REACTION | Lewis Hudson - Hereford FC 2-1 Marine

Man of the match Lewis Hudson gives his post match reaction to tonights 2-1 win over Marine. Click on the play button to hear his thoughts.

REACTION | Aaron Downes- Hereford FC 2-1 Marine

Aaron Downes gives his post match reaction to tonight's 2-1 win over Marine. Click on the play button to hear his thoughts.

Tuesday’s Enterprise National League North results and updated table

Two results in the Enterprise National League North:

Hereford (0) 2-1 (0) Marine
Macclesfield (0) 2-1 (0) Southport

The updated league table can be found here: https://bullsnews.blogspot.com/p/league-table.html

Skinner the hero as Bulls edge closer to safety

An Aaron Skinner penalty in stoppage time has seen Hereford beat Marine and edge closer to National League North safety. A win was essential to avoid relegation and Cormac Daly scored the opener six minutes into the second half after a frustrating first 45. But McDonald pegged the Bulls back, and in controversial circumstances after the referee failed to spot a foul in the box in the build up. But with a penalty in the dying stages, Skinner didn’t let the pressure and expectation get to him as he restored the one goal advantage.

HUST Golden Goal Winning Time vs Marine AFC

Tonight's Golden Goal Winning Time... 

#AreYouAWinner

HUST 50/50 Matchday Draw Winning Numbers vs Marine AFC

Tonight's 50/50 Matchday Draw winning numbers... 

#AreYouAWinner

❗Tickets still unclaimed from previous matches - Check your pockets!

If you have one of the unclaimed winning tickets, please email finance@hust.org.uk with photo evidence of your ticket and we will pay out by bank transfer. Or bring it to Addison’s Reception next home game.

Goalless at the break

It’s goalless at the break between Hereford and Marine.

Marine have frustrated the Bulls, wasting time and dominating possession. Hereford have rarely threatened, using ineffective long balls in a drab first half. 

Hereford team news as Bulls need vital win against Marine

This evening's Hereford side to take on Marine is in. It's a crucial game at Edgar Street and without a win, the Bulls will be all but relegated.

Richardson, Skinner, Hudson, Preston, D'Ath, Lane, Munday, Daly, Willcox, Tustin, Howkins.

Subs: Williams, Oppong, Quansah, Martin, Lewis, Hamilton, James

Permutations for tonight

So, how are your nerves?

Hereford host Marine tonight (Tuesday) in their penultimate match of the season.

Arguably, it's the biggest game in the club's history after they reformed in the wake of Hereford United going bust. 

Win, and barring a mad turn of results, the Bulls will stay up with another win on Saturday against Peterborough Sports.

Anything else and Aaron Downes' side will have to rely on favours elsewhere. 

The worse case scenario is is obviously a loss. If that happens, then Hereford are all but down. That is due to Alfreton and Curzon Ashton playing each other on Saturday, and King's Lynn's goal difference being far better. 

How the bottom of the league looks

19: King's Lynn P44 GD -8 Pts 51

20: Curzon Ashton P44 GD -21 Pts 51

21: Alfreton P44 GD -33 Pts 49

22: Hereford P43 GD -16 Pts 48

Hereford's Replica Kit On Sale

 

Hereford's relica kit from the current season has gone on sale.

It's the last kit to feature Dawleys on the front.

For example an adult home shirt is reduced from £49.50 to £20.00 

More details: https://hereford-fc.myshopify.com/collections/2025-26-replica-kit 

Tickets Remain Available For Tonight's Crucial Game

Tickets remain available for tonight's crucial game at Edgar Street between Hereford and Marine.

Whilst there are limited seats left in certain areas, many other areas including the Meadow End have 'good availability'.

Below is the picture released by the club at 1pm.

 

Chairman Mentions 'Jamo' Video In His Programme Notes

 

In his programme notes for tonight's game Hereford FC chairman Chris Ammonds mentions a video, filmed at last Saturday's game, he has seen about remembering 'Jamo'.

'I’d also like to mention a video that I have seen
circulating showing the Meadow End choir serenading
Maurice Plumridge – ‘Jamo’s Dad’ – in the 22nd minute
at the game. For those of you that may not know, Jamo
was a supporter who we sadly lost earlier in the season
– aged just 22 – whose memory is now being carried
by many supporters who travel home and away.
 

