The early season fixtures continue to
come thick and fast as Hereford FC travel to Market Harborough on Tuesday
evening for a game against Harborough Town. If the points keep coming similarly
thick and fast a return to the game-every-other-day schedule of late last
season might be a good idea – OK, maybe not.
The Bees lost 1-0 at slow starting
Brackley on Saturday, but they’ve beaten Marine, Darlington and Morecambe –
their three wins so far all coming at home, giving them a 100% record to
protect in this game at their Bowden Park HQ.
It’s hopefully not too patronising to
describe that HQ as a relatively ‘modest’ one, and huge recent success on the
pitch in the form of back-to-back promotions hasn’t yet been matched by
facility enhancements off it. However, appearances
can be deceptive and the hosts are clearly a live threat at home.
Britt Assombalonga has spent most of his
career at Championship and League 1 level for the likes of Forest and
Middlesbrough. He joined Harborough in the summer from Barnet, seemingly on a
game-by-game basis, and unless his knees have gone at 33 he’s going to be a
handful. If his knees have gone he’s done very well to score two and create two
more this season. He looks like an excellent signing if he sticks around – 170+
career goals at significantly higher levels demands considerable respect. Over
to you, Kyle and Will, to keep him quiet.
Ex-Bull Sam Osborne was a rare bright
spark last season for Hereford, and will be a significant threat here, although
Aaron Skinner, Kyle Howkins and Theo Richardson will at least know the
ex-Alfreton man’s game inside out in countering that threat.
Ex-Brackley defender George Carline has
been a thorn in the Bulls’ side before, and will be on long throw duty for the
hosts.
The Bulls’ narrow win at the weekend
against a subdued Spennymoor side maintained their second place in the table
(yep, second top, not second bottom). There was plenty to like about the
performance, including two sublime finishes from that rare beast, a proper
centre forward. The Bulls didn’t perhaps totally click, and the flat second
quarter of the game was the sort of switch-off better sides will punish.
However, it was another win with hints
that there’s more to come when the telepathy develops still further among the
players, and puts further clear blue water between this season and last.
Harrison Iwunze goes into this game with
five goals in seven games, stats that will give the opposition cause for
concern, and those stats don’t even begin to describe what an unplayable
handful he can be away from his goalscoring. He and Cawley Cox looked dangerous
as a pair in the second half on Saturday – will Aaron Downes gamble on starting
with a front two?
Kam Kandola comes back into contention
here following suspension and will presumably start in midfield with the back
four looking settled, although Preston Bitemo is looking more and more
accomplished as a defensive midfielder.
Selection headaches in terms of which
combination of strikers to go for and whether to start with Kandola, who has
been magnificent so far, or Bitemo, who is emerging as a proper player, bode
very well for a play-off push. If everyone can keep their feet on the ground
and continue to work hard for each other who knows what’s possible. Shrewsbury
next season? It looks like they’re fully committed to doing their bit to make
that a reality in getting relegated.
Theo Richardson continues to sparkle in
goal, and Saturday’s game could have had a very different outcome without him.
Kyle Howkins continues to be at the peak of his form, the other three
defenders are all contributing skilfully and significantly, and it’s been a joy
to witness Harry Tustin evolve from boy to man in a white shirt over the course
of the end of last season and the start of this one.
The hosts have the momentum of promotion
behind them, a perfect home record and some very good players in their ranks,
and as such should offer a good deal more than a limited Spennymoor did on
Saturday. Harry Pell described the Spennymoor game as a banana skin. This looks
to be far more of one. It’s a tricky one, but they’ll be thinking the same
about the visit of Hereford, and they’re right to. This Bulls side is a good
one, with the promise of more to come.
Another win could see Hereford go into
Saturday’s home game with South Shields as favourites, and what an indication
of progress that would be.
COYW
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