22 Years Ago Today

On this very day in 2003 Hereford United took the short trip up the A49 to the Gay Meadow.

Bulls fail to tame Shrews

Shrewsbury Town 4 - 1 Hereford United

Shrewsbury Town hammered Hereford United in this local derby, and the Bulls' big following who made the trip up the A49 were left sorely disappointed.

Hereford missed out on the services of the suspended Michael Rose, so Dean Craven continued at left-back, and Jamie Pitman slotted back into midfield. Ex-Shrewsbury skipper Andy Tretton was again absent with his long-term injury. Shrewsbury boss Jimmy Quinn was without top scorer Luke Rodgers, but included new loan signing Graham Potter from Boston United in his squad.

The home side dominated the first half, and Kevin Street and Duane Darby both forced their way into the United box and looking likely to score before the deadlock was broken on thirteen minutes. The Bulls had grounds for a penalty after twelve minutes, but this was dismissed by the referee, and so Shrewsbury took control. A cracking twenty-five yard scorcher from Martin O'Connor opened the scoring; a deflection helped it on its way past Matt Baker.

United created very little. With eight minutes of the half left, Colin Cramb doubled the advantage after Ryan Lowe flicked on a long throw, and the ex-Doncaster Rovers striker hammered the ball into the top corner.

It could have been 3-0 by half time, had Duane Darby reacted better to a Paul Parry clearance, and Tamika Mkandawire blocked a fierce strike from Jamie Tolley.

After the restart, it was more of the same, although Danny Williams did force two good saves out of Scott Howie, both from long-range, to ease the pressure. Ryan Lowe, though, found Kevin Street at the back post on fifty five minutes and the ex-Bristol Rovers midfielder tapped the ball into the net to extend Shrewsbury's advantage further.

Darby was then denied by the foot of Dean Craven when a goal looked likely, and a Matt Baker save from a long-range Lowe effort revealed his alertness. The follow-up, by Colin Cramb, was quickly removed by Tamika Mkandawire.

With ten minutes left, a Luke Rodgers cross allowed Darby to run onto the ball and he slotted it home for Shrewsbury's fourth. United, though, found on and looked for a goal. They injected new life through David Brown and Daniel Carey-Bertram in the second period and got a consolation two minutes from time. Jamie Pitman picked up the ball twenty five yards out, hooked it over the mass in the area, and Tamika Mkandawire broke free to make it 4-1.

 

Written by Terry Goodwin - 22nd November 2003.

Shrewsbury Town	Hereford United
Scott Howie	Matt Baker
Darren Moss	Ryan Green
Dave Ridler	Dean Craven
Darren Tinson	Jamie Pitman
Graham Porter	Tamika Mkandawire
Ryan Lowe	Tony James (captain)
Martin O'Connor (off, 67 minutes)	Danny Williams
Jamie Tolley	Ben Smith (off, 73 minutes)
Kevin Street	Rob Purdie (off, half time)
Colin Cramb	Steve Guinan
Duane Darby	Paul Parry
Subs	Subs
Jake Sedgemore	Ben Scott
Jimmy Quinn	David Brown (on, 73 minutes)
Luke Rodgers (on, 67 minutes)	Richard Teesdale
Ian Dunbavin	Danny Carey-Bertram (on, half time)
Ian Fitzpatrick	Jordan King
Yellow cards	Yellow cards
Dave Ridler (foul, 15 minutes)	-
Darren Moss (unsporting behaviour, 84 minutes)	-
Duane Darby (unsporting behaviour, 88 minutes)	-
Red cards	Red cards
-	-
Scorers	Scorers
Martin O'Connor (13 minutes)	Tamika Mkandawire (88 minutes)
Coln Cramb (37 minutes)	-
Kevin Street (55 minutes)	-
Duane Darby (80 minutes)	-
-	-
Man of the Match	Not awarded
Attendance	6585
Referee	Mr. R. Pollock (Liverpool)

Shrewsbury played well

Graham Turner could have little complaint about the scoreline but he was critical of the referee's decision not to award the Bulls a penalty near the start of the game.

"Shrewsbury played well and probably outbattled us. They were more determined than us," said Turner, talking to BBC Radio Shropshire. "I thought cast-iron penalty at no goals for us. I think the difficulty for the referee was that he would have had to send the lad off but he didn't give it and Shrewsbury went down the other end with a wicked deflection for the first goal.

