Slow starters

It’s a match-up on Tuesday night between two of the clubs in the National League North who are more potentially EFLish in terms of their fanbases and ancestry than most other NLN sides.

Potential counts for nothing though when cold hard reality comes knocking at your door and you fail to beat, and get outplayed by, smaller clubs with similar or lower budgets, which is what’s happened to both of these sides far too frequently for their own liking so far this season.

The slow start made by both has resulted in Chester sitting in 14^th position and Hereford now second bottom. This compares to the likes of Merthyr and Radcliffe in third and fourth positions respectively. That may seem a bit topsy-turvy but we’re 15+ games in and it’s accurately reflective of who’s been good and who hasn’t, regardless of potential, regardless of size.

That misfiring reached something approaching crisis point for Chester in the last round of the FA Trophy as they lost at home to lowly Clitheroe, a performance branded ‘a disgrace’ by manager Calum McIntyre. At the same time, Hereford eased to a 5-1 win at Sudbury.

However, they recovered from that setback by easing to a reportedly ‘dominant’ 2-0 win against strugglers Leamington on Saturday, both goals coming early in the game (Bulls defence please note!).

Despite their position in the bottom half of the table, they don’t lose many (only table-toppers South Shields have lost fewer games) but they’ve drawn matches far too often.

Declan Weeks, so often the player who makes them tick from his central midfield position, was on the bench on Saturday so may not start. Dylan Mottram-Henry knows the division well after time spent with South Shields and Buxton. He’s their top scorer with five goals (adding to his total at the weekend), demonstrating that, like Hereford, their league position is at least partly down to not having a prolific poacher in their side since losing Kurt Willoughby to Oldham (a player now struggling to find the net at Kidderminster having moved again).

Hereford’s trip to Bridlington last Saturday was weathered off, hopefully resulting in a rearrangement that coincides with a point at which Paul Caddis has got his players consistently winning games again. Not ideal as a midweek evening trip though.

That postponement resulted in the Bulls dropping to that lowly second-bottom position. Two points from the six games prior to the postponement also played a fairly major part in that, including back-to-back defeats to then bottom-two sides Southport and Oxford. Given the starkness of that form, the support Caddis and his players continue to receive has been nothing short of astonishing, and something to take great pride in.

Matt Preston will be back for this one having sat out the Sudbury game serving a one-match ban.

Sam Osborne, with three goals against Sudbury, will be the target of some attention from a traditionally rock-solid Chester defence, though it's been leakier so far this season. It would be surprising if they were able to keep him quiet, and if they do focus on the Alfreton loanee it could create space and opportunities for returnee Jaiden White.

The tricky attacker’s return on loan from Sutton should inject a bit of variety into an attacking threat that hasn’t threatened as much as it should recently. The player seemed to improve markedly during his last spell at Edgar Street, and also connected really well with younger supporters. He also seemed genuinely sorry to go, although no-one could blame him for stepping up a level.

Well done also to Paul Caddis for getting the deal done, a deal no doubt made easier by the part the manager played in improving the player and forming a good working relationship with him last season.

Harley Hamilton is back in contention here having been cup-tied last time in the Trophy, and has shown enough already so far since his arrival from Alvechurch to suggest that he could contribute to a turnaround in the Bulls’ fortunes.

There’s certainly no shortage of quick feet and technical ability in terms of Osborne, White, OSJ and Hamilton, as well as I-Lani Edwards. Those feet and ability have rarely had the opportunity this season to do anything other than attempt rescue missions though, following defensive naivity early in games resulting in chasing two or three goal deficits.

Mike Parker has now been recalled by WBA, and his own quick feet and technical ability (and long throw) will be missed.

A tricky one on paper, but given that the easier ones on paper have gone abysmally maybe this will be a very pleasant surprise. The season really could do with getting started here before the club props up the table.

Finally, if it has to take another hat-trick to get something here, my money’s on Kyle to score it this time, all cheeky backheels.

COYW