The video shows Jamo’s dad’s reaction to our first
goal (remarkably timed as being in the 22nd minute)
and then him being serenaded by the Meadow End.
As he then makes his way back away from the centre
of the Meadow End, the camera turns to see Harry
Tustin firing in our second goal, before capturing the
celebrations of players and fans alike.
 

The video is a clear demonstration of what this club
means to so many, and it also shows how it can bring
people to together in the most difficult of times to
support each other.
 

It’s a lesson to us all in terms of sticking together
and looking after each other, and whatever happens
between now and 2:30pm on Saturday afternoon,
I think we should all do everything we can to remember that.'

Tough For Me To Leave Hereford Said Donawa

 

Justin Dowana has said that it was tough to leave Hereford.

Dowana has returned to Bermuda along with his partner and so has ended his English football career.

"We decided to move home for family reasons," Donawa told The Royal Gazette.

"It’s always hard leaving a club when you enjoy being there. But it was much tougher for me because leaving Hereford meant I was also bringing an end to my professional football career in the UK.

"Nevertheless, Hereford is an amazing club with a great fanbase, caring staff and has a history of Bermudian players. I’m grateful that it was the last stop on my journey."

Dowana's partner is Keunna Gill. They have a one year old daughter.

"Mainly our priorities have changed since we’ve had our daughter and that was essentially the main factor behind things," said Gill.

"Both Justin and I were getting later in our careers and we just thought it was time to move back home.

"The decision was made independent of football, but obviously if we could have both we would love to have done that."

Gill has played for FC United of Manchester this season. But last weekend she played for Bermuda in the Concacaf Women’s Qualifier against Grenada and scored four goals in their 5-3 victory.

"I’m extremely proud of her and the performance she had on Saturday night," said Dowana.

."To be able to play for your country and score four goals at home in front of your family and friends is a massive achievement.

"It was even more special because our daughter got to see her mother have one of the best games of her football career, and it’s the first time I’ve been able to watch her play live for Bermuda as well."

Munday Or Willo For The Ipoua Role?

In Mark Jones's preview of tonight's game at Edgar Street, he mentioned 'that wonderful May night against Morecambe in the Conference play-off semi-final' and asked if George Munday could play the Guy Ipoua role.

What he didn't mention was that Andy Williams played in that game and scored one of Hereford's three goals, and given that Willo is often used as a substitute these days maybe he can ‘do a Guy’. 

'Why not; he just needs to adopt a French accent and the inability to walk past the front door of a certain city wine bar. Oh, and score a very important goal.' Allez les taureaux!

Cue a look back to Thursday May 11th 2006

Guy's the magic match winner

Finally! They've done it! It's taken three attempts, but Hereford United are through to the Conference play off final for the first time! But they made hard work of it and took the lead three times in total, in an enthrawling second leg encounter at Edgar Street, with Morecambe the visitors.

Unchanged from the first leg were The Bulls, and they began where they left off in the second half from the first leg, which finished 1-1. United were dominant from the start and with just six minutes on the clock Tamika Mkandawire sent the home crowd into raptures, with a fantastic header from Alex Jeannin's corner. The Frenchman though, turned from hero to villan in minutes as Morecambe went down the other end a minute later and Jeannin blatantly fouled in the area, and Wayne Curtis equalised from the penalty spot.

United, with the huge home vocal support behind them all the way, didn't dwell on it however, and continued to dominate, and just five minutes later local lad Andy Williams scored a fantastic goal. Adam Stansfield raced away down the left before nipping a ball inside to Rob Purdie. Purdie played the ball into the feet of Williams who, with his back to goal and a defender behind him, somehow managed to turn and fire, all in one motion, into the bottom corner of the net leaving 'keeper Steven Drench stranded.

Minutes later, the visitors were almost on level terms again when Mkandawire headed a long ball straight into the path of the oh-so-dangerous Michael Twiss, and his first time shot flew inches wide of Wayne Brown's post. Simon Travis then went close for Hereford, as he stung the hands of Drench with a drive from twenty-five yards, before he crossed for Williams, but his header was easy for the loanee 'keeper. Morecambe enjoyed a good spell of play for around ten minutes before half time, but they couldn't make anything of it. Hereford though, finished the half more brightly, and went in at the break 2-1 up.