"Sometimes decisions like that do change games and I felt that was the case. That's not being wise after a 4-1 defeat. I don't complain too much about referees but that decision I could not understand.

"That knocked us down a notch or two. After that I have to say that Shrewsbury looked a good side and caused us problems. We were out-muscled and out-fought", he said.

"I thought we started to pass the ball well just before Shrewsbury scored and got into some good areas but the goal gave them a lift at home and the crowd got behind them. And then they got another one fairly quickly and if you can't play well when you're 2-0 up then there is something wrong.

"They will be in contention at the end of the season. It's been an embarrassing scoreline. I feel for our supporters. We brought up a terrific following here," Turner remarked.

We will have to perform on Tuesday

It isn't a case a doom and gloom, but the Bulls will have to perform on Tuesday against Halifax, said Richard O'Kelly after the defeat this afternoon.

"It will knock us back if we do not get a favourable result," O'Kelly told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

Defending the Bulls against criticism that other clubs have sussed out Hereford tactics, he said: "If you move the ball around you will create chances, but today we had opportunities to pull the trigger at times or deliver a cross in there or to get a body in there. We did not do it."

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury manager Jimmy Quinn thought that the Shrews deserved to win the game. But he did think that Hereford "will be there or there abouts (the top of the league) at the end of the season."

He said: "Hereford are a decent side but it's our best performance this season."

The crowd at the Gay Meadow of 6,585 was the highest this season in the Conference with about 2000 from Hereford in attendance. 

Parker's Loan Spell Ends

 

Michael Parker's second loan spell from West Brom with Hereford FC has come to an end.

He would have featured for the Bulls against Scarborough tomorrow but that game has been called off.

Parker has been an influential player for the club throughout both loan spells. 

The left-sided defender made 10 appearances for the Bulls during his time at the MandM Edgar Street Stadium and netted his first senior goal against South Shields in October.  

This Weekend's National North Preview

The winter cold snap is settling in as we head into another Enterprise National League North weekend.

So who will warm things up before another FA Cup hiatus next weekend?

Darlington hit five in midweek and want to keep their momentum rolling against North East neighbours Spennymoor Town.

It was Peterborough Sports on the wrong side of that Quakers drubbing midweek.

The Turbines host expectation-defying Radcliffe who have lost just once in their last 11 league games - averaging almost three goals a game in the same period.

A familiar feeling for Oxford City earlier this week - defeat on the road.

Ross Jenkins' side have just two points on their travels all season and head to Marine.

Two sides are vying for this weekend's top spot.

AFC Fylde - who have just one win in their last five home games - host Buxton while current leaders South Shields head to AFC Telford United.

Kidderminster Harriers have a score to settle with Southport this weekend.

The last time the Harriers travelled to Haig Avenue there was the small issue of the title on the line but the Port played party-poopers. 

But no home win since mid-August for the hosts will give Adam Murray's side hope.

Scarborough Athletic are almost perfect at home - but their game with Hereford is subject to a Friday-afternoon pitch inspection. - Match Postponed

Merthyr Town owe a lot to 18-goal man Ricardo Rees for their form of late.

He has seven in his last three games with Alfreton in town next.

In-form Macclesfield head to King's Lynn Town who have just one league win to their name since the end of August.

That came against Leamington who prop the division up - they head to Chester who are desperate for a win after their 'frustrating' defeat to Clitheroe in the FA Trophy last week.

Chorley - who were third in late September - are winless ten games and slipping fast and host Bedford Town while there FA Trophy victors Worksop Town see the visit of Curzon Ashton.

Scarborough Game Called Off

This from Scarborough FC:

Following a pitch inspection at Bridlington this afternoon, unfortunately we have to inform supporters that tomorrow's game is postponed. 

An early inspection was necessary due to Hereford's travel arrangements. 

We will inform supporters of the rearranged date once agreed. 

No Flamingo

Pending an imminent pitch inspection, it’s back to league action for Hereford FC this weekend as they travel up to Bridlington to face Scarborough, following a much-needed break from the National League North last Saturday, which saw smooth progress made into the next round of the FA Trophy.

This will be the Seadogs fourth season in the NLN, although it’s a challenging one for them following a sky-high quote for a plastic pitch replacement at the Flamingo Land Stadium, which has left them playing home games this season twenty miles down the coast.

Echoes here of Farsley’s implosion last season, so fingers crossed that they can get it sorted as quickly as possible, given that Celtic ended up getting dumped in step 5 as a result of their own plastic pitch issues.

