Saturday, November 23, 2002

THE controversial second-half dismissal of Andy Tretton for a 'professional foul' compounded the agony for Hereford United who should never have lost this entertaining Nationwide Conference clash.

Similar to many games this season, United missed a number of decent goal-scoring chances - even when reduced to 10 men for the first time - and the home side were defending desperately when the final whistle was blown.

Dagenham goalkeeper Tony Roberts was the home side's hero, pulling off a string of stunning saves, including a point-blank header from impressive substitute Ben Smith with eight minutes remaining.

United still created enough chances to draw level, however, and Matt Clarke collected a neat flick from Smith in the dying minutes only to blaze his shot over the bar with the goal gaping.

To rub salt into the wounds, Junior McDougald, the player involved in the incident which led to Tretton's harsh 59th-minute dismissal, admitted afterwards that the Hereford defender fairly won the ball in the challenge that sent him tumbling to the ground.

United now hope to have the red card revoked because the referee also told the Hereford camp he thought that Tretton had not committed a foul but said he had to support the verdict of his assistant referee, who flagged for the offence 25 yards from the visiting goal.

Unfortunately, the result leaves Hereford without a victory in seven league matches and without a goal in their last four.

But, despite their slump, United remain in the top half of the table and are only five points adrift of a top-five place.

Roberts thwarted Hereford as early as the 10th minute when Michael Rose's cross from the left fell to Paul Parry inside the box but the former QPR stopper tipped the shot around a post.

Ten minutes later he blocked Parry but the ball fell invitingly for Danny Williams whose weak shot missed the far post.

The Daggers took the lead in the 34th minute when a long free kick from Roberts broke for Steve West on the edge of the box and he coolly placed his shot into Matt Baker's top left-hand corner.

Baker pulled off two outstanding saves in quick succession, blocking McDougald's shot and then tipping Lee Matthews' bullet-header over the bar.

But in the 63rd minute Roberts again thwarted Hereford, saving Parry's near-post effort.