Delroy Facey suffered relegation from the league for the second successive
season, but this time he went down fighting.
Grenada international Facey, 32, dropped into the Conference last term with
Lincoln, but the striker said:
"I missed the last twelve games last year with injury so it was frustrating
watching them get relegated from the stands and not being able to do anything to
help. At least this time I can say I gave it all I could. It's obviously not
much of a consolation though."
Facey worked tirelessly to help Hereford storm to a three goal lead at the break and nodded in an eleventh minute opener, but Barnet's win at Burton sent the Bulls down as Hereford fought for their league
lives.
Skipper Rob Purdie curled in a cross from the right in the eleventh minute
and Facey nodded the ball down and through keeper Robert Olejnik's legs from
five yards.
Midfielder Harry Pell doubled the lead from the spot in the 36th
minute.
Purdie darted into the box and was up-ended by midfielder Lee Mansell
before Pell buried the penalty for his third goal of the season.
And Purdie added the third himself five minutes before half time.
Pell's shot from the right angle of the area was blocked by central
defender Mark Ellis, but Purdie drilled home the loose ball from 16 yards for
his fourth of the season.
Torquay fought back after the break even though their chances of automatic
promotion were slim with results going against them elsewhere.
Manager Martin Ling threw on substitutes Ryan Jarvis and Taiwo Atieno at
half time and Jarvis took just fourteen seconds to net with his first
touch.
Winger Joe Oastler sent over a cross from the right and Jarvis prodded in
his his second goal in four games since joining the Gulls on loan from
Walsall.
Kenya international Atieno took advantage of confusion in the home defence
to pull back a second in the 63rd minute as nervy Hereford wobbled.
Full back Kevin Nicholson's long punt forward dropped into a crowded area
and Atieno reacted first to poke in his sixth goal of the season from eight
yards.
Skipper Purdie, 29, prodded in the third himself five minutes before the
break and said:
"In the last couple of games we've beaten two teams who will probably go up
at the end of the season. There are a lot of things that accumulate to send a
side down and it's not just on ability alone. The players here certainly have
enough to play in this division."
Chairman David Keyte revealed he has already offered manager Richard
O'Kelly a new contract even though he was unable to save the Hereford in his
twelve games in charge.
But former Walsall coach O'Kelly said:
"My emotions are all over the shop. I'm just thinking about what's happened
to the club. I couldn't decide whether to cross the road or not at the
moment. It's a sad day for the players and the football club, but I've told them to use
it to get stronger and be able to handle other things that get thrown at them in
the rest of their lives.""
Ryan Jarvis pulled a goal back from two yards for promotion chasing Torquay
just fourteen seconds into the second period and fellow half time sub, Taiwo
Atieno, added another in the 63rd minute.
But Crawley's win at Accrington means the Gulls will now face Cheltenham in
the play-offs which start next weekend and manager Martin Ling said:
"We knew it was out of our hands and so we were mentally prepared. We've
had scouts watching the other teams and Wembley's a very nice place to win a
game of football."
And Mark Ellis, 23, revealed that the Torquay players have been knocking
boss Ling around as they work themselves up for a promotion scrap.
Ling has a black eye and is covered in grazes and central defender Ellis
explained:
"We were playing five a side in the gym and someone ran into him and
knocked him flying. It was funny and he took it well, but he's not the biggest
of guys and so he got a good pasting."
My clipping from Sunday's paper
My clipping from Monday's paper
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