Hereford Pegasus secure home win with second half goals
HEREFORD Pegasus completed a good week of results with a 2-0 home victory against play-off hopefuls Fairford Town.
On a day when frozen pitches resulted in a host of postponements the 3G surface at Old School Lane saw the game go ahead with no problems.
Second goals from Will Dallaway and Zach Johnson gave Peggy their ninth league victory of the campaign.
Meanwhile, on New Year’s Day a stoppage-time equaliser resulted in Pegasus drawing 1-1 with Royal Wootton Bassett Town, in front of 146 spectators at the KGD Stadium.
All the drama was reserved for the final 10 minutes of the match. Pegasus defender Sam Gwynne received his second yellow card in the 87th minute and the visitors took advantage three minutes later when New Zealander Jack Hobson-McVeigh drilled home a low shot from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom corner of Matt Gwynne's goal after the home defence failed to clear a cross sufficiently from the danger zone.
The late strike seemed enough for the Wiltshire outfit to secure the spoils. However, the drama had not ended as Jordan Williamson swept the ball into the back of the net from a 94th minute corner to bring the Red Men back on level terms.
The Pegasus forward then had an opportunity to win the match when he raced through on goal two minutes later but lifted the ball over the crossbar, with just Bassett goalkeeper James Foster to beat.
Kane Kahaki had an early sight of goal in the fifth minute with a low 25-yard drive that flew wide of the target before Dan Grieve latched on to a through ball moments later but poked the ball wide of the advancing Matt Gwynne.
Jordan Williamson was found by Isaac Cooper's searching long ball in the 11th minute but was denied by Foster from close-range.
Carlos Moreira directed his diving header wide of the far post four minutes later from a cross on the right before Daniel Hill went close with a low 30-yard drive in the 19th minute.
Sam Gwynne drove into the visitor's penalty area in the 39th minute but was unable to keep his ensuing effort under the crossbar as the teams headed into the break on level terms.
Pegasus captain Jamie Cuthbertson's header from a free-kick played into the penalty area was saved three minutes after the resumption before Bassett went close to breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute after Thomas Oulridge fired over from the edge of the penalty area following Hill's pull back.
Noah Coates headed over the advancing Matt Gwynne from a long ball played forward in the 68th minute before Pegasus substitute Jamie Price's effort from the edge of the penalty area was blocked seven minutes later.
Grieve fired wide of the far post from a tight angle in the 78th minute prior to Finnlay Hopkins' effort being blocked two minutes later. Willamson raced free down the right flank in the 84th minute, where he nearly caught out Foster, before the late drama took place during the final minutes.