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A list of all the fixtures set to take place in the National North League today.
Alfreton v Merthyr
Bedford v Chorley
Buxton v AFC Fylde
Curzon Ashton v Worksop
Hereford v Scarborough
Kidderminster v Southport
Leamington v Chester
Macclesfield v Kings Lynn
Oxford City v Marine
Radcliffe v Peterborough Sports
South Shields v AFC Telford
Spennymoor v Darlington
Midfielder Gus Mufuta is a slight doubt for tomorrow's game against Scarborough according to Hereford manager Aaron Downes.
"There are a few sore and tired bodies after Tuesday," said Downes.
"We had to monitor Gus but I don't expect too many changes.
"A few tired, stiff, sore bodies, I'll have to manage that as we go.
"We're going to have a lot of games in a short space of time so everybody is going to be needed, I reiterated that to the players last night.
"If we have to freshen up I'm not afraid to but at the same time it's really nice to keep continuity if we can.
"So no real concerns, mainly just a little bit of a concern on Gus so we are just monitoring him."
Quotes from https://herefordfc.co.uk/2026/02/interview-aaron-downes-previews-scarborough-athletic/
Scarborough Athletic manager Jonathan Greening says his side are full of belief as they look to strengthen their National League North play-off push this weekend..JPG)
Hereford fans at Redditch for a pre-season friendly in 2023
The Seadogs sit sixth on 49 points and are unbeaten in five matches, with last Saturday’s 1-0 win over Curzon Ashton maintaining momentum at the right time of the season. Despite off-field issues that have seen them play their home fixtures in Bridlington, Greening insists there is a positive feel around the squad.
“We’re on a nice unbeaten run at the moment,” he said. “The boys feel confident. They feel fit. There’s a good energy around the place. We’re getting players back fit, so we’re looking forward to the last few games of the season and see if we can get us in the playoffs.”
Scarborough created numerous chances in the first half against Curzon and Greening felt the margin of victory should have been greater.
“Probably should have scored another two or three,” he said. “The keeper’s made an absolute world-class save to stop Rio [Allen]. He’s probably had another three or four attempts. Probably should have had a hat-trick first half.”
With heavy conditions making the second period more of a battle, Greening was pleased with the professionalism his side showed to see the game out.
“The main aim is a clean sheet,” he added. “We’ve got the clean sheet, we’ve got the 1-0, we’ve got the three points, so everyone’s happy.”
Attention now turns to Saturday’s trip to Redditch to face Hereford, with the Bulls sitting 23rd on 25 points, eight adrift of safety but boosted by Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Darlington.
During the interview last Saturday, Greening admitted he was still awaiting confirmation of the venue but said preparation would remain the same.
“If it’s on a 3G pitch, probably even better for us because our boys are used to it,” he said. "We train on it on a Tuesday and Thursday. We’ll have no complaints about bobbles or heavy pitches if it’s on a 3G pitch.”
Hereford will be hoping for back-to-back wins for the first time in the league this season, with new boss Aaron Downes now having had a training session with his squad - having first met them less than two hours before kick-off on Tuesday.
Hereford FC manager Arron Downes has told Your Hereford that it had been a whirlwind week.
Downes was only appointed last Monday and faces his second game in charge tomorrow.
"It’s been a busy and productive few days, but very enjoyable. I found out I had the job on Monday morning, and then it was a case of sorting everything out and getting things done as we had a game against a very good Darlington side the following day.
"I knew that Tuesday evening was the first time I would meet most of the players. I’ve played against some of them in the past, but a lot of them I will be meeting for the first time on Tuesday at 6pm. So I needed to devise a game plan that would suit the personnel we had and also provide support for Willo (Andy Williams) up top."
Downes brought in two players, Harry Tustin and Freddy Wilcox, from Cheltenham before Tuesday's game.
"The lads were brilliant and were part of a superb team performance. They are the type of players that will run through a brick wall for you. They will both go on to have great careers in the game. Other clubs were interested in bringing them in, but I would like to think my Cheltenham connections got them here, and they will both play a big part for this football club."
Downes has also brought in former Hereford United player Harry Pell as his assistant.
"It was an easy decision to bring Harry in. He is such a knowledgeable person with an unbelievable attitude. Even though we are best friends, he does things differently for me and our dynamic works really well. The backroom team that I have inherited has been first class too, and I would like to mention Adam Rooney as well, whose contribution has been superb.
"I’ve known “Roons” for a long time, and he’s probably not ready for 90 minutes just yet, but his impact from the substitutes’ bench was so influential on Tuesday, and he is able to encourage the team on the pitch as well for me.”
Downes is hopeful another player will be joining soon.
