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Next Game: Oxford City At Edgar Street On Tuesday 5th November At 7.45pm

Friday, November 09, 2018

Match preview - Hereford FC vs FC United of Manchester



So, the must-win against Altrincham wasn’t won, and Ashton got a good result in midweek leaving Hereford sitting precariously in 19th position in National League North, which brings us to tomorrow’s match at Edgar Street, kick off 3pm, against the acceptable face of Mancunian football, FC United of Manchester, the latest in a run of must-wins for the Bulls.

After a battling performance on Saturday to go in at half-time level at 0-0 against a strong Alty, the skill and endeavour to find that opening goal early in the second half gave the crowd reason to get right behind the team, which they did, and the team responded. That crowd is not used to then seeing a Hereford team sit back, dampening all momentum and impetus, to settle for a 1-0 win in a division the club shouldn’t be fearful of. The players wanted to push on, the crowd were urging the players to push on, and yet, shortly after the goal, Tom O’Sullivan (I think) was told off by the ref for taking too long to amble across the pitch to take a corner and in so doing waste a few seconds. For me, he should have been sprinting across to take it to keep the opposition under pressure in front of an expectant Meadow End buoyed by the goal. The negativity was palpable, the lack of ambition teeth-grindingly frustrating. It was an approach to taking the lead at home that left me utterly baffled, and one that is alien to supporters.

There was a moment there when I think we could have pressed, showed some positivity and won it with a second goal. Instead, we sat back and ultimately drew (blew) it. I don’t blame the players for that, I think they put a total shift in. If the management team want to try and grind out 1-0 wins in that way so be it, but they won’t be seeing 2000+ crowds for too much longer in trying, and inevitably frequently failing, to do so. 

Marc, Tim or whoever’s running the show, if we’re winning in future please set us up to press home the advantage, rather than attempting to be ‘tough to beat’. It’s horrid to watch and doesn’t work frequently enough to justify the horridness. Just ask your performance analyst.

Anyway, on to tomorrow’s game with a positive outlook, rather than dwelling on stuff that’s been and gone.

The Whites are undoubtedly improving, albeit incrementally, and presumably will do so again tomorrow as they grow as a squad. Defensively against Altrincham there were signs that some solidity and shape were forming, with rumours of further bolstering in that department shortly. In midfield there’s certainly talent among the newcomers, and with Billy Murphy, on the basis of his performance last week, some guile, but maybe a bit of bite would be welcome. Admittedly Mike McGrath can offer that, but often in a highly illegal way, which is less useful than doing without the bite in the first place really.

Up front James Roberts looks to be a breath of fresh air, and offers some strong evidence that Marc Richards and Tim Harris can spot a player.

Having finished four points clear of relegation last season, FCUM are, after a slow start and a change of manager, now unbeaten in four, winning two and drawing two. As a result they’re on the same number of points as Hereford, having played a game more. This is therefore not only a must-win but a six pointer too, with another to come on Tuesday night against Southport.

Back-to-back wins would make things look a good deal brighter, and suggest that Richards is as good an appointment as he hints at being when impressively setting out his ambitions publicly. Everyone’s behind you Marc, and sorry for the grumpiness, but that's how it looked to me last week.

Could this finally be the one?

COYW