The Shrimpers were to enjoy another good spell after the interval, not because of they're renewed approach after the restart, but because United gave them much more time on the ball in the middle. And Hereford paid the price for this. With eight minutes of the half gone Danny Carlton broke in behind the Bull's backline, forced a save from Brown at a tight angle, but the ball fell into the path of Twiss who netted from a central position.

Hereford should have equalised almost immediately, but first the tenacious Andy Ferrell was denied, following Williams' cross, by a great save at the far post and then, with Drench stranded but a crowd of players to avoid, Purdie struck the foot of the post from the edge of the box before the ball was put behind. Morecambe took control of the game once again for a period in a second half that they had the better of, and so Graham Turner made a double change, on seventy three minutes, with Stansfield and Jeannin - who had a poor game in all honesty - making way for Stuart Fleetwood and Jamie Pitman. Simon Travis went to left back.

Curtis almost grabbed an astonishing second, but his thunderbolt from thirty yards flashed just inches over the bar, and then the man of the moment, Guy Ipoua, was introduced with eight minutes remaining. However, he didn't make his impact until the game had gone into extra time, having finished 2-2 after ninety minutes.

The first half of extra time saw chances for both and Brown had to pull off a good low save from Gary Thompson while Purdie, at the other end, almost stole in as the Morecambe defence left a long ball go through to Drench. In the second half, Twiss forced Brown into another good low save, shooting from the left early on, before Ipoua produced the magic. He raced on to, yes actually ran, a long ball and managed to beat two defenders to the ball and knock it on for himself with his head, before it bounced at a perfect height for him to smash stunningly, from around twelve yards out to the right of the box, into the far top corner of the net, causing scenes of mayhem in the stands among the Hereford fans in a crowd of 6,278 (including 528 away fans).

Hereford played out the rest of the half with their backs to the wall, pretty much, but did it well with the full backing of the Hereford faithful. Fleetwood had a good chance on the break to double the advantage when Purdie played him through, but he failed in rounding the goalie, not that it really mattered. The final whistle was blown after two minutes of injury time - cue mass celebrations, including a pitch invasion from the Hereford fans. Once the pitch was cleared, the players came back out for a lap of honour, and the delight was there to see for everyone!

It was, all in all, a very entertaining game helped by two sides who went out to play football and win. The atmosphere from both sets of fans was a credit to their clubs, and must have been a huge help to both teams. Now we need to do it all again in Leicester!

HUFC: Brown, Green, Mkandawire, Beckwith, Jeannin, Purdie, Ferrell, Stanley, Travis, Williams, Stansfield. Subs: Mawson, Pitman, Carey-Bertram, Fleetwood, Ipoua.

 

National League Ups and Downs

This from The Alty Files:

NATIONAL LEAGUE UPS AND DOWNS

This summer, the four relegated clubs from the National League will be, in ascending order, Truro City, Braintree Town, Morecambe and Brackley Town. Three of those four have spent just a single season at this level this time around, with Truro and Brackley returning immediately to step two and Morecambe suffering a second successive relegation from the EFL 2 status they held last season.

The fourth relegated team, Braintree Town, only survived two seasons at this level following their promotion to national level in 2024.

National League Promotion:

• Promoted to EFL2 as Champions: Either York City or Rochdale.
• Play-off qualifiers: Carlisle United, Boreham Wood, Scunthorpe United, Southend United and Forest Green Rovers. Only Southend of this group was a National League club last season, as Carlisle and FGR were in EFL2, whilst Boreham Wood and Scunthorpe United were in Step 2.

  The Eliminator ties are already partly determined with Boreham Wood and Scunthorpe United assured of being the home teams and their specific opponents being either Southend United or Forest Green Rovers.

National League North:

• Possible Champions: AFC Fylde or South Shields
• Relegated: Leamington, Peterborough Sports with two other places to be decided from Hereford FC, Alfreton Town, Curzon Ashton or King's Lynn Town.

National League South:

• Possible Champions: One of Worthing, Hornchurch, Dorking Wanderers or Hemel Hempstead Town
• Relegated: Eastbourne Borough, Enfield, Chippenham Town and Bath City.