"I’ve been speaking to somebody who we are close to agreeing to ahead of today or early next week, but we will have to wait and see what happens with that. There are so many games to play. As an example, around Easter it will be Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday, so we will need the bodies in."
Read more at: https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/sports-news/football-hereford-fc-manager-aaron-downes-speaks-about-a-whirlwind-week/
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| Dylan Mitchell |
He then had loan spells at Hereford, Weston-Super-Mare and Leamington but couldn't break through into the title-chaser's side.
Worksop Town midfielder Martin Woods has left the club after joining the Tigers in July 2025.
The experienced 39-year-old arrived following a spell with Boston United, where he helped the Pilgrims win the National League North play-offs in 2023/24 and briefly served as interim head coach.
Woods, a former Leeds United and Sunderland midfielder, brought significant EFL and Scottish Premiership experience to Worksop ahead of their return to the National League North.
Spennymoor Town defender Dan Rowe has joined Northern Premier League East leaders Redcar Athletic for an undisclosed fee.
Rowe made 53 appearances and scored five goals after arriving in summer 2024.
Moors boss Graeme Lee said the centre-back expressed a desire to “explore opportunities to move on”, adding the club only wants players who “absolutely want to be here”. He leaves with the club’s thanks and best wishes for the future.
National League side Brackley Town have recalled goalkeeper Jonny Maxted from his loan at National League North outfit Oxford City following an injury in their goalkeeping department.
The 32-year-old only joined Oxford in January on a deal until the end of the season. Maxted, who helped Brackley win the National League North title last term, now returns to St James Park with immediate effect as the club begins a new era under recently-appointed boss Andy Whing.
National League North side Chorley have confirmed striker Anjola Popoola has been recalled by parent club Accrington Stanley.
The 18-year-old joined the Magpies on loan in December, having previously featured for Stanley’s first team and scored in the EFL Cup against Oldham Athletic. He also spent time on loan at Marine.
Accrington announced his return on Friday, welcoming the youngster back to the League Two club.
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There have been three attempts to play Scarborough away this season, and all were postponed, which means that this will be the first time these sides have met, and the meeting will be taking place at the Valley Stadium, Redditch, on plastic, 50 miles from Edgar Street but handy for many of the Hereford players. All of the above would have sounded as nuts as Elon Musk before a ball was kicked in August, but 2025/26 has been a strange old season.
The Edgar Street pitch will be ready to accommodate football matches in March, so with a bit of luck this will be the penultimate ‘home’ match away from Edgar Street before a return to our proper home for the rest of the big fight against the drop.
This has been a challenging season too for the Seadogs following plastic pitch replacement issues at the Flamingo Land Stadium, which has left them playing home games twenty miles down the coast at Bridlington. Thankfully the local council has confirmed that those issues will be resolved in time for next season and a return home for the club.
This is therefore something of a pitch problems derby.
They didn’t have a game midweek when Hereford grabbed three much-needed points against Darlington, but last Saturday they beat Curzon Ashton 1-0 at home, or rather at Bridlington. They sit in sixth position in the table but their recent form has been patchy. 13 points from their last ten games is of course a better return than what Hereford have managed, but it won’t be enough to keep them in the play-off positions if they continue in the same vein until the end of the season.
They’re typically a good-to-watch passing team. Luca Colville, Alex Purver, Lewis Maloney 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 last February from Whitby. He has 12 league goals in 25 games. Another signing from Whitby, Kieran Weledji, scored the winner against Curzon on Saturday and has six goals this season from right back. He’s fond of a card too, which is something that Aaron Downes will have picked up on and will be keen to exploit, given that the defender will be tasked with containing Cormac Daly. An early yellow would leave that flank ripe for the creation of openings.
With regard to the ‘R’ word, there’s usually a side that suddenly goes very wrong and only manages to pick up a handful of points from their last ten matches. That side looks to be Bedford this time around. With Leamington gone and Alfreton looking very precarious, that could be three relegation slots already booked up. Hereford can avoid the fourth with an extended Downes-Pell honeymoon period.
The Bulls need to demonstrate here that they simply want to win a lot more than Scarborough do, and given where they are in the table, and hopefully a desire among the players to prove to the new manager that they’re worth persisting with, that should be a given.
Tuesday night’s late winner was perhaps scripted by fate, but that was becoming increasingly difficult to believe right up to 88 minutes into the match. A truly gutsy penalty from Aaron Skinner, given the circumstances. Most remarkable was that the side kept a clean sheet following the concession of eight goals in the last two games, and a defensive horror show of a season generally.
George Munday looks like a young loan striker who’s actually worth having. He’ll score more before the season’s out, and the two new young Cheltenham loanees could play a significant role too over the course of their month-long loans, as, perhaps, will Lawson Dath, who looks like he may be close to a return.