I suggested pre-season that the pitch situation might make Scarborough outside bets for relegation, but they started superbly and were in the top three for a while. Not unusually my Mystic Meg powers weren’t much cop, although in my defence I did also suggest that Radcliffe could be NLN promotion dark horses, which they are being, and they’ll be tough opponents in the next round of the Trophy.

Scarborough have now slipped a bit but still occupy a play-off position. That slippage is largely due to a run of four straight losses recently against Telford, Marine, South Shields and Worksop. They stopped that particular rot with a win at Curzon Ashton, and it’s that sort of result that’s probably a fairer reflection of how challenging they’ll be as opponents, ie difficult for a Hereford side short on confidence. This notion is backed up by the fact that they beat Fylde and a flying Merthyr earlier in the season.

Given that they’re merely tenants at Bridlington’s Mounting Systems Stadium (how boring is that name compared to the Flamingo Land Stadium?!), their record there is superb. They’ve won six of seven games.

They’re typically a good-to-watch passing team. Luca Colville, Alex Purver and Harry Green have all shown themselves to be smart and creative midfielders against Hereford before. Dom Tear always weighs in with goals, but the big success story for them this season has been ex-Middlesbrough youngster Stephen Walker, who joined in February from Whitby. He has nine goals in 14 league games.

Last weekend though the Seadogs were dumped out of the Trophy, losing 1-0 at Leek.

Hereford yet again conceded earlyish against Sudbury last weekend, but stormed back for a comfortable win. It may be of lower importance as a competition, but could that Trophy win be a springboard to bounce on to better things in the league? It’s an inconvenient truth that as we approach late November Hereford have failed to beat any of the sides in the top half of the division, other than Buxton who are 11th, so far this season. If they can buck that trend here something special could finally start to happen.

Matt Preston will be back for this one having sat out the Trophy game serving a one-match ban.

Sam Osborne, with three goals last Saturday, continues to be one of the season’s redeeming features, and could well go on to be the side’s top scorer this season. It would be nice to think that some sort of deal can be struck with Alfreton to make his move south a more concrete one, for the rest of this season and ideally the next.

Big performances from recent hat-trick heroes Osborne and Omari Sterling James will be key here to giving the hosts something to worry about.

Harley Hamilton is back in contention here having been cup-tied last weekend, and has shown enough already so far since his arrival from Alvechurch to suggest that he could contribute to a turnaround in the Bulls’ fortunes.

The biggest squad news of the week though was Jaiden White’s return on loan from Sutton. The player seemed to improve markedly during his last spell at Edgar Street, and also connected really well with younger supporters. He also seemed genuinely sorry to go, although no-one could blame him for stepping up a level. Montel Gibson’s return earlier in the season was of course the dampest of squibs, but Jaiden could make a real difference between now and January, when the loan deal expires. After all, you can’t always rely on your midfielders getting hat-tricks each week.

Well done also to Paul Caddis for getting the deal done, a deal no doubt made easier by the part the manager played in improving the player and forming a good working relationship with him last season.

It would have been depressingly difficult to make a case for Hereford getting anything out of this prior to the FA Trophy game, but five goals away from home last week should have given the squad a confidence boost regardless of the quality of the opposition, and is something to build on as they look to climb away from the relegation places.

A clean sheet and solidly organised defensive display would be a nice early Christmas present too.

COYW

3UP Campaign Gets Backing From Two League Two Managers

The 3UP campaign from the National League has been backed by two League Two managers.

This from the National League: 

Two former title winners have put their hands up to say it’s high time a formal proposal was put into place and the wheels were set in motion for an additional promotion spot to be made available.

Dean Brennan, a champion at Barnet seven months ago, has added his voice after Colchester United manager Danny Cowley - Lincoln City’s championship-winning boss back in 2017 - had some strong things to say about out the imbalance.

“I think personally I’d like to see that change,” said Cowley when asked on last weekend's Day Of Action. “At the moment to get out, it’s so difficult.

“I’m always looking for fairness in life and my wife always tells me not to look for it in football because it doesn’t exist, but I do think it would be fair to have three up, three down in every division.

“In a 24-team division for one to go up and the other one gets a lottery ticket via the play-offs, it’s tough,” added Cowley, who has also managed Braintree Town and Concord Rangers.