 

New Home And Away Kit For Hereford

As mentioned in our news round up earlier, Hereford FC have released images of next season's home and away kit.

The shirts will have Autopack on the front and Forever United on the back. 

 The club would like supporters to vote on which version they prefer.

You can do this by going to this link: https://herefordfc.co.uk/2026/04/vote-pick-the-bulls-kits-for-2026-27/

Update: Initial view of the shirts from supporters posting on various sites suggest many are not impressed. 

News Round Up

Chelmsford have appointed Mark Cooper along with John Still to take control.

Aldershot have terminated the contract of manager John Coleman.

Hereford FC have released new kit designs for 2026/27 and asked supporters to vote on them.

Malcolm Cowell, who is well known to Hereford supporters, has been voted club person of the year at Solihull Moors. 

Alive and kicking

Hereford FC host Marine on Tuesday night in a drab end-of-season encounter with nothing riding on it for either side.

No, of course it’s not that, it’s massive, again, and yet another nailbiter. This is exhausting!

The Bulls kept their survival hopes alive with the required win against Radcliffe on Saturday, but need to do exactly the same here to maximise their chances of escaping relegation on Saturday. The club once more controls its own destiny, in that winning each of the remaining two games will be enough. Sounds easy, but if those 180+ minutes run entirely without a hitch it’ll be something of a (very pleasant) surprise.

Marine had an excellent start to the season and were fifth when this match was originally scheduled. They’ve slipped since then, and with perfect timing this is the first game where they officially have nothing to play for but pride, and comes off the back of two consecutive defeats. They’ve lost six of their last eight games, and lost to a last-gasp Alfreton goal on Saturday. They don’t tend to draw away from home and they’re in no way prolific scorers. Dare I say that their profile very closely matches Radcliffe’s going into this game.

Just a fortnight ago, Hereford held on to win 1-0 against them on Merseyside, and doing the double here will put the hosts in a strong position on Saturday to beat the drop, given some of the tricky assignments their relegation rivals are up against, and the home game Hereford have against Peterborough, who will make the trip having lost 8-0 last weekend. That’s not to say Saturday’s not going to be incredibly nervy though, even if three points are secured against Marine. Exactly the same application and energy will have to go into that final game, with no feeling that the job has been done and that it’s a gimme. It won’t be.

The only result contemplatable here is the home win of course, but just for the record a draw wouldn’t condemn the Bulls to the Southern League, but a loss would. The club is still on very thin ice.

Aaron Skinner will be required to keep Marine’s big threat Fin Sinclair-Smith quiet. The diminutive ex-Radcliffe left-winger is having a fruitful season and will give the Hereford defence plenty to think about. The Hereford right back was preferred in that position on Saturday to Joseph James, with Matt Preston coming back into central defence. An unchanged line-up - injuries, aches and pains permitting - looks likely.

The bench will see a change though, as Harrison Sohna will be suspended for this game as a result of his pivotal sending off last Tuesday against Oxford. Lawson Dath will hopefully be fit enough to start again in the middle of the park alongside Freddy Willcox.

George Munday seems to have rediscovered his goalscoring form at just the right time, and the whole ground bar 30-or-so Liverpudlians will be praying that the 19-year-old can add to his ten for the season here, preferably with another early goal.

Collectively on Saturday the side did very well to tough it out against Radcliffe when necessary, but not to descend to their bafflingly unpleasant level, and crucially no-one in a white shirt got sent off. Marine should be more up for an actual game of football, but hopefully up for it in quite a wishy-washy end-of-season way.

A beautiful, bright spring evening is forecast, which brings to mind that wonderful May night against Morecambe in the Conference play-off semi-final which feels quite recent but was probably a thousand years ago. Just checked – 20 years ago – gulp. This game is of the same magnitude.

The same outcome delivered in slightly more straightforward fashion in front of similarly boisterous home support would be something worthy of adding to the Edgar Street scrapbook, a ground whose rustingly adorable fixtures and fittings have witnessed some cracking evenings over the years. Can George Munday play the Guy Ipoua role? Why not; he just needs to adopt a French accent and the inability to walk past the front door of a certain city wine bar. Oh, and score a very important goal.

