THERE were no goals but there was plenty of second-half incident as Hereford battled out a fiery friendly with local rivals Shrewsbury at Edgar Street on Saturday.

One player from each side, Bulls man Matt Clarke and Shrewsbury's Michael Brown, were substituted on the advice of referee Andy Williams and, in ordinary league conditions, the Hereford official would have been busy with his notebook.

The encounter came to a head nine minutes from time when Brown floored Michael McIndoe in an off-the-ball incident. A red card would have been forthcoming in a competitive match but, after much protestation and a confrontation involving the majority of the two teams, Brown left the field to be replaced by Chris Freestone.

McIndoe found himself the target again just six minutes later when he was unceremoniously clattered near the corner flag by ex-Aston Villa player David Hughes.

The resultant free-kick, taken by McIndoe, produced the closest opportunity of the game as Dai Thomas, on trial from Cardiff City, rose to meet the cross and his header struck a post.

However, the aggravation spilled over again almost immediately afterwards and an ugly 15-man push-and-shove fracas culminated in Clarke's enforced substitution.

It all left a bad taste in the mouth, especially after the Bulls had looked livelier than their opponents.

The visitors looked lethargic and less co-ordinated than United and there could have been few complaints if Graham Turner's current outfit had put one over on his former club.

McIndoe forced the first save of the match on eight minutes when he whipped an in-swinging corner under the bar of Shrewsbury keeper Paul Edwards, forcing the silver-haired stopper to tip over.

The remainder of the first half was a patchy affair and it took until the 40th minute for a clear-cut chance when Brown split the home defence, but Ryan Lowe fired straight at United keeper Scott Cooksey.

Town produced their next serious threat 18 minutes into the second half from a corner by former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson, but Paul Sturgess was able to force a goal-bound header from Hughes off the line.

Shrewsbury went close again 12 minutes from the end, but Jemson, stretching to reach a far-post cross from Brown, hit the ball straight into the arms of Cooksey.

And from another Jemson corner two minutes into stoppage time, Bulls player-coach Phil Robinson rescued his side and guaranteed a draw when he nodded a powerful six-yard header from substitute Luke Rodgers off the line.

Hereford: Cooksey, Clarke (Beale 88 mins), Sturgess (Pitt 89 mins), Robinson, Wright (Lane 26 mins), Gardiner, Rodgerson, (Piearce 52 mins), Snape, Thomas, Williams (Hanson 74 mins), McIndoe.

Shrewsbury: Edwards, Davidson, Hanmer, Hughes, Tretton, Wilding (Thomas 74 mins), Brown (Freestone 81 mins), Murray (Tolley 36 mins), Lowe (Rodgers 77 mins), Jemson, Aiston. Subs not used: Dunbavin, Seabury, Jenkins.

Referee: M A Williams (Hereford).

Attendance: 866.