Wow, seven points from the
opening three games! If anyone was to have considered that sub-standard before
a ball was kicked this season they would have been carted off to somewhere with
lots of nurses. It’s been a great start, with so many positives.
Tonight sees the Bulls returning
home for a game against Leamington, one of the clubs who could arguably have
been described as being among the division’s ‘lesser lights’ on the evidence of
last season, when like Curzon Ashton they narrowly avoided relegation, yet
they’ve had a very bright start.
This evening’s match at Edgar
Street, kick off 7:45pm, will be the fourth in a hectic series of five openers
before things calm down a little, and if the Bulls can pick up more points in
each of these next two everyone will be able to take stock of what will have
been a very strong start to the new season.
A clinical finish from Harry ‘Diamond’
White was the difference between the two teams on Saturday, with the new centre
back partnership of Liburd and Smith looking anything but makeshift in
Greener’s marital absence, and ensuring a third clean sheet out of three.
However, it was another tough
game, and given that Ashton struggled last season it does hint at the strength
of the division, unless of course they’ve kicked on considerably over the
summer.
Unless Beads is dabbling in some
managerial mind games, it looks again like Reffell will miss this one due to
injury, and Symons won’t be back until deep into the autumn. Otherwise,
everyone’s fit, and competition for starting places is hotting up very nicely indeed.
It remains to be seen whether Leamington are forced to resort to man-marking a
flying Eliot Richards!
As mentioned, Leamington,
featuring ex-Bull James Bowen, have started encouragingly, like Hereford
winning two and drawing the other. The Brakes opened their account with a 2-2
draw away at Altrincham, but have won their last two at home, against Bradford
PA and Boston, and have scored at least two goals in each of their games so
far, so they’re certainly not to be taken lightly. The home defence will need
to be wary of those long throws from Mr Bowen too!
However, looking on the bright
side, everyone knows spa towns are smashing for fancy water and that, but never
accommodate useful football teams. Cheltenham have been notoriously rubbish
forever, Bath expensively employ a centre forward who has yet to score this
season, and Buxton have never troubled the upper echelons of even the
non-league scene. The exception is of course Malvern, a sleeping giant if ever
there was one, and their time in the Champions League is palpably
imminent.
So, given that scientific
approach to this game, everything points to a balmy evening under the lights, a
3,000+ gate, Hereford attacking the Meadow End in the second half, and 90
minutes of total football, resulting in seven unanswered goals.
Please let it be so.
COYW