Back then, received wisdom when winning the toss was to attack the Meadow End in the second half. Under Aaron Downes the approach seems to be to go down the slope in the first half and attempt to build an unassailable lead early. Given how often the Bulls have had to attempt to claw their way back into games in the second half this season that seems sensible, and is paying dividends. It would be nice to think that this can be put to bed in the first half courtesy of a blizzard of irresistible attacking football from the home side, with the visitors defending like rabbits trapped in headlights. Admittedly rabbits not trapped in headlights wouldn’t be much good at defending either, but you know what I mean.

If this group of players can pull this survival off it’ll be an achievement to match any in the short history of the phoenix club, and they’ll deservedly be very fondly remembered by supporters for a very long time.

Is this finally to be a Tuesday night that ends jubilantly? Surely it has to be. Will this season finally deliver something over the next five days to have made the pain of August to mid-April worth the suffering? Hopefully. Will Madou Cisse come off the bench to score the winning goal here? No.

COYW

List Of Remaining National North League Fixtures

Below is a list of the remaining fixtures in the National North League this season.

There are two tomorrow evening, one of those involving Hereford and twelve on Saturday all of which kick-off at 12.30pm. 

Tuesday:

Hereford v Marine

Macclesfield v Southport

Saturday:

Alfreton v Curzon Ashton

Bedford v Scarborough

Buxton v Leamington

Chester v Kings Lynn

Chorley v Worksop

Darlington v Oxford City

Hereford v Peterborough Sports

Kidderminster v South Shields

Merthyr v AFC Fylde

Radcliffe v Macclesfield

Southport v AFC Telford

Spennymoor v Marine 

Munday In National North League Team Of The Week

 

Hereford striker George Munday has been included in the National North League team of the week.

He scored twice for the Bulls against Radcliffe last Saturday and helped ensure they took three points from the game. 

Hereford 10/11 To Take Three Points From Marine

Mark Derricott Scored For Hereford Against Marine Last Season

 Two games left for Hereford to avoid relegation, the first of which is against Marine tomorrow evening at Edgar Street.

The bookmakers have priced a Hereford win at 10/11.

Last Saturday Hereford defeated Radcliffe (14th) 3-1 whilst Marine (12th) lost their home game against Alfreton (21st) 3-2.

Currently Hereford are 22nd in the National North League table with 48 points from 44 games, Marine are 12th with 61 points also from 44 games.

Hereford's home form is won 8, drawn 3 and lost 10.

Marine's away form is also won 8, drawn 3 and lost 10. 

Goal difference, Hereford's is minus 16, Marine's is minus 9.

Recent form:

Hereford LWWDLW

Marine LWLWLL 

Hereford 10/11  Draw 3/1 Marine 9/4 

Badges On Sale At Marine Match

A large selection of HFC pin badges will be on sale pre match this Tuesday v Marine. 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 will go directly to HFC.

All Eyes On Hereford

Chris Lakey is head of sport at the Eastern Daily Press.

After watching Kings Lynn draw with Chorley yesterday he commented about the relegation battle at the bottom of the National North League.

'All eyes will be on Hereford’s home match against Marine on Tuesday.

If the hosts win they are a place behind Lynn on goal difference only. 

If they draw they join Curzon Ashton, two points behind Lynn.

 If they lose they are likely to be relegated – except that their last game is against Peterborough Sports who were thumped 8-0 on Saturday. Coincidentally, that is how many they are behind Lynn on goal difference after the weekend games.

The other game pits Alfreton against Curzon , the two teams sandwich by Lynn and Hereford. A draw would mean Lynn need a point at Chester, given their goal difference advantage over Curzon. Any other result and Lynn must also win.' 

Bottom of the National North League

19 Kings Lynn 45/51 GD -8

20 Curzon Ashton 45/51 GD -21

21 Alfreton 45/49  GD -33

22 Hereford 44/48 GD -16

Both Peterborough Sports (23) and Leamington (24) are already relegated. 

 Hereford play Marine on Tuesday Evening.

 

More After Ninety Minutes Pictures From Yesterday At Edgar Street

A second selection of pictures from after the final whistle at Edgar Street yesterday.

 

After The Final Whistle Hereford v Radcliffe

Hereford's supporters cheered their team off the pitch following their 3-1 win over Radcliffe yesterday.