Could Harley Hamilton be moved deeper to play a Gavin Mahon or, more recently, Sammy Robinson role in being a technically gifted footballer but one able to break up play and then pass intelligently and accurately into attacking positions quickly? That ‘quickly’ has so often been missing from the Bulls this season, whilst also being the cause of so many goals conceded against teams who are coached to attack directly, but on the floor and not in a one-dimensional aerial bombardment way.
Robinson was able to tackle and then immediately launch White or Ceesay on either wing with a pass, not a hoof, into the corridor of uncertainty between the full back and the space into which the wingers were destined to meet the pass. The full back then maybe makes a mistake, which at this level is totally possible, or the wide player collects the ball in their stride, does some fancy trickery, and then as a result makes room for a shot or presents a chance for the striker(s). That sort of thing has been really, really missing this season, and is something defences at any level can’t stand. What defences at any level love is plodding lateral passes going nowhere but sideways in front of them.
It was impressive that the club on Tuesday still attracted a ‘home’ gate that bettered full-time high-flying Fylde’s average attendance, even when the Bulls were playing a home game in totally the wrong place, and this mad old season continues in its own unique way with Redditch here followed by Sixways again on Tuesday for the visit of Chester. I’m not sure what it says about me but every single time I see Sixways I read it as Saxtys.
COYW
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| Jason Cowley Scored For Hereford Against Scarborough Last Season |
Tomorrow Hereford play their second home game away in the space of four days. Scarborough, who are also playing home games away from home, are the visitors to Redditch.
And after last Tuesday's 1-0 win against Darlington, the bookmakers are offering a price of around 15/13 for a Hereford win.
Currently Hereford are 23rd in the National North League with 25 points from 26 games, Scarborough are 9th with 47 points from 30 games.
Last Tuesday Hereford defeated Darlington (9th) 1-0. Scarborough didn't have a game, they were last in action last Saturday at Bridlington where they beat Curzon Ashton (15th) 1-0.
Hereford's home form is won 3, drawn 3, lost 4.
Scarborough's away form is won 5, drawn 6, lost 5.
Hereford's goal difference is minus 17, Scarborough's is plus 5.
Hereford's home form: DLLLW
Scarborough's away form:WDDDW
Hereford 15/13 Draw 12/5 Scarborough 21/10
Harry Pell is back at Edgar Street. He probably won't be playing but he'll be helping manager Aaron Downes.
Pell first came to Edgar Street on loan from Bristol Rovers in January 2011.
In July 2011 he signed a two year deal.
Below some pictures, mainly captured by Andy Compton, of Pell playing for Hereford United.
A large selection of HFC pin badges will be on sale pre match this Saturday v Scarborough at The Valley Stadium Redditch. The badges pictured are available at £1 or £3 each ( cash only ) from a sales point within the ground adjacent to the turnstiles alongside our Golden Goal / 50-50 ticket sellers. All net proceeds will, as usual go directly to HFC.
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| McLean playing for against Leamington for Hereford |
Former Hereford winger Ryan McLean has said Leamington's manager helped his move from Hereford to AFC Wimbledon.
When McLean's contract was coming to an end at Hereford in 2023, he didn't want the Bulls to exercise the option so he could leave for free - but new boss Paul Caddis did.
After his move to AFC Wimbledon, it meant Hereford were entitled to compensation as he was under 24.
Speaking to Unfiltered Sporting Minds Podcast, McLean said Paul Holleran had reached out to him - not with a view to signing him for the Warwickshire side, but to help him into full-time football and up the pyramid, something he was apparently done before.
McLean's agent was then put in touch with the Dons, and a deal was done within two days, though during his time at Edgar Street he never thought he'd be playing two leagues higher.
At the time, the former Shrewsbury Town and FC Telford United youth player, was still working part-time in recruitment when his agent phoned and asked whether he wanted to join the League Two club.
Within days, he was in Spain on a pre-season tour.
After joining Wimbledon, he said he struggled with training at the start as he was more of a "match player", and he noticed how important consistency was higher up the pyramid.
"Everyone can hit the crossbar at any level or put a nice corner in or whatever it is, do a step over and stick it in the top corner - you can see that in Sunday league.
"If you can do that eight/nine times out of 10, better than the three or four times out of 10 that you're going to get three below that, and then one or two times out of 10, two leagues below that."
McLean, who played in the West Midlands (Regional) League and Northern Premier League Division One South East before moving to Hereford under Josh Gowling. He initially joined on loan from Newcastle Town but played just one game before Covid curtailed the 2020/21 season.
McLean signed a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee in the summer and went on to feature more than 80 times.
