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A look back to the last time Merthyr came to Edgar Street which was on Monday August 28th 2017
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| Sponsors Old Bush Bulls From Callow End With Gethin Hill |
A list of the fixtures set to take place in the National North League this afternoon.
AFC Fylde v Radcliffe
AFC Telford v Kidderminster
Curzon Ashton v Southport
Hereford v Merthyr
Kings Lynn v Bedford
Leamington v Alfreton
Macclesfield v Chester
Marine v Chorley
Oxford City v Peterborough Sports
Scarborough v Spennymoor
South Shields v Darlington
Worksop v Buxton
Bedford Town have blasted the Football Association after a shock late suspension for striker Callum Ebanks – meaning he will miss the relegation six-pointer against Hereford.
The Eagles revealed on Sunday that Ebanks, on loan from Buxton, has been hit with a three-match ban over an incident dating back to October. The decision was only communicated this week – six months after the alleged offence.
Bedford said the delay left them “astonished”, with the forward now ruled out of three key National League North fixtures at a decisive stage of the season.
In a strongly-worded statement, the club also highlighted the timing of the decision, which came after the league’s registration deadline – meaning they have no chance to bring in a replacement.
Buxton, Ebanks’ parent club, were first informed by the FA before passing the information on, with both sides scrambling to deal with the fallout.
Bedford have confirmed they will write to the FA to formally complain, warning the handling of the case risks impacting the integrity of the National League North campaign.
Ebanks only joined Bedford in December, arriving from Buxton until the end of the season. The 23-year-old forward, formerly of Cheltenham Town, has also had spells with Eastleigh, Bromsgrove Sporting, Evesham United and Bath City.
Bedford sit 19th with 47 points from 42 games, while Hereford are 22nd with 38 points from 39.
The two sides meet at The Eyrie on Saturday 11th April in what will be a huge game at the wrong end of the table.
The two club competed in the Southern Leagues for most of the period between 1946 and 1972.
In 1973 with the Bulls now in the Football League, the two sides faced each other in a Welsh Cup tie. The game game played at Edgar Street on 7th February 1973 ended 0-0. The match saw the return of John Charles who was now Merthyr Player manager. The replay was switched back to Edgar Street (So Merthyr could make more money) & Hereford ran out 3-0 winners.
A crowd of 3,366 saw Gethyn Hill volley home a 84th minute equaliser for the Bulls in a Southern League game played between the two sides on 28th August.
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Following a couple of days of licking their wounds (but hopefully not eating too many Easter eggs) after heartbreaking defeat at Kidderminster on Good Friday, Hereford host faltering Merthyr on Easter Monday.
With seven games left and some hefty psychological blows received recently, as well as a punishing schedule physically, will Aaron Downes be able to create a collective mindset whereby the slate is wiped clean, so that this is treated as the first game of a seven-game mini-season, forgetting all about the seven lost games that have preceded it? Given that Hereford now have to win all of their games in hand to just pull level with Bedford (which would still leave them behind on goal difference), that seven-game mini-season is realistically going to have to feature at least five wins, but it also entirely features winnable games, including one against Bedford. If they’re good enough to stay up, they can win five.
The Martyrs lost star striker Ricardo Rees halfway through the season to a move up the pyramid, by which time he’d already scored 24 league goals. However, the effect of his absence has been lessened by the contribution from Lewys Twamley, who has more than just chipped in, scoring 15 with 14 assists. Joseph James, starting to look like a very tidy right back, will be tasked with keeping Twamley quiet.
Striker Cawley Cox joined the Martyrs from Westfields, having also played for Pegasus, suggesting that Hereford FC missed a good ‘un from right under their noses. That move came in January 2025. In December 2024 Hereford had scored three goals in five games. They weren’t exactly in a position to ignore a player scoring freely 400m away from Edgar Street, but for whatever reason he didn’t end up being a Caddis signing. Perhaps that wouldn’t have been the case if the manager was more closely aligned geographically with the county and its footballing scene.
Cox has scored 11 this season, and got his side’s goal in their draw with Oxford on Good Friday.
Merthyr may be fifth in the table but they look a bit cooked. That said, they’ve been fantastic this season since promotion. They were keeping the top two company for months, jet-propelled by the goals of now-departed Ricardo Rees. They average over two goals a game away from home, although they also concede almost two per game too. In fact overall they’ve conceded more goals than Hereford this season.
