A fixture for supporters to savour this Saturday with a nice Football League flavour to it – sold out away 'end' (OK only 700-odd but Ken's working on the Blackfriars End), all-ticket generally and guaranteed noisiness all around the ground (apart from the Blackfriars End, which Ken's working on) as Stockport County come to town, kick off 3pm.
The only fly in the ointment in comparing this to the equivalent fixtures in the 80s is that typically in the Football League this would have been a battle to escape re-election in front of a 1,500 crowd, whereas in this day and age Stockport are trying to get promoted after several seasons of getting bogged down in National League North, and Hereford FC are looking to prove that they’ve been in a false position for the majority of the season and can be a force to be reckoned with next term. Also, the attendance should be double what it would have been in Maggie Thatcher’s day (not sure how I’ve managed to shoehorn her into this, but there you go, I can’t imagine it’ll happen again).
Following what was arguably Hereford’s best result of the season in beating an
admittedly stuttering Spennymoor away last Saturday, the board will be hoping that an upturn in form coupled with a promising-looking new centre forward making his home debut will result in the home areas of the ground filling up again after a recent drop in attendances - a result of some reasonably awful home performances against divisional also-rans.
admittedly stuttering Spennymoor away last Saturday, the board will be hoping that an upturn in form coupled with a promising-looking new centre forward making his home debut will result in the home areas of the ground filling up again after a recent drop in attendances - a result of some reasonably awful home performances against divisional also-rans.
Rowan Liburd, the aforementioned centre forward, will presumably start if fit, and
everyone apart from our guests from Cheshire will be hoping that he can open his
account for the club with a goal in front of the Meadow End. The Tiggerish Lance Smith should partner him, giving Mike Symons a much-needed rest.
everyone apart from our guests from Cheshire will be hoping that he can open his
account for the club with a goal in front of the Meadow End. The Tiggerish Lance Smith should partner him, giving Mike Symons a much-needed rest.
At the back last Saturday, in Josh Gowling’s absence, the Bulls stayed in the game
during the early exchanges largely through luck rather than judgement, but that could
be explained by the fact that Jordan Cullinane-Liburd and newby Louis Ezewele went
into the match having only played 45 minutes together up to that point. It’s to be
hoped that after a couple of sessions at Hartpury they’re now telepathically on the
same wavelength, which they’ll need to be to negate the threat of the Hatters'
strikeforce. This all assumes of course that Gowling is still out injured. With respect to Ezewele, supporters will be hoping that the club captain’s hamstring is all shiny and new again enabling him to lead the team out.
during the early exchanges largely through luck rather than judgement, but that could
be explained by the fact that Jordan Cullinane-Liburd and newby Louis Ezewele went
into the match having only played 45 minutes together up to that point. It’s to be
hoped that after a couple of sessions at Hartpury they’re now telepathically on the
same wavelength, which they’ll need to be to negate the threat of the Hatters'
strikeforce. This all assumes of course that Gowling is still out injured. With respect to Ezewele, supporters will be hoping that the club captain’s hamstring is all shiny and new again enabling him to lead the team out.
In midfield, Keiran Thomas will have to be careful to stay just the right side of the
referee’s patience, whilst at the same time ‘exerting his influence’ in what will be a
competitive environment. Marc Richards may look to the experience of James
Wesolowski ahead of Tommy O’Sullivan, at least to start the match, and the
Australian’s traditional hour dovetails quite nicely with James Waite’s current, apparently parent-club enforced, 30-minute substitute role, with the Cardiff loanee’s second-half introduction giving a more positive, less sideways flavour if needed.
referee’s patience, whilst at the same time ‘exerting his influence’ in what will be a
competitive environment. Marc Richards may look to the experience of James
Wesolowski ahead of Tommy O’Sullivan, at least to start the match, and the
Australian’s traditional hour dovetails quite nicely with James Waite’s current, apparently parent-club enforced, 30-minute substitute role, with the Cardiff loanee’s second-half introduction giving a more positive, less sideways flavour if needed.
If the limitation on the diminutive Welshman's playing time has now been lifted however, a Liburd-Waite partnership up front from the start would be an interesting option. Alternatively, a Cullinane-Liburd-Liburd-Waite partnership would be pretty attacking and would leave the Bulls short at the back, but would have the advantage of sounding like a solicitors practice, a consideration often overlooked when the coaching whiteboard is wheeled out.
Stockport will be going all out for the win in a bid to overtake long-time league leaders
Chorley and avoid the lottery of the play-offs, an end-of-season nailbiter so often so
cruel to the team finishing second in the league, as we all know too well. They've won four of their last five, and with a two-point deficit to make up on Chorley but a game in hand over their Lancashire rivals, the title race is perfectly balanced, particularly as Chorley have a much better goal difference and are still flying themselves.
Chorley and avoid the lottery of the play-offs, an end-of-season nailbiter so often so
cruel to the team finishing second in the league, as we all know too well. They've won four of their last five, and with a two-point deficit to make up on Chorley but a game in hand over their Lancashire rivals, the title race is perfectly balanced, particularly as Chorley have a much better goal difference and are still flying themselves.
As for the hosts, another win would help considerably in putting the frustration of the
last six months to bed, and as high a finish as possible can only help in selling the club
to potential recruits in the summer, a task which increasingly looks certain to be
handled by the current incumbents.
last six months to bed, and as high a finish as possible can only help in selling the club
to potential recruits in the summer, a task which increasingly looks certain to be
handled by the current incumbents.
If that management team can deliver a mid-table finish this season, having admittedly gone around the houses a bit in doing so, they will have earned a crack at building something infinitely more exciting that’ll bring some enthusiasm and optimism back to supporters again, I’d have thought, and indeed bring some supporters back too.
If this doesn't end 1-1 in front of a crowd of 3,035 I'll be amazed, frankly.
COYW