Hereford United face York City at Edgar Street tomorrow afternoon, in a vital match for the Bulls. York could do with the points themselves as they aim to secure their position in the Conferene next season. The Bulls are in the play off places, albeit on goal difference, and will be looking for a win against one of the league's weaker opposition.
York are currently in seventeenth place in the Conference with 39 points. They are ten points clear of the drop zone, which should be enough to prevent them from going down. Their current form is not too impressive either, having picked up only five points from the last six league outings. They've won just one of these and lost three.
They also have several injury problems. Gary Pearson awaits surgery on a shoulder problem, whilst Chris Brass has extensive knee ligament damage. Trio Shaun Smith, Kane Ashcroft and Mathew Coad are out with two thigh strains and one groin problem respectively however top scorer Andy Bishop is expected to play although he has tendonitis in his knee after sustaining an injury last month
Hereford, third in the league, have Leeroy Williams avaliable to them for only the second time since his loan signing from Walsall. He has now completed a three match ban after he received a red card on his goalscoring debut. This will give Graham Turner the option of giving Lee Mills, who has played the whole of the last two games and impressing in both, a well earned rest. Danny Carey-Bertram will serve the final game of his three match ban tomorrow and will be avaliable for the trip to Forest Green next Tuesday.
Hereford have no fresh injury worries for the visit of the Minstermen, meaning that there will probably not be too much change to the side. Tony James remains on the sidelines for another couple of weeks with his ankle injury but Simon Travis is thought to have a chance of returning having given his groin injury a two week rest, on doctors advice. However, United may not want to change the defence that has kept clean sheets in the past two games, against strong opposition.
"They will be tough one's, I don't think there's a doubt about that," said Graham Turner to BBC H&W, about the upcoming fixtures against York and Forest Green. "York will come down here well organised. I watched the game when York played at Halifax and I thought they showed a stubborn resistance and we can expect that here."
"I think they will be another side that play just one striker and defend deep. It's a matter of being patient and making sure we get good points out of these two games."
Two players who were in action when Hereford defeated York 3-0 early in the season won't be on the pitch tomorrow. Paul Crichton and Johnathan Gould were in goal for the first game. Crichton didn't stay long at York and Gould is now with Bristol City. York have also changed their manager. Chris Brass was in charge the but he has since been replaced by Billy McEwan.