“I do like the way the National League do the play-offs because it’s fair and the teams in second and third get rewarded for their position.

“But personally I’d go two up and then another one via the play-offs.”

Brennan and Barnet are enjoying their EFL return but although his argument could, theoretically, damage the Bees’ chances of staying in the 92, he has also demanded justice for those clubs he has left behind.

Speaking to the Football League Paper, he said: “It has to happen.

“The National League is a full-time professional league. Every manager is full-time.

“League clubs need to look at it another way - if you do go down, you get three opportunities to get back up.” 

Pitch Inspection At Bridlington

There will be a pitch inspection at Bridlington tomorrow afternoon at 2.30pm ahead of Saturday's game between Scarborough and Hereford.

Parker Scores For West Brom

 

Michael Parker, the youngster from West Brom currently on loan with Hereford, played for West Brom under 21's yesterday.

They were away at Luton in the PL Cup.

Parker was one of five scorers for the Baggies in their 5-1 victory.

According to the Express and Star:

'Left-back Parker, who has fared well on loan at National League North Hereford this term - rose to tower in a header from the left to regain the lead.' 

THROWBACK THURSDAY | Peterborough United 2-1 Hereford United - FA Cup 1st round replay - 20th November 1990

Hereford knocked out of the FA Cup at London Road, Mel Pejic with the goal.

Peterborough 1 Bradshaw 2 Crosby 3 Luke 4 Halsall 5 Oakes 6 McElhinney 7 Sterling 8 Hine 9 Bremner 10 Riley 11 Butterworth Hereford 1 Wood 2 MA Jones 3 Tester 4 Pejic 5 Peacock 6 Hemming 7 R Jones 8 Narbett 9 Robinson 10 Phillips 11 Lowndes Sub Wheeler Attendance 4,179

Today's Merton Meadow Consultation

Today's Merton Meadow consultation about car parking took place in High Town Hereford. It didn't appear too last that long as it had ended by 2pm.

A few points arising from questions asked by Hereford supporter Colin Butler.

'They said that no development of the main car park will take place until parking is created at the bus station. That will be after the creation of the bus station at the railway station. I did voice my disapproval of the location of the new car park.

Said they are looking in to opening up the fenced off part of the Merton Meadow .

Asked where this consultation was advertised and they said it was on social media.

Also discussed the land that the club have gained at the back of the Meadow End.' 

Waite Joins Eastleigh On Loan

 

Midfielder James Waite has joined Eastliegh on loan from Weston super Mare. He featured for Hereford FC in the 2018/19 season.

'Eastleigh Football Club are pleased to announce the signing of midfielder James Waite from Weston-super-Mare on loan until January.

The 26-year-old Welsh midfielder began his career at Cardiff City, progressing through their academy system before gaining senior experience through loan spells at several clubs, including Hereford and Weston-super-Mare. He later spent time with Waterford and Penybont before returning to Weston, where he became an important part of their midfield setup.

Waite has also represented Wales at under-19 and under-21 level, gaining international experience during European qualifying campaigns.

James Waite commented on the move, saying: “I’m delighted to have joined. As soon as I heard it was possible to come here on loan, I was keen to make it happen. It’s been great to get straight into training, I’ve met all the lads, seen some familiar faces too, which always helps you settle in quicker, and I’m really looking forward to Saturday.

“Most importantly, I’m here to help the team as much as I can over the next couple of months. Hopefully I can show my qualities, especially in the attacking areas, and help create chances as well as chip in with a few goals myself.”' 

Merton Meadow Car Park Consultation

 

A quick reminder that there is a public consultation today in High Town, Hereford about the Merton Meadow Car Park.

The council plan to cut the amount of parking will affect Hereford supporters arriving at games by car.

It is also likely to reduce the numbers of people who wish to shop in the Old Market area. 

Snow Warning For Scarborough

 

The Met Office has issued an amber snow warning for parts of Yorkshire including Scarborough and Bridlington.

The warning is for Thursday.

The amber warning covers the North York Moors - a national park between Middlesborough to Bridlington - with the wild conditions threatening to cut power and mobile phone reception in nearby areas.  

Hereford travel to Bridlington to play Scarborough on Saturday. 

Tonight's National North Results

Two games in the National North League this evening:

Darlington 5 Peterborough Sports 2 (There was a 30 minute delay because of floodlight problems)

South Shields 4 Oxford City 1

South Shields top the table with 39 points, AFC Fylde are back in second with 38 points. 

