Hereford FC entertain FC United
of Manchester for the second time in a fortnight tomorrow, kick off 3pm, as
they embark, in the third qualifying round, on what will hopefully be a lengthy FA Trophy campaign this season.
While it may not be a fixture to
set pulses racing or turnstiles spinning, it nevertheless offers a very useful
opportunity to judge the progress being made by the no-longer-new management
team. Two weeks ago, the visitors never looked troubled in winning 3-1, with
Hereford’s goal very much a late consolation, and in the interim there followed
another largely one-sided capitulation against fellow strugglers Southport, and
then a battling draw up at Darlington, in which the two Bulls goals owed at
least something to opposition errors.
A more equal encounter tomorrow
would offer clear evidence that progress is in fact being made, even if that isn’t
being reflected in terms of results and league position. Also, if newcomer James
Wesolowski lives up to his billing as a leader on the pitch with a wealth of
Football League experience, he could contribute considerably to an upturn.
Whether his influence can extend
to stretching the opposition sufficiently to allow our strikers to score a goal
or two remains to be seen, but here’s hoping.
Since the last encounter, FCUM
have only played one match to Hereford's two, losing 2-1 at home to Telford, although reports suggest that the two teams were evenly matched. Indications are that the new manager at Manchester has had an immediate impact and is guiding the club up the table.
For the Bulls, Danny Greenslade
sits this one out after his red card against Southport (we’ll quickly gloss
over the fact that I erroneously said the same thing ahead of last Saturday’s match too!).
As mentioned last week, when I demonstrated an utter ignorance of the suspension
rules beneath the fifth tier, Mike McGrath could be an option at left back
after manfully filling in there against Southport. I, for one, would get a bit
itchy if Marc Richards saw it as an opportunity to go 3-5-2, although the
temptation will clearly be there as he continues to collect midfielders.
Encouragingly, Eliot Richards and
Lance Smith must be close to a return from injury, and Mike Symons admirably
put a promising shift in against Darlo. Whether his 'offering something different' contribution is enough at this level, given that his goals-to-chances conversion rate was never Millsesque even in the Midland League, is open to debate, but it's great to see him back anyway. And whether the various bits of Ryan Green
that weren’t working now are working is anyone’s guess.
The combination of another new
face and the fact that league points aren’t at stake could allow the team to
play with a bit more freedom, and offer an opportunity to show more than just rare
glimpses of the sort of quality that will now be needed to start moving away
from the National League North danger zone.
A win may not result in three
points tomorrow, but you know what they say (I expect it was Plato or someone
originally): a win’s a win. And was it Socrates who proclaimed that winning
becomes a habit? And Zico who added that winning breeds confidence? Winning’s great, if I remember rightly,
although that Truro comeback is all sepia-tinted in my mind, with everyone
running around in big baggy shorts at double-speed to a Pathe News soundtrack, smoking Woodbines.
Wembley here we come.
COYW