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When these two last met it was at Edgar Street in April, and all that happened in that humdrum game was that five goals were scored, both managers got booked along with ten players, Ryan McLean was sent off, and Hereford nearly didn’t win a game they looked to have already won at half-time. A similar result would be super here, but preferably achieved in a more straightforward fashion.
Apart from that, the Bulls have really not done well against Saturday’s opponents, especially considering that Avenue have struggled recently, finishing bottom, 15th and 18th in the last three seasons. In the seven NLN games between the clubs to date, Bradford have won four and Hereford have only won that slightly crazy match in April.
However, encouragement can be taken from the fact that the Yorkshiremen have lost four of their five home games this season, and have only won one of their last 17 league games, which was actually their last game, a 2-1 defeat of Curzon Ashton. Unsurprisingly, they’re currently bottom of the league.
So, while they’re something of a bogey team, those sort of stats strongly suggest that this Hereford side, finally seemingly starting to fire on all cylinders, should come away with the points.
Ex-Norwich striker Oli Johnson has been with Avenue for six years, but now in his mid-30s his goalscoring threat has diminished. He did actually score the winner in that game against Curzon, but that’s his only goal so far this season.
Fellow striker Jacob Blyth joined from Chorley in the summer. As I mentioned in my pre-season preview (inexplicably NOT available in all good bookshops) he seems to be one of those strikers who has scored almost no goals in a decade. True to form, he’s scored no goals in 11 matches this season.
Adam Nowakowski showed himself to be a wily old fox to an almost Southportesque extent in that last encounter in April, and will have to be watched by both the Bulls and the ref.
For the visitors, as far as can be ascertained last week’s goalkeeper Dale Eve is still alive and well having avoided the HFC goalie curse, but whether he’ll keep his place or whether Brad Wade, Cyan Tyler, Harvey Wiles-Richards, Dino Vasser or Uncle Tom Cobley will come back in remains to be seen.
Striker-turned-centre-back Aaron Amadi-Holloway, many people’s man of the match in both of those marvellous recent away victories, should continue in that defensive role, presumably alongside Orrin Pendley. It would seem odd indeed if the latter was sent back out to Coalville when he’s in such good form. The two combined offer a significant goal threat too of course, especially if Harry Pinchard continues to provide better set-piece product than has been seen from the Bulls for far too long. With Thierry Latty-Fairweather a doubt at left back, the club is blessed indeed to have Jack Evans as an equally appealing option there. Captain Jared Hodgkiss will presumably slot back in at right back following his return from injury against Bromley.
That AAH/Big O centre-back combination would leave Luke Haines as the defensive midfielder, but with licence to shoot from around about the halfway line every now and again to try to better his goal against Chester.
Flying wingers Storey and McLean seem to have so far avoided the worst of the injury/illness situation, as has Jethro Hanson. It would be reassuring to have Ryan Lloyd back for this one, if only as an option from the bench as he comes back from a niggle. New signing Jack Holmes could also come back into the reckoning having been taken off in the first half against Boston before sitting out last weekend’s game cup-tied.
Warhorse Ty Barnett will presumably be tasked with giving the opposition central defenders a far less comfortable afternoon than they would have had against Hereford teams from the last few seasons. That aspect of his game, whilst not as obviously impactful as goals or assists, looks to have contributed significantly to the increase in the threat the team now has collectively as an attacking force.
Relative newcomer James Caton looks to be a useful asset to have coming off the bench, and seems keen to prove that he’s worthy of a starting place. He’s also already proved that he knows where the goal is.
BPA’s 4G pitch isn’t the sort of surface an injury-ravaged squad will relish given its reputation for giving knee ligaments a thorough mauling over 90 minutes, but that wonderful performance and result last week at Bromley should give the players added self-belief on an artificial surface.
Suddenly, for the first time since Beadle was about, this is all starting to be fun again. Massive credit to the management and players for that, and what a nice reward for them, and the supporters who have stuck with the ‘work in progress’ in such healthy numbers so far this season, to have that FA Cup tie against Portsmouth to look forward to. Plenty of NLN business to take care of before that though.
COYW