Also, most importantly, Wales 7 Macedonia 1 in the World Cup Qualifiers. 

 

Caddis Comments On White Return To Edgar Street

 

Hereford FC manager Paul Caddis has commented about the return of Jaiden White to Edgar Street.

Sutton has agreed a loan deal for White at Hereford until January. 

"I am delighted to bring Jaiden back to the club on a short term loan deal," said Caddis.

"He’s a player I have chased for a few months and thankfully the patience has paid off.

“Jaiden is no stranger to our supporters and we all know he’s a talent that can produce something out of nothing. 

"My personal relationship with Jaiden has proved pivotal in him deciding to come back to Hereford over offers higher up the pyramid.

"I’m thrilled to bring Jaiden back into our squad."

White Returns To Hereford On Loan From Sutton

 

Jaiden White has returned to Hereford on a short term loan deal from Sutton.

This from Sutton FC:

Sutton United Football Club can confirm the temporary departure of Jaiden White, who returns to Hereford on loan until January.

White joins a side who currently sit 20th in the National League North, with the Bulls looking to bolster their ranks as they aim to move away from the relegation zone, sitting outside the bottom four on goal difference after failing to win in any of their last six outings.

The 23-year old turned out 29 times for Hereford last season after joining in November 2024 from Redditch United, having impressed on trial in the summer prior to his move to Edgar Street.

He went on to score nine times as Paul Caddis’ side finished tenth in the sixth tier, before making the move to Sutton in the summer as he made the step up to the National League, so far appearing ten times in all competitions including one league start – a 1-0 defeat to Rochdale back in August – while he hasn’t featured at all since the start of September.

White had previously turned out for Kidderminster Harriers, Stafford Rangers, Stourbridge and Redditch as he worked his way up non-league, having originally developed in the youth setups at both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City.

Good luck, Jaiden!

 

FA Trophy Third Round Draw in full

NORTH  (32 CLUBS, 16 TIES)

1 Solihull Moors v AFC Fylde
2 Harborough Town v Carlisle United
3 Alvechurch v Gainsborough Trinity or Alfreton Town
4 Hartlepool United v Anstey Nomads
5 South Shields v Macclesfield
6 Clitheroe v York City
7 Scunthorpe United v Peterborough Sports
8 Worksop Town v Kidderminster Harriers
9 Curzon Ashton v Marine
10 Hereford v Radcliffe
11 Leamington v Rochdale
12 Southport v Leek Town
13 Tamworth v Boston United
14 FC Halifax Town v FC United of Manchester
15 AFC Telford United v Altrincham
16 Gateshead v Morecambe

SOUTH (32 CLUBS, 16 TIES)

1 Boreham Wood v Brackley Town
2 Leatherhead v Harrow Borough
3 Yeovil Town v Maidstone United
4 Forest Green Rovers v Weston Super Mare
5 Hemel Hempstead Town v Horsham
6 Chatham Town v Plymouth Parkway
7 Wealdstone v Cheshunt
8 Dorking Wanderers v Bath City
9 Woking v AFC Totton
10 Dagenham & Redbridge v Hanwell Town
11 Eastleigh v Aldershot Town
12 Southend United v Truro City
13 Ebbsfleet United v Braintree Town
14 Walton & Hersham v Sutton United
15 Gloucester City v Worthing
16 Dover Athletic v Hornchurch

Who Hereford will face in FA Trophy

Hereford have been drawn at home to Radcliffe in the third round of the FA Trophy.

Radcliffe are currently fourth in the National North League table. 

The game will be played on Saturday, 13th December.

 

Winners will receive £4500, losers £1250. 

Hereford In Northern Section For Trophy Draw

Hereford are in the Northern Section for the third round of the FA Trophy.

They have been given ball number 28.

FA Trophy Draw on TalkSport 2

The draw for the third round of the FA Trophy will be live on TalkSport 2 at 3.15pm today.

The National League clubs enter at this stage, with 32 ties split regionally - north and south.

It is unclear at this stage what section Hereford will be in. In the second round, they were in the north, but that could change depending how many 'northern' and 'southern' clubs there are.

The Bulls reached the third round after beating AFC Sudbury 5-1 on Saturday. 

Update: Hereford are in the north section. 

Alexander Confirmed As CEO For National League

The National League have appointed Phil Alexander as its permanent Chief Executive Officer. 