If their current form suggests that they’ve run their race for the season, they could very well be there for the taking given how desperate the hosts are for a win. The Welshmen have picked up a solitary point in their last four matches (although admittedly that’s a point more than Hereford have managed in their last four, and indeed their last seven) and you’d be a brave punter to back them to qualify for the play-offs with Chester and Spennymoor absolutely flying in a bid to take their place.
They’ve achieved the remarkable things they’ve achieved so far this season with a squad of just 19 part-time players. Their geographical dislocation from the north of England is more extreme than Hereford’s, so they have to travel further to away games, although admittedly they’re handy for Newport, Cardiff and Bristol in terms of player catchment areas. Their average home attendance is half that of Hereford’s, although some modest funding streams are reportedly in place that don’t seem to be available at Hereford. Some of this makes for slightly uncomfortable reading in comparative terms given the relative league positions of the two clubs.
Surely, surely, surely this is the one where the Bulls’ luck will change. Their current predicament is far from being solely down to bad luck of course, indeed at least two major contributors to 2025/26 going so wrong aren’t down to the players at all, but it is about time a doubly deflected goal went into the opposition’s net for a change. Or how about Hereford being the team to score in the first two minutes? How refreshing would that be?
Friday’s goalscorer Lawson Dath is a doubt here with a niggly groin, but Harrison Sohna can slot back in as a ready-made replacement following his suspension. Sohna and Willcox need to be the dominant central midfield pairing here, with Hereford being completely overrun in that third of the pitch so many times this season, although Willcox has been immense in terms of his contribution since arriving.
Lewis Hudson could return to the squad after an absence of two games through injury, but perhaps a start on the bench is more likely, with Aaron Skinner continuing at left back.
Harley Hamilton similarly could return to the squad here after missing several weeks and what feels like about a season’s worth of grim games.
Much may depend here on which left winger has the best game. If JJ can slot Twamley neatly in his pocket (easier said than done), and Cormac Daly is fed the ball often and early, the Forest loanee could win that particular contest, scoop another MoM award, and contribute hugely to the three-point haul that is desperately needed.
Hereford have to score. Merthyr like to score. This could have been entertaining if it hadn’t become something with so much resting on it. As it is, it’ll presumably just be nailbiting.
COYW
A large selection of HFC pin badges will be on sale pre match on Easter Monday v Merthyr. The badges pictured will be available at £1 or £4 each ( cash only ) from a sales point in front of the matchday ticket office. All net proceeds go directly to HFC.
A look back to April 5th 2005 and a home game for Hereford United against Carlisle.
Hereford United have moved up two positions in the table to third following their draw against Carlisle United at Edgar Street this evening. The entertaining game, which failed to produce any goals, means that Carlisle can still win the league and thus Barnet are not yet crowned champions.
Hereford stuck with the same starting line up that had beaten Stevenage 1-0 on Saturday but made a couple of changes to the bench. Brian Smikle, who was featured for West Brom's reserves recently, was back at Edgar Street as a sub taking the place of Andy Williams.
The Bulls dominated from the start with Rob Purdie having a cross from the left deflected into the arms of Matt Glennon in the Cumbrian's goal in the first minute. Purdie fired a free kick from twenty five yards at Glennon again in the earl stages. Lee Mills headed down for Darryl Taylor who found Adam Stansfield in the area. He cut the ball back for his partner, Mills, but the ball was stolen off his toes by Chris Lumsdon.
Mills showed some of his class with a superb knock out to the left, where Purdie raced down the flank before squaring for Craig Stanley, whose shot was too hot to handle for Glennon as he tipped it behind, diverting it away from the top corner. United were playing some of the best football of the season at Edgar Street before half time, with Taylor terrorising Tom Cowan on the Hereford right. Taylor found Mills in the box moments before half time, but Mills' attempted chip from a tight angle was off target.
Hereford continued as they had left off before half time with Mills and man of the match Purdie again linking up well, but there was no attacker to meet Purdie's cross to the far post other than Cowan who put the ball behind. Mark Robinson's corner was met by Stanley at the far post and his cross won United another corner. Purdie's first corner was headed behind, before his second, much deeper, one was met by a vicious volley by Stanley, which screamed across the face of the goal and wide just beyond the far top corner.
Andy Tretton set up a good chance for Stansfield, when the striker raced onto his ball over the top from the left but smashed the ball just over the cross bar. The visitors had hardly threatened up until now but following the replacement of Derek Holmes in the attack by Glenn Murray they started to create some of their own opportunities. Tamika Mkandawire's late run was perfectly timed for Robinson's corner before Carlisle made any chances though, but he failed to connect fully and the ball hit a defender before flying over the bar. Mkandawire headed over the second time.
