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The
replay is obviously far from ideal, but an FA Cup match away from home does at
least have novelty value for the Bulls. The last one was two years ago at Three
Bridges, or three years ago at Two Bridges – one or the other. The 3-0 win
there set up the 2-1 win on the plastic at Bromley, so the omens are good in terms
of this being another away trip for a Cup game on an artificial surface. OK, as an omen that may not be totally convincing, but then omens don't work like that - you have to put some work into believing supernatural things - just ask a your local vicar.
With Saturday’s opponents Kings Lynn sneaking through 1-0 against Cheshunt in their Cup match last weekend, we can but hope that a competitive match on Tuesday rather than a training session will give the Bulls a competitive edge going into that game at the weekend. Given that bumps and bruises are reportedly rife in the camp though, this may be clutching at straws in the same way as that omen was.
‘Dreadful’, ‘embarrassing’, ‘rubbish’…but enough about the A49 through Hereford – coincidentally that was also Paul Caddis’ assessment of the performance of his charges in the first half on Saturday. In fairness, only perhaps Mrs Rose Tinted-Spectacles, long-term and all-forgiving supporter in B Block, would disagree with that assessment of a performance that has been hinted at in the games against Peterborough, Radcliffe and Needham Market. Something’s not right at home.
It still seems to be the case that too many defensive rickets of a fundamentally poor and costly nature are being made by Hereford that aren’t being made by the opposition. Too often the energy comes in reacting after setbacks and not proactively. Admittedly that wasn’t the case against Needham Market, when the Bulls flew out of the traps and played some scintillating stuff, and if that had been rewarded with a goal the game could have gone very differently, but frequently something bad has to happen to galvanise the team.
It doesn’t help that reportedly half the squad aren’t 100% fit, and Montel Gibson’s departure coupled with Jason Cowley’s ‘setback’ suddenly make what seemed a week ago like an attack bursting with variety and threat suddenly look a little more limited.
It’s not ideal to hit the plastic with so many players playing with injuries, but that surface is increasingly part of the away experience of course, so as Caddis says you just have to get on with it. It also seems that Ilkeston have their own injury crisis, so 22 unfit men did very well to even run around a bit on Saturday.
The Hereford defence will now know all about young Robins centre forward Tom Cursons, who scored on Saturday to take his seasonal tally to a very impressive nine goals in ten games. Having spent 90 minutes in his company, hopefully they now know what it takes to keep him quiet.
At the other end of the pitch, Ahkeem Rose will presumably start here having given the side a boost as a substitute on Saturday, and he’s due a goal. Fellow subs Lawson Dath and Aaron Skinner also contributed to an improved second half performance, which may see them promoted to the starting XI, fitness levels allowing.
It'll
be extra time and penalties here incidentally, if necessary.
Saturday’s game could have gone either way and the neutral may have struggled to identify which team was in the National League North and which was in the Northern Premier. However, luckily, with the home form the way it is, this one’s away, and as such will be an opportunity for the visitors to further assert themselves as a capable and threatening counterattacking force when on their travels.
COYW