This being the last league game of the season and with the home team needing a win and for Barnet to not get a victory at Burton to ensue their survival in the league for another season. Torquay are at the other end of the table needing a win and for Accrington to get something from their game at home to Crawley Town to gain automatic promotion, though a play off spot was already guaranteed. Edgar Street is a ground that has evaded me for several seasons mainly because I was never ready for such a long dull train journey but today as the perfect to get this proper old ground ticked off.
I have only been to Hereford once before and that was as a kid on the way back from a family holiday, my only real memory being the cattle market! So upon leaving the train station I headed towards the The Kings Fee which is the local Wetherspoons, then onto the Lichfield Vaults which is listed in Camra's good beer guide and it did not disappoint. After a couple more beers in town with a few pals from Torquay it as time to head off towards the ground.
With today's game being important for both teams it was made all ticket with tickets off sale from the night before. The crowd was large and expectant with around 1,300 Torquay bringing the crowd to over 5,200 which was the largest on the season of Hereford. As it was my first visit I separated from my pals for a few minutes to have a walk around the outside of the ground in an attempt to take some photos but it's very unattractive from the outside. I really like Edgar Street it has loads of charm and you can almost feel the nostalgia of the famous day Newcastle came to town and were promptly beaten by Ronnie Radford et al. I don't know if the locals have ever had any high expectations of their team but surely they must get fed up of keep being in a fight to stay in the league every season!
My ticket was bought for me in the away seating area above a lower terrace along the side of the pitch.
Both teams fielded almost full strength starting 11's and It was the gulls that started off the brighter with a couple of early chances before a ball was lofted in from the right and Delroy Facey rose to put the ball between the keepers legs to give the home side the early advantage. Torquay continued to press but the ball would not fall for a clear cut chance. Then he first controversial moment of the referee's day came when he awarded Hereford with a soft penalty. Harry Pell duly stepped up and made it 2-0. At the time Burton had against Barnet and all was looking rosy for the home team and their fans. Then the 2nd moment came when a corner was floated in and it clearly looked like a Hereford player handled on the line to keep the ball out but the ref was having none of it and instead the gulls got another corner.
After a poor passage of play in the middle of the park & a half clearance Hereford went 3 up. Half time 3-0 to Hereford coupled with Barnet drawing meant they looked safe. Martin Ling made 2 half time subs bringing on 2 strikers and taking the ineffective Rene Howe off plus Lathorpe from the centre of the park, within a minute of the re-start Torquay had pulled one back, cue the nail biting for the home fans, on 64 mins Torquay had a 2nd and Barnet had scored a 2nd as well, perfect timing as it all started to go wrong for the hosts. A nasty looking leg injury for Kenny Lunt and he was stretchered off in a leg brace...the Barnet game remained at 2-1 and the gulls pushed for a third but as close as they got it wouldn't come and game ended in a 3-2 victor for the hosts but results elsewhere contrived against them and they exited thought the football league trap door......Torquay meanwhile have a noon kick off at Waddon Road booked for Sunday week against Cheltenham in the play off semi final.
I was booked on the 20.02 from Worcester Foregate St so I had until 19.15 in Hereford before catching a local train to make my connection. I decided to abandon this and via the 'spoons I headed off to the station to catch the 17.40 to Worcester Foregate St in search of a quicker route home. On arrival into Worcester I grabbed some food and beer and boarded the 18.48 to London Paddington. So I arrived into Paddington at 21.30 and made my way to Victoria to get the local train back home.
After leaving home at 7am I eventually returned home at 10.30pm, an extremely long day but having now ticked off Edgar Street and ground number 295 I had a nightcap before retiring for a well earned kip before setting off at 9.30 the next morning for breakfast and the coach to Bognor for Dulwich Hamlet's play off final at Nyewood Lane against the rocks.
Til the next time.
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