until the very end!

A MASSIVE COYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! LET'S DO THIS PLEASE!!! YELLOW ARMY!!!

[northharrowgull]

Absolutely fascinating finale with any one of three possible outcomes. I suppose we can be almost certain that Southend will win and convincingly too but who knows Macclesfield may go out of the league all guns blazing and spring a surprise. Personally, I doubt it, and to add to their plight they will lose their manager Brian Horton. Crawley have definitely lost momentum and will face a tricky match at Accrington. I think it may well be a draw. And so to Hereford,desperate to stay in the league and coming off the back of a superb demolition of Crawley. Mind you their home record is poor and I have a very strange feeling we will scrape it 1-0 with who else Captain Manse getting the winner on 75 mins. Into the promised land???????!!!!!!!

[Regiment]

Absolutely fascinating finale with any one of three possible outcomes. I suppose we can be almost certain that Southend will win and convincingly too but who knows Macclesfield may go out of the league all guns blazing and spring a surprise. Personally, I doubt it, and to add to their plight they will lose their manager Brian Horton. Crawley have definitely lost momentum and will face a tricky match at Accrington. I think it may well be a draw. And so to Hereford,desperate to stay in the league and coming off the back of a superb demolition of Crawley. Mind you their home record is poor and I have a very strange feeling we will scrape it 1-0 with who else Captain Manse getting the winner on 75 mins. Into the promised land???????!!!!!!!

he's already gone :-

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not sure if it will help or hinder their final game, but in all honesty i can't see anything other than a Southend win anyway.

If accrington put out a team, they are capable of doing us a favour, but despite what my heart wants, my head is telling me draws for us and crawley, Southend will win and go up.