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It was always going to be a tall order.
With all due to respect to the other teams, the past three seasons were,
relatively speaking, a walk in the park for Hereford. But National League North
was going to be a different kettle of fish.
It was hard to judge how the Bulls would fare going into the season. Some fans thought the momentum that they
would bring following three consecutive promotions could mean that they could
be competitive at the top end of the table, while others were very much in the
'let's consolidate first' camp.
However, their mood soon changed
following the opening four games of the season. A fantastic 10 points out of 12
were more than anyone could have envisaged and, while it was still very much
early doors, a play-off push looked achievable.
A last-minute defeat at the hands of
leaders Chorley didn't really dampen the mood; if anything it proved that
Hereford could be competitive against the front runners. Another defeat, this
time at home to Bradford (Park Avenue) followed, but the Yorkshire side played very well
that day and were seen to be another team that would be competing for
honours.
It was certainly a tough spell of
fixtures for the Bulls with a 1-1 draw against York and a 2-0 reverse at
Brackley following.
The latter proved to manager Pete
Beadle's last league game in charge and his departure, whether fans agreed with
it or not, certainly had a detrimental effect on the season.
Gareth Davies and Ryan Green
subsequently took on the reins on a temporary basis but were on a hiding to
nothing.
Their first game in charge was a 2-0
home reverse against struggling Ashton United and supporters were wondering
where the club would go from there.
However, the FA Cup provided a welcome
distraction (albeit for a short period). After finding themselves 3-0 down at
half time to Truro in a Second Qualifying Round Replay, Davies and Green
masterminded a stunning turnaround and the Bulls somehow won 4-3.
Were the club’s fortunes about to turn
around for the better? Sadly, it seemed not. Consecutive 3-0 defeats at the hands
of Spennymoor and Chester followed before the Bulls bowed out of the FA Cup at
the hands of Welling. The latter was new manager Marc Richards’
first game in charge.
Richards was brought to the club by Director of Football
Tim Harris and it’s fair to say that his appointment left a few fans scratching
their heads.
The club reported that they received around 80 applications, with some people even managing as high as the Championship.
Even former Birmingham City boss Lee Clarke was rumoured to be in the frame.
Instead, it was left to Richards to
galvanise a squad that had seemingly had the life sucked out of them.
However, there were of course plenty of
games left and many fans were willing to give the new guy a chance.
Away draws at Stockport and Telford
were creditable on paper, while the club were unlucky not to beat Altrincham.
Then came a home game against FC United
of Manchester. The visitors went into the game in the relegation zone and it
was a perfect opportunity for Hereford to pick up three priceless points. Some
fans even billed it as a ‘must win game’.
What ensued was nothing short of
shocking. Hereford transpired to lose 3-1 and the atmosphere inside the ground
was toxic to say the least. Supporters were angry and feared that the Bulls could be going back down to the Southern League.
Another ‘must-win game’ followed just
three days later against fellow strugglers Southport under the lights at Edgar
Street. Surely, nothing could be as bad as the FC United game? Or could it?
Another lacklustre performance saw the Bulls lose 3-0 and fans could not
believe what they were witnessing.
How can a team who looked competitive in the
opening few games of the season be so poor against sides who were cropping up
the division?
Richards needed results fast, otherwise
the pressure would mount. A 2-2 draw at Darlington, would on paper, seem a
decent point considering how out-of-form Hereford were going into the game. But
because the Bulls had led 2-0, it was definitely two points lost.
Historically, the early rounds of the
FA Trophy fail to whet the appetite, with attendances generally low. But
considering the recent league games, a cup match could have been a welcome boost
for Hereford.
But as it was against FCUM, many fans gave it a miss.
Those who decided to go to Edgar Street were rewarded with an impressive 3-1
win, with a stunning Tommy O’Sullivan strike the highlight.
A dramatic 2-1 home
win against Alfreton in the league followed, before the Bulls saw off
high-flying National League South outfit Billericay Town in the Trophy. Had the
tide turned? The answer was seemingly yes.
After narrowly losing 1-0 to promotion
contenders Bradford (PA), Hereford beat rivals Kidderminster on Boxing
Day before seeing off Chester just three days later.
And despite losing to ten-man Harriers on New Year’s Day after leading at half time, the general
feeling was that Hereford would have a good second half of the season, and who
knows maybe even charge up the table and threaten the play off places,
especially after a stunning stoppage time goal from Josh Gowling saw them hold
Chorley.
The signing of Gowling proved critical
as he helped shore up a defence that, weeks previously, were conceding goals at
a canter.
However, it was at the other end of the
table where the problems still lay. Whether John Mills would have scored the
necessary goals had he had stayed remains to be seen.
The fact that he didn’t
get a look in at Bath and ended up at Westfields, via Banbury, would suggest
probably not. But we will never know.
The lack of a goal poacher and an
inability to see games out and perform well for the full 90 minutes proved to
be Hereford’s downfall in many games. After the mini-revival in December,
Richards’ men bowed out of the FA Trophy at the hands of Brackley before
drawing 2-2 at home to bottom club Nuneaton.
Hereford would end the season failing
to beat any of the bottom three teams and it was that inconsistency why they
never troubled the play off positions. Fortunately, the Bulls went on a great
run away from home, which saw them claim impressive wins at Blyth Spartans at
York, while holding Ashton and FC United.
Hereford not play at home again until
March 9 when they entertained Darlington. However, the Bulls contingent who went were hoping
they had stayed at home after seeing their team go into the break 2-0 down.
Unbelievably, a stunning 10-minute spell at the start of the second half saw
Hereford lead and the Bulls went on to win 4-2.
You would think the team would have
carried that momentum into their next game, at home to Guiseley. Instead, it
was a drab affair played out by two poor teams. Thankfully, Hereford just about
did enough to win 1-0, which in the grand scheme of things was vital in their
battle to stay up.
In the end. Hereford would survive
comfortably, with a stunning 2-0 win at Spennymoor followed by a great comeback
at home to Stockport.
Forgettable games away to Alfreton and Southport
followed, but by that stage, Hereford were safe.
Impressive draws against play-off
chasing Telford and Altrincham ensured that Hereford had a decent Easter
weekend, but it was the fact that the Bulls could not convert many draws into
wins which saw them end the season in 17th position.
Numerous failures to be on the front
foot from the start at home was another reason, shown by a 2-0 reverse
against Boston in the final game of the season.
When you look at some of the teams who
finished in the play-offs, was this season a missed opportunity? Altrincham
came up with Hereford from the league below, while Brackley and
Bradford (PA) were in the bottom five in the attendance table.
Of course, no team can expect to win
every game and fans would be naïve to believe that this was going to be another
‘walk in the park’. Being placed in National League North, rather than South,
was certainly a hindrance, while Beadle’s sacking caused a lot of upheaval.
In the end, one could argue that
Hereford achieved their aim of consolidating themselves in the league; although
many supporters would have hoped of a much higher finish than 17th.
Getting Tom Owen-Evans signed on for
next season early doors was a shrewd move by Harris and Richards, while Keiron
Thomas has been solid throughout.
However, this summer is going to be
crucial for the club, both on and off the field. Hereford sold 1,700 season
tickets last season, but many fans have said they won’t renew for the next
campaign; upset at what has transpired at the club. Whether that affects
Richards’ playing budget for next season, who knows.
It took Stockport six years to
eventually get out of the division, which proves how tough it is. Supporters would
probably accept another season at NLN level, as long as they are much more
competitive and play entertaining football, especially at home.
If that doesn't happen, then another long season
could again be on the cards.