G. Murray's whipped cross was spilt by Craig Mawson but luckily for him Ryan Green was on hand to clear any danger as a result. The Bulls made their only change with twenty minutes remaining with Danny Williams replacing Taylor. The final twenty proved to be the Cumbrian's most productive period of the game, starting when G Murray headed a chip into the box inches wide, having beaten Mawson with the effort. Another similar ball into the box caused problems for Mawson, who came but failed to collect presenting the ball to G Murray but his placed volley fell wide.
Mills hammered a volley against a defender at the other end before Green was booked for a foul just to the right of the penalty area. The ball was swung in and met by the head off Karl Hawley, as Edgar Street fell silent, only to breathe a huge sigh of relief as the ball rebounded off the cross bar and Mawson collected. One last attack in injury time for the Bulls saw Stanley set Green pacing forward down the right, but his cross was cleared behind for a corner by Kevin Gray and was sucessfully defended before referee Rob Lewis, who had a good game, blew for full time.
Hereford will be very happy with their defensive performance, giving them a fourth consectutive clean sheet. Four points from a possible six in the last two games for Hereford was what was expected by many before the weekend and so nobody will be too dispondent with the result. The attendance of 3,819 including 280 Carlisle supporters, was the second highest of the season at Edgar Street.
HUFC Team: Mawson, Green, Mkandawire, Tretton, Robinson, Taylor, Stanley, Pitman, Purdie, Stansfield, Mills. Subs: Travis, Scott, Hyde, Smikle, Williams.
CUFC Team: Glennon, Cowan, Gray, Billy, Beharall, Murphy, Livesey, Lumsdon, Adam Murray, Hawley, Holmes. Subs: Arnison, Vieira, Hackney, Coyles, Glenn Murray.
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| Hudson Scored For Hereford At Merthyr Earlier This Season |
Despite their current disappointing form, the bookmakers have priced a Hereford win over Merthyr at 25/19.
Last Friday Hereford were unlucky to lose 2-1 at Kidderminster. Merthyr drew 1-1 with Oxford City.
Currently Hereford are 22nd in the National North Table with just 38 points from 39 games, Merthyr are 5th with 67 points from 41 games.
Hereford's home form is won 6, drawn 3 and lost 9. Goal difference is minus 21.
Merthyr's away form is won 11, drawn 2 and lost 7. Goal difference is plus 14.
Recent form:
Hereford LLLLLL
Merthyr LWLLLD
Hereford 25/19 Draw 3/1 Merthyr 8/5
Lovett Received A Bit Of Stick From Some Supporters
Highlights from yesterday's game at Kidderminster are available to watch.
These are the Kidderminster version.
Merthyr report that they have just 44 tickets to sell following a further allocation from Hereford for the game at Edgar Street on Monday afternoon.
Originally they were given 650 tickets which sold out earlier today.
No tickets will be available for Merthyr supporters at Hereford on Monday.
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Hereford lost a club record eight matches in a row during the 1986/87 season. |
Hereford will be hoping to not match an unwanted record on Monday.
If the Bulls lose at home to Merthyr, it will be their eighth consecutive defeat.
The last time a Hereford team lost eight in a row was during the 1986/87 season, which is still a club record.
The Bulls were managed by John Newman and finished 16th. However, between February 7 and March 17, the club lost 1-0 against Southend, 2-0 against Leyton Orient, 2-0 against Cardiff, 3-2 against Preston, 2-0 against Colchester, 1-0 against Aldershot, 1-0 against Exeter, and 1-0 against Rochdale.
And just like this season, Hereford were in previous good form, being unbeaten in six games. The Bulls can ill-afford to lose again when they host a Merthyr side who are now only four points ahead of eighth as they bid to finish in the play-offs.
Having won five of their opening seven games under Aaron Downes, the Bulls have lost seven in a row and are now eight points from safety with just two games in hand.
The defeats have been against Fylde (1-4), Alfreton (1-2), Macclesfield (1-3), Spennymoor (1-2), Buxton (0-2), Macclesfield (0-2) and Kidderminster (1-2).
The last time Hereford lost seven in a row was during the ill-fated 1996/97 season, which saw the club relegated from the Football League.
A selection from the second half at Kidderminster yesterday.
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| Lane Brought Down? He Couldn't Convince The Referee |