After moving to Wimbledon, McLean struggled with injury and made only eight appearances, spending time on loan at Kidderminster Harriers and Yeovil Town.
After his contract expired in the summer, he returned to National League North with full-time Buxton.
Hereford's next home game is at Redditch on Saturday when they play Scarborough, who are also currently playing their home games away at Bridlington.
Tickets and other information including season ticket holders info.
Please note no sale of tickets at Redditch.
https://herefordfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/scarborough_general_admission
For coach tickets from Hereford to Redditch:
https://www.hust.org.uk/bulls-on-the-road-official-coach-travel-2025-26-season/
HOW TO FIND REDDITCH:
Address: Redditch United Football Club, The Valley Stadium, Bromsgrove Road,
Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 4AU
By Car:
We are just a short distance (approx. 5 miles) from Junction 2 of the M42
As well as being situated near the Bromsgrove Highway (A448), with approx.
3 mile journey.
By Public Transport:
You can reach Redditch United Football Club by train and
then a short walk from the Redditch train station.
1.Take a train to Redditch Station on the Birmingham New Street Station Line.
2.From Redditch Station, head west on Unicorn Hill onto Bromsgrove Road.
3.Walk for approximately 0.3 miles (10 minutes), and you will arrive at The
Valley Stadium on your right.
WHERE TO PARK
Car Park 1
We have our own large car park with disabled parking bays available (please contact us to reserve these -
info@redditchunited.co.uk). It’s £3 per car.
The car park is regularly full 45 minutes before kick off, however there are two other large car parks within 0.4 miles of
the stadium.
Redditch United Car Park
62 Unicorn Hill, Redditch B97 4RA
Redditch train station have their own pay and display
car park a short walk (10 mins) from the ground.
Redditch Train Station Car Park
16 Plymouth Rd, Redditch B97 4QB
Car Park 1 is a large multi storey car park attached to
the Kingfisher Shopping Centre.
FOOD & DRINK
We have a total of 3 bars at The Valley Stadium -
1891 Lounge - the main bar inside the main building stocking a variety of alcoholic & soft drinks
Outside bar near the main turnstiles - stocking a variety of alcoholic & soft drinks
Outside bar in the Hollywood Monster end - stocking a variety of alcoholic & soft drinks and selected hot foods
The Reds Cafe -
Hot food
Hot drinks and soft drinks
Sweets & chocolate
Ade Akinbiyi scores a supeb solo goal.
In a relatively even National League North encounter, clear-cut chances were at a premium before Skinner’s late spot-kick settled it — ending Hereford’s eight-game winless run and securing only their second home league clean sheet of the season, albeit in Worcester due to pitch issues at Edgar Street.
Watson felt Darlington should have made their control count.
“I think we played some really good stuff up until the final third and in the final third it just didn’t happen tonight,” he said. “Whether it be composure, decision-making, just that bit of quality — we just couldn’t find it from anywhere.”
Darlington enjoyed spells of possession and registered efforts from distance, but Watson conceded they did not test Theo Richardson enough.
“We didn’t really test their keeper anything like our positions should have caused them chaos really,” he said. “From crosses we didn’t get on the end of any, it was all just nearly. The shooting was really snatchy, nothing clean. And the final pass — no composure.”
The late nature of the defeat made it all the more painful.
“It’s a tough one to take, especially with the length of the journey for the fans and for us,” Watson admitted. “If you don’t do well in front of goal but you come away with a point, every point away from home is a decent point. So to have that at the end of the game as well, that’s a really bitter pill to swallow.”
Asked about the penalty decision, he was measured.
“I’ve seen it once live, so it’s difficult for me to say,” he added, while acknowledging Hereford’s managerial change may have given the hosts added impetus.
Despite the frustration, Watson insisted perspective is required.
“The lack of quality certainly isn’t a lack of quality in the dressing room — it was just a lack of quality tonight on the pitch,” he said. “It was one of those awful nights where nobody seemed to get it right. We’ve got to dust ourselves down and get on with it.”
A few pictures from after the final whistle at Sixways last night.
What a night at Sixways Stadium! Playing away from our home at Edgar Street due to some issues with the pitch, new manager Aaron Downes took charge of his first game in charge of the Bulls after last week's departure of Paul Caddis.
And with the fans low in confidence, and the Bulls winless in 8 matches, a much changed Hereford FC pulled off what was probably the most unlikely result of our season so far!
Complete with pre match interviews with Jon & Matt Hale, and a post match interview with new manager Aaron Downes, I capture the atmosphere and all the drama from a memorable night at Sixways!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbiw6lvrG2Y
Some pictures from the second half of last night's game at Sixways.