Alexander – who spent over two decades as CEO of Crystal Palace - had initially taken the role on an interim basis in May.

On the appointment, National League Chairman Jack Pearce MBE said: “We are pleased to have confirmed the appointment of Phil Alexander whose years of experience at the highest levels of English football will be of huge benefit to our clubs and their communities.

“The past few months have seen some great work undertaken – not least with our 3UP campaign – and we are looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting future.”

Before his move into football administration, Alexander was England U19 schoolboys captain, played professionally for Norwich City and was a place-kicker for American Football team London Monarchs – winning the World Bowl at Wembley in 1991.

During his 26 years as CEO of Crystal Palace the club won three promotions to the Premier League in 1997, 2004 and 2013 and in May 2022 he was named Premier League CEO of the Year at the Football Business Awards.

After leaving Palace in 2022 he moved on to Wycombe Wanderers as Senior Advisor and most recently Bristol City as CEO.

Phil Alexander said: “I am thrilled to be joining the National League as CEO at such an important time.

“The push for 3UP continues and being included in the scope of the Independent Football Regulator highlights the growth of the game at this level.

“The ambition to be innovative and embrace new technology will establish the League in a unique place in the English football pyramid. I look forward to working with the League’s Board, the staff, member clubs and sponsors to deliver this ambition.”

Consultation On Merton Meadow Plans On Wednesday

There will be a 'public consultation' about the plans for Merton Meadow in High Town on Wednesday.

There have been complaints from Cllr Polly Andrews amidst others that the original consulation was inadequate so this is a chance to express views about what is proposed to the Herefordshire Council.

The Council have reduced the amount of parking at the Merton Meadow car park to allow the constuction of flood ponds.

There are also plans for houses on part of the site which will further reduce the amount of car parking.

Fears have been expressed that this reduction will affect supporters of Hereford FC on match days and also the Old Market Shopping Area. 

Two Midweek National North Fixtures

Two National North League fixtures are set to take place tomorrow evening.

Darlington v Peterborough Sports 

South Shields v Oxford City 

Whilst it looks rather unlikely both Peterborough and Oxford could move above Hereford should they win their games. 

A draw for Oxford would also send them above Hereford on goal average. 

Hereford Supporters At Sudbury

A long day for Hereford supporters in Suffolk yesterday - other than for London Bulls for whom it was quite close.

But an enjoyable one, especially to see five goals. When did Hereford last score five goals in a game?

 

Osborne - I'm Buzzing

Armed with the match ball duly signed, Hereford's hat-trick hero Sam Osborne spoke to the local media after yesterday's FA Trophy tie at Sudbury.

Osborne was asked if it was signed by all the players? 

"It's a little tradition that the lads have got to sign it," said Osborne.

"There were a few nice messages and some I can't say on the air."

As for on the field Osborne said that he was getting chances from the first couple of minutes.

"We were all having chances!

"Obviously it's not the easiest of places to come, even on a day like today, to get goals so I'm buzzing with it."

For his third goal Osborne cut in to his right.

"I scored a few of them last year but playing out on the other side or in a 10 you don't get many opportunities to cut in on your right.

"As soon as I got the ball I knew what I was doing."

For his second goal Osborne chipped the keeper.

"Willo heard me shouting, he thought I was offside but I wasn't.

"Again as soon as I got the ball I knew I was going to do a little dink.

"I kept track of the goals but I can't remember the others."

Can you take this confidence and this form back into the league?

"100 per cent, the Gaffer said at half time that first twenty minutes sums our season up so far. We had chances on goal but we haven't scored and then against the run of play we've conceded. 

"It is down to a few individual errors, we know it hasn't been good enough and we have to change it.

"Tuesday and Thursday the Gaffer really put us through our paces, lads were coming off, bloody hell this has been a tough week going into Saturday.

"You train how you play, he's a big believer in that and so am I.

"We had some really good sessions, tactically some good sessions as well.

"We knew we had a week off as the game was called off on Tuesday, a week to put it right."

Asked by BBC H&W's Carson Wishart how his season was going, Osborne said that it hadn't helped that he didn't have a pre-season.

"I came in and had one game, one ninety minutes and the season was here so I had to use the first three, four games to join the new club and get settled and also get mind and mental fitness up to scrath."

When did you last score a hat-trick?

"At Buxton, I think it was against Darlo, it's always a nice feeling. As soon as you've scored two you want to score three."