Casper to the rescue for Leeds

The compact stadium next to the cattle market was full to the rafters for an FA Cup tie, a big name club from the North were in town and local legends Ronnie Radford and Ricky George were on the tips of tongues.

The talk was of giant-killing. That may now have to wait until the replay at Elland Road on Tuesday week.

The opposition were more fallen giants than the mighty Newcastle outfit in 1972, but Leeds had a big enough reputation to send a shiver of expectancy down the spines of fans of the League Two minnows.

The fact that the Yorkshire club are now just one rung above them in the league gave Graham Turner's in-form side the belief that they could cause an upset and Hereford tried manfully enough in the first half to deliver the goal which they suspected would put Leeds on tenterhooks.

The likes of seven-goal Trevor Benjamin and six-goal Theo Robinson, on loan from Watford, needed little encouragement to flex their attacking muscle against Leeds, who are still in the process of rehabilitation after their fall from Premier League grace and into debt.

Benjamin looked as strong as the Hereford bull that was paraded around the pitch before the game, and displayed the mobility and determination that kept Leeds central defenders Mat Heath and Rui Marques at full stretch.

It was touch and go whether the referee would award a penalty in the opening minutes as Benjamin was manhandled by Heath but Tony Bates allowed play to continue.

Robinson then produced a forceful cross-shot straight into the arms of goalkeeper Casper Ankergren. It was Hereford who were forcing most of the attacking pace but Leeds eventually began to take a greater part in the game both in midfield and attack.

They were helped to some extent by the fact that the Edgar Street pitch contains far more grass and was in a much better condition than on the memorable occasion in 1972 when Hereford, then a non-League team, pulled off one of the biggest sensations in the competition.

Even manager Turner made the point. 'Today pitches are so much better and rarely do we see a game played in a quagmire or snow and ice,' he said. 'You have to have big hearts and endeavour but for underdogs to succeed these days you have to be as fit as the opposition and have a slice of luck along the way.'

There was little of that going Hereford's way in the first half but at least they had the satisfaction of keeping Leeds in check.

The only real opportunity they had before the break was a misplaced pass by United's Clint Eastern which was picked up by Frenchman Seb Carole whose long-range shot was a rasping effort which was well handled by goalkeeper Wayne Browne.

Hereford heaped on the pressure at the start of the second half and Benjamin was desperately unlucky when he rose to a left-wing corner to deliver a glancing header which brushed the upright on its way out of play.

That seemed to inspire the home club to greater heights and in the neatest move of the match, Benjamin sent Robinson nipping past the Leeds back line with a through ball which he steered just wide of the post.

There was a blow for Hereford in the 60th minute when they lost the services of their skipper, Karl Broadhurst.

He was carried off with an injury sustained as he made a lunging interception on Jermaine Beckford.

Although Hereford substituted danger man Benjamin in the 74th minute with Steve Guinan, the home side continued to menace and in the 81st minute it required a brilliant reflex save by Ankergren to keep Leeds level. He reacted tremendously to tip a close-range header by Lionel Ainsworth over his crossbar. It kept Leeds in the Cup.