Don't be fooled: Hereford are a wounded animal

Hereford's starting XI at Chorley on Saturday

Kidderminster Harriers manager Adam Murray has warned his side not to underestimate Hereford ahead of the Boxing Day derby at Edgar Street, insisting the Bulls’ league position does not reflect their performances.

Murray was quick to play down the idea that Hereford will be easy opponents, describing Paul Caddis’s side as “a wounded animal” — often the toughest to play against.

“Don’t be fooled by probably things that you hear and maybe the position of the table, because when you actually watch the games they’re not playing bad at all,” Murray said. “We’ve got to be really mindful of that.”

He stressed the importance of the game, placing it above other recent matches on Kidderminster’s schedule which have included wins against the division's top sides AFC Fylde and South Shields.

“It’s a massive game for us. For me, it’s bigger than Fylde and it’s bigger than South Shields. One, because it’s the next one; two, because it’s a local derby; and three, because they’re a wounded animal and they’re always the toughest games.”

While Murray looks for consistency, he said his side are in a “really good position” as they sit fourth, 12 points behind leaders South Shields.

Hereford go into the clash in the relegation zone on goal difference, picking up 20 points from 19 games in what is becoming a torrid season. Having been beaten 4-2 by Chorley on Saturday after four unbeaten, Murray believes the Bulls' performances have been stronger than results suggest.

“If we’re not better than we were at Fylde then we’ll have a really tough game on Friday,” he warned. “We need to double down on everything. We need to make sure we’re fully focused.”

In the interview with BBC Hereford and Worcester's sports editor Trevor Owens, Murray highlighted the impact of crowds at Aggborough, where attendances have averaged 2,614 this season.

“For us to go into a local derby where we’re taking unbelievable support… then to come back home in the mode we’re in, it’s an exciting time,” he said. “There’s not a better place to go into a fight than a local derby.”

With pride, points and bragging rights on the line, both sides will expect a fiercely contested Boxing Day encounter.

Harriers have sold out their allocation of around 700 tickets, and the total attendance could creep up towards 4,000 - though it's unlikely to be as high as the 4,925 that watched Kidderminster comfortably beat Hereford 3-0 last December.