Hereford FC are straight back into
National League North action on Tuesday after embarrassingly getting dumped out
of the FA Trophy on Saturday by Brentwood, and that performance coupled with the cold weather may impact on the size of the crowd somewhat.
Paul Caddis has admirably taken responsibility for that defeat in an attempt to protect his players, but reading between the lines of Adam Rooney’s post-match interview the dressing room after the game may have borne witness to the hairdryer approach to management rather than the arm around the shoulder that seems to have been favoured so far in the Caddis era. If so, few would disagree that it was justified.
The squad’s reaction to the now numerous poor home performances this season has generally been good in the following games, so the midweek visitors Scarborough will hopefully be on the end of one of those reactions, and in fact they too went out of the Trophy at the weekend to lower-graded opposition, although that was away and that opposition, Stockton, are only one level below the NLN.
If you’ll forgive me for briefly channelling John Lennon, you may say I’m a dreamer, but a few good results between now and Christmas could conceivably result in a near-sell-out Boxing Day first-against-second clash between Hereford and Kidderminster. That’s about as exciting as anything could possibly be that contains the word ‘Kidderminster’. Having said that, there was scant evidence on Saturday to suggest that such a possibility is any more likely than Lennon’s wish for world peace.
Such is the nature of the league table at the moment (and for ‘at the moment’ read ‘always’ in the NLN) that Scarborough could jump from 17th position and just three points clear of the relegation places, to just a point below Hereford in sixth if they win their two games in hand.
So, despite it looking on first glance like the Seadogs have had a bad start, they’re very much more mid-tablish than relegation fodder, and their start has been more indifferent than bad. Away from home, they’ve only lost two games in eight.
SS Seadog will presumably be making the long trip down to Hereford over the course of the afternoon given that the side is part-time, and therefore unlikely to be able to splash out on a hotel halfway down the night before given that the players have other jobs to do. SS Seadog will, I imagine, actually be a bus rather than a boat, otherwise it really will be a very long trip via the North Sea, English Channel and eventually up the River Wye, but even the ‘direct route’ should result in the visitors arriving with the sort of ‘bus legs’ that will give the hosts an advantage. Going ballistic from the first whistle whilst Scarborough are still finding their feet post-journey could therefore be a tactic to consider. Goals within 40 seconds seem to be all the rage at the moment.
Scarborough looked hugely accomplished at Edgar Street last season, again under the lights, particularly in midfield, when unluckily losing 3-1 having missed a hatful of chances. Luca Colville, Alex Purver and Lewis Maloney are all talented footballers in the middle of the park.
They would have been hoping that 6’ 4” striker Richie Bennett, who arrived from Scunthorpe in the summer, was the solution to that shyness in front of goal this time around. The 33-year-old has only scored one in 15 so far this season though. Instead, their goals have come from Dom Tear with seven so far, three of which came within an hour of the season starting away at Radcliffe.
Alex Babos served his one-match suspension on Saturday so should be available here. Kyle Howkins got a well-deserved rest having enjoyed a really solid season so far, but should be back in defence. Lawson Dath could be back in midfield having kept Big Kyle company on the bench on Saturday.
New signing Jaiden White, cup-tied on Saturday, should play some part here, possibly up top with Jason Cowley, who was another rested player against Brentwood as he eases his way back to full fitness.
With the club’s lack of discipline now
more or less officially ‘a problem’, Tate Campbell will miss three games
following this one, meaning he’ll be back for the trip to Scunthorpe on 21
December as things stand, following his straight red card on Saturday.
I very much understand the frustration Paul Caddis feels at the standard of refereeing at this level, but if he can learn to rise above it his charges may follow his example on the pitch. The number of red cards being picked up currently is utterly unsustainable for a small squad. In fairness to the manager, he addressed that very issue in his statement to the fans on Monday. Whether his absence from the touchline on Saturday was solely responsible for another performance lacking in passion or energy, the two things Caddis said would never be lacking under him when appointed, is a moot point. The players surely must shoulder some of the blame.
It seems likely that Scarborough will offer a good deal more than Marine or Farsley did, but a win here for the hosts would convert their play-off position from a peripheral one, when games others have in hand are taken into account, into a consolidated one, and increase the chances of that festive top-of-the-table derby game actually happening to the level of something like ‘very slim’.
COYW