On a day when a blustery wind could have been blamed for spoiling this relegation battle it was the referee’s complete lack of consistency and control who was to blame for the lack-lustre display that both sides managed to produce at the Wyeside ground. Unfortunately for Burton it was they who suffered more bad fortune and luck than their hosts, Hereford, as they received three yellow cards to one to demonstrate the inconsistency and good fortune. Joel Booth and Danny Clarke were both sin-binned for retaliation whilst the instigator got away Scot free and Luke Peach got one for a late tackle after a head-high tackler had poleaxed Ian Gilmour only to be merely penalised. Hereford sole card was for a swinging arm came very late in the game to merely add to Burton’s growing frustration and dissatisfaction. However, at the end of the day despite the obstacles put in both teams way Hereford converted their chances to gain a 29-5 victory while Burton were made to suffer for poor handling and passing as chances were squandered.

Burton kicked-off, playing with the wind and their hosts soon showed their intent, in this their first home game since mid November, with some powerful driving forward play. Good defensive work by Burton’s forwards, particularly Kelvin Browne and Dave Fitchett, quickly frustrated the aggressive Hereford pack, but a yellow card for retaliation sent Clarke to the bin after less than two minutes play to reduce Burton to fourteen men. Hereford put the resulting penalty deep into the Burton twenty-two where a catch and drive from the lineout saw them drive the depleted Burton pack back and over the line for a converted try to take a 7-0 lead after just three minutes play.

With both Burton’s props only just recovered from knocks received last week against Bromsgrove the sight of Tom Murphy leaving the field holding his shoulder, while a shock was not to be unexpected, but only added to Burton’s problems. This saw Jon Edwards enter the fray, possibly a bit earlier than he had hoped for, as emergency prop cover. With Edwards settling into his ‘new’ role the Burton pack drove forward to set up ball to start a good passage of play that saw breaks by Gilmour, Lawrence Betty and Dan Smith all move play into the opponents half. But these moves were thwarted as the referee awarded a penalty after penalty with his own interpretation of offences at the breakdown.

As Gilmour started another attack he was laid low by a high-tackle and after a lengthy spell of treatment Luke Peach was able to take the penalty kick and put the ball into the Hereford half. Will Brooks sailed high to take the ball and the Burton pack drove towards the home twenty-two but poor control saw the ball lost and Hereford kicked back to halfway to clear the danger.

More good work by the Burton pack and some great lineout steals by Ben Grocott and Brooks again set Burton on the attack, but once again poor control saw the ball lost and fired back downfield. Playing at fullback Gilmour showed safe hands to take the ball and race forward before sending Danny Smith racing down the touchline, but a desperate tackle forced him into touch on the home twenty-two. Hereford attacked from the resulting lineout and only good covering by Dave Archer, Peach and Gilmour saved the day as the hosts stormed to the Burton twenty-two. With half-time rapidly approaching a scrum some fifteen metres from the Burton line collapsed and the referee awarded a penalty try and Burton were soon 14-0 down as the conversion sailed over the bar.

From the restart Hereford returned the ball with a deep kick for Peach to safely gather and feed Archer who raced forty metres down the touchline to feed back inside to the ever-supporting Booth. But the move died as he was tackled and Hereford quickly killed the ball with bodies lying all over the place as the referee blew for half-time.

No sooner had Hereford got the second half underway than Archer was forced to leave the pitch with a leg strain from his run just before the break. This saw Tom Bartram come off the bench to play at centre with Harry Titley going to fullback and Gilmour switching to wing as the Burton backline was re-organised. Another Hereford penalty for Burton supposedly ‘not releasing in the tackle’ saw them increase their lead to 17-0.

Another Hereford high kick back from the restart saw Gilmour take the ball and set-up Betty and Smith for the latter to race thirty metres before being tackled into touch. Then Titley fielded another high ball to burst outside his would be tackler and make forty metres before being stopped. A rare Burton penalty saw Peach kick the ball deep into home territory to set-up a Burton lineout. Brooks took the ball and the pack drove forward, but as the rolling maul collapsed a scuffle broke out. Surprise, surprise it was Burton’s Booth who a yellow card while, once again, no Hereford player was seen to be culpable. From the resulting penalty Hereford attacked and move the ball across the field and back again to leave their winger completely free to take a long pass and race in for a try in the corner to increase Hereford’s lead to 22-0 after sixty-five minutes play.

Trailing 22-0 Burton’s woes went from bad to worse when Peach was sin-binned for a late tackle and Burton were further reduced to thirteen men. Hereford continually attacked, now, but great defensive work by Burton kept them at bay although all of the play remained in the Burton half. With Booth’s return imminent but his frustration still obviously boiling over Joe Gazzard came off the bench for the last ten minutes instead of Booth returning to the fray. More home attacks were still being stooped, but unfortunately, one sad lapse in midfield saw Hereford’s centre burst through and only a combined tackle by Fitchett, Browne and Betty stopped the move five metres short of the Burton line. The resulting five-metre scrum saw a monumental effort from the Hereford side to drive over the line but this was held by the Burton pack. Only for their scrum-half to snap-up the ball and dive towards the line and with a little assistance from on-high and poor judgement from the referee he was awarded a try despite dropping the ball short of the line and re-gathering it before touching down. The conversion again sailed over to increase the home side’s lead to 29-0 with barely five minutes to play.

Burton surged forward from the restart and before the referee’s whistle could signal the end of the game the first move of the match from Burton that saw the ball being moved with fluency and accuracy saw Burton get a score. Good quick ball from the Burton pack saw Darryl Banton move the ball out to Bartram. He broke down the touchline to pass back inside to Smith, who fed Browne and he straightened up the move with a great forward burst to set-up a maul. This saw Fitchett, Edwards, Clarke and Grocott all surge in to release the ball that was spun along the line to Gazzard who forced his way over the line for Burton’s only score. A

Following Burton’s rushed conversion Hereford still had time to surge back towards the Burton line and only a great tackle by Titley and Betty stopped the winger from getting over in the corner as the final whistle blew. Leaving Burton now bottom of the table one point behind Hereford and Kenilworth and with a much bigger mountain to climb then before today’s disastrous display and result.