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It’s often said, for instance when England are obliged to obliterate San Marino at Wembley in front of thousands of people who somehow manage to dredge up some pleasure from attending such a shooting-fish-in-a-barrel non-event, that there are no easy games in football these days. That may or may not be true, but Hereford FC’s rearranged home game at Edgar Street with Warrington on Tuesday evening is, this side of Farsley, as undifficult as they come in the National League North at the moment, and three points here is an absolute must. The Bulls have regained a spot in the play-off places courtesy of Saturday’s win at Kings Lynn, but there’s no room for complacency as Curzon Ashton are just a point behind with two games in hand.
Tuesday’s visitors will almost certainly be plying their trade back in the Northern Premier next season having freefallen into bottom place, and in truth they’ve been in some turmoil as a club since ex-Bull Mark Beasley left early in the season after eight years in charge. He seemed to be a shrewd cookie in operating effectively with one of the few playing budgets in the division that apparently doesn’t dwarf Hereford’s, and his departure after so long in charge left the club slightly rudderless. Former manager Paul Carden returned to the club as Beesley’s replacement, but things have unravelled further since, with Carden winning just three of his 22 games in charge. There’s bottom and fighting, and bottom and resigned to one’s fate, and Warrington unfortunately feel like they’re in the latter camp.
They seem to have gradually lost their better players and are finding it hard to replace them with like-for-like quality. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts left in the summer for Curzon Ashton, and star striker Connor Woods left for Chester in January for a fee of £12,500 (or Jarrod Bowen’s goal bonus as that figure is otherwise known). His departure was the latest hint to suggest that all is not sweetness and light at Cantilever Park currently, and makes this a very, very good time to be playing them.
This is the Yellows’ second season in the NLN since promotion, and it’s contrasting starkly with their first when they adapted well, finishing a place and five points behind Hereford.
Ollie Southern left Edgar Street in the summer to join his local club, although the versatile 22-year-old has been in and out a bit due to injury, something that blighted his time at Hereford. Happily he’s now fit and playing though, and should start here, possibly looking suspiciously tanned for someone from that part of the world at the back end of the winter.
Club captain Josh Amis’s season only started in October, but he’s scored five times for a struggling side, including against Hereford earlier in the season. He’s been out of the side recently though.
In October, after beating Buxton and Curzon Ashton away in consecutive games (results that now look very good indeed), Hereford failed to make it three in a row on the road by losing 2-0 at Warrington. This was largely due to Sammy Robinson’s early sending off, after which the ten men spiritedly tried to get back into the game. The 2-0 scoreline very much flattered the hosts, and a repeat of that team togetherness here should see the points go to the Bulls. Since then, incidentally, Warrington have won one, drawn six and lost 11. Away from home, they’ve won one game all season.
This fixture was initially due to be played in early January, an awful month in which Hereford could quite conceivably have found a way to not win this. However, since then things have picked up, some squad tweaks have been made, and this looks much more of a home banker as a result.
Yusifu Ceesay’s current injury absence is clearly not a good thing, but it has necessitated a bit more tactical variety, rather than just pumping balls out to him and hoping he can conjure some magic from them, which he actually does remarkably regularly against the odds. Jaiden White, as the alternative keeper of the key to unlock NLN defences, looks like an increasingly appealing option, and he’s quite entitled to believe that he can absolutely run this game in the top half of the pitch now that opposing defenders will have to spend more time worrying about the physical threat from Remaye Campbell. Campbell’s mere presence could give White’s luxurious talent room to flourish, which would be kind of cool because the National League North isn’t big on allowing luxurious talent room to flourish. Players depressingly/cynically/laughably suddenly lying down for absolutely ages when their team’s leading? Check. Giving luxurious talent room to flourish? Why would you do that?
Kyle Howkins and Matt Preston continue to flourish in tandem as luxuriously talented ‘thou shalt not pass’ central defenders, and Sammy Robinson simultaneously spoils, creates and strikes a telling dead ball from the deep midfield position afforded to him by Levi Andoh’s arrival and Aaron Skinner’s return.
Finally a word about Paul Caddis: Levi Andoh brought on against Brackley, shortly afterwards nods in the winner; Jaiden White brought on against Needham, shortly afterwards scores to secure the points; Remaye Campbell brought in as a new signing against Kings Lynn, scores on debut. Tate Campbell, brought on against Kings Lynn and shortly afterwards scores to secure the points. There’s a suggestion there that our adopted Herefordian is becoming quite good at this football manager thing.
COYW