Part two of Josh Gowling’s admirable total
football experiment finds itself popping up at the Impact Arena Stadium in
Alfreton this Saturday, kick off 3pm.
Looking at things optimistically, Hereford FC are on a two-game unbeaten run. Looking at things realistically, Hereford FC failed to beat doomed Bradford PA and perennial strugglers Curzon Ashton at home. There’s not really much point reiterating that this sort of form is really depressing, so, um…it was interesting to see Curzon Ashton fielding 11 players and subs all called ‘Village’ last Saturday – surely a record. I’d have thought that the Greater Manchester gene pool was deeper.
However, and it’s a big however I think: the interim-and-possibly-future boss seems to have inherited a squad of players willing to put a shift in for him, responding positively to his desire to play ‘the right way’, even though their confidence must be at rock bottom. It looks like Kieran Thomas will come back into the reckoning for this one following injury, giving the back four a bit of protection and keeping the opposition midfielders honest. Reece Styche faces one of his former clubs (as indeed does Gowling), and for that reason, and because he looked up for it when he came on as a sub last time, he probably deserves a start.
Alfreton beat Gloucester 6-1 in midweek, with Danny Elliott, making his debut on loan from Chester, scoring a hat-trick. However, a wise man told me recently that he who finisheth below Gloucester goeth down this season, and I believe him (although he doesn’t actually speak like that because if he did he would sound utterly preposterous unless he was dressed all like a druid or something, which he isn’t/doesn’t). So, that result can safely be disregarded as an outlier because Gloucester are in utter freefall. Luckily for us.
Looking at things optimistically, Hereford FC are on a two-game unbeaten run. Looking at things realistically, Hereford FC failed to beat doomed Bradford PA and perennial strugglers Curzon Ashton at home. There’s not really much point reiterating that this sort of form is really depressing, so, um…it was interesting to see Curzon Ashton fielding 11 players and subs all called ‘Village’ last Saturday – surely a record. I’d have thought that the Greater Manchester gene pool was deeper.
However, and it’s a big however I think: the interim-and-possibly-future boss seems to have inherited a squad of players willing to put a shift in for him, responding positively to his desire to play ‘the right way’, even though their confidence must be at rock bottom. It looks like Kieran Thomas will come back into the reckoning for this one following injury, giving the back four a bit of protection and keeping the opposition midfielders honest. Reece Styche faces one of his former clubs (as indeed does Gowling), and for that reason, and because he looked up for it when he came on as a sub last time, he probably deserves a start.
Alfreton beat Gloucester 6-1 in midweek, with Danny Elliott, making his debut on loan from Chester, scoring a hat-trick. However, a wise man told me recently that he who finisheth below Gloucester goeth down this season, and I believe him (although he doesn’t actually speak like that because if he did he would sound utterly preposterous unless he was dressed all like a druid or something, which he isn’t/doesn’t). So, that result can safely be disregarded as an outlier because Gloucester are in utter freefall. Luckily for us.
Before that outlier, the Reds had won just one of their last five matches, and were clearly scratching around trying to find some form. Prior to murdering Gloucester in Shakespearean fashion, January has so far seen Alfreton draw at home to lowly Telford and lose comfortably away at Darlington. They did however beat Curzon Ashton, which is, generally speaking, a given.
They’ve lost as many as they’ve won at home so far this season, and last season had the worst home record outside the bottom three. Amari Morgan-Smith, with 15 goals (including one in the midweek rout), is undoubtedly their danger man.
Anyone who saw the match between these two at Edgar Street earlier in the season will be well aware of how limited Saturday’s hosts are (we’ll gloss over the fact that they actually won the match). So, if there is any sort of ‘honeymoon period’ developing following Josh Gowling’s promotion, and the players are feeling rejuvenated as a result, this one’s there for the taking. Having said that, a 1-1 draw at home to Curzon Ashton is like honeymooning in Redditch, in winter, during a power cut, so the jury’s very much still out on the whole honeymoon thing for the moment.
So, that’s the actual match covered, I think we’ll win because we’re brilliant yada yada, but here’s a thought: a clutch of northern teams, unusually, are struggling in the division above. If, say, three go down, and Gloucester also drop out of the NLN, would that result in Hereford moving across to the NLS next season if they manage to avoid relegation themselves? If so, and if the board and whichever management team is appointed can recruit smartly in the summer, the quest for the play-offs in the southern section would be an easier task than would be the case with a third season in the northern section. A non-league-pyramid boffin will no doubt dismantle this theory in seconds because of reasons x, y and z, but it struck me as feasible, although I’m as thick as mince.
If it is feasible, it’s therefore crucial that the Bulls break this ‘draw disappointingly at home, get thumped away’ pattern, and get to safety asap. It’s worth repeating that the club have won just one match in four months. As stats go, they don’t get much starker than that.
The tiniest of green shoots of recovery were in evidence last Saturday, despite it being another really bad result, and a win this weekend would fertilise those shoots very nicely indeed.
And! Stop press! The club’s doing some PR, and whaddaya know? The chairman wants the same sort of thing as everyone else, and he’s as frustrated as everyone else. A little bit of communication goes an awfully long way. It’s high time that the few fans currently keeping the faith at this fans-first club were given some attention. Well done Mr Chairman.
This is a great opportunity for everyone from the chairman, through to the board, through to a really promising looking interim management team (who it seems will be given a fair crack at getting the playing side back on an even keel, and if they do could maybe get the job for next season, here's hoping) through to us plebs who pay the bills, to all join together and make Edgar Street a happy and happily noisy place again.
More power to his elbow.
We have to win this one though.
COYW