Saturday, September 4, 2000

HEREFORD United have now won their their first three away games of the season for the first time following their 3-0 victory in the Nationwide Conference at Kingfield on Saturday.

Following wins at Kettering and Hayes, the Bulls produced an even more emphatic display at Woking.

And, to cap it all, they won this particular encounter in borrowed shirts, wearing Woking's change strip after the referee considered that both of United's outfits would clash with the home side's red-and-white.

The good start to the season has certainly been helped by a lack of injuries enabling Graham Turner to select a settled side, although the Bulls boss did make his first change of the season on Saturday, choosing Kerry Giddings for his full club debut in place of Robin Elmes.

The former Stourport Swifts and Redditch United front man turned in a lively display and by no means looked out of place before finally giving way to Elmes in the 73rd minute.

But the star of the Hereford show was Giddings' striking partner Gavin Williams who scored the first goal, was brought down for a penalty for the second and saw his shot pushed out for Ian Rodgerson to net the third.

Williams took full advantage of some poor defending to smash home the first on 15 minutes, volleying into the net after goalkeeper Mark Ormerod and defender Kevan Brown had made a hash of Rodgerson's cross.

Scott Cooksey had to be alert to foil Rob Hollingdale in the 31st minute after good work by Scott Steele but otherwise Hereford looked far the more likely to score in the first half.

They finally cemented their position after 60 minutes when substitute Dante Alighieri brought down Williams in full flight. Chris Lane demonstrated his power from deadball situations by thumping home the penalty to register his second goal of the season.

Six minutes later and it was all over. Williams robbed Alighieri on the edge of the penalty area and, when Ormerod could only push out his shot, Rodgerson guided the ball home from close range.

Cooksey made a couple of fine saves in the closing stages to foil Steele and Steve Perkins but Hereford more than deserved their fifth clean sheet in five games.