No rain, new drain, on with the game?

Hereford FC could at long last get a home game on this weekend, with Radcliffe the visitors in the third round of the FA Trophy.

This is the round where the real big boys like Tamworth and Boston join the (tea?) party. A win here will earn enough prize money (not far off the same as the price of the cheapest 2026 World Cup ticket) to cover Ben Bowen’s overtime and purchase of the new drain, but with the giants of the game now involved it could also deliver a glamour tie against the likes of Brackley or Braintree in the next round, and that level of knockout-football romance doesn’t come around too often. Does ANY sort of romance come close to Braintree away? The jury's out.

It's a little ironic that Saturday’s visitors will be travelling from the rain capital of England, given the recent problems with standing water on the Edgar Street pitch causing a couple of postponements and a reversal or the Peterborough game last Saturday. However, Jarrod’s uncle seems to have performed miracles in redirecting the water downwards and safely out into Eign Brook, and at the time of writing the pitch is playable but not as pristine as it might be.

The Bulls take a three-game unbeaten run into this game, as they attempt to build on last weekend’s league win and build a bit of momentum in an attempt to ensure that the second half of the season is as good as the first half has been disappointing.

Radcliffe, conversely, have had an excellent first half of the season, and beat Hereford in August at home. They’re currently ninth in the National League North, having slipped out of the play-off positions following a run of three losses and two draws in their last five games. Could be a very good time to play them.

Rio Clegg is flying with 11 goals, and is partnered up front by the experienced Jordan Hulme, who has chipped in with six. Clegg did get a straight red card recently though, and although that was a league game I think it may mean he’s suspended for this. If so, that’s a stroke of luck. Could be a very good time to play them.

Experienced management duo Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley did some impressively shrewd business in the transfer market over the summer. 35-year-old playmaker Dan Gardner joined from Oldham, adding experience to a squad featuring others who know the division well, such as Hulme and Anthony Dudley. Talented winger Michael Afuye came in from Curzon, and left back Callum McFadzean has a wealth of Football League experience and was an excellent acquisition. Along with one or two other impressive signings, they strengthened considerably for their second season at NLN level.

They were also one of several of the smaller clubs to deny Hereford points at Edgar Street last season, with a fairly chaotic 3-3 draw very much flattering the hosts.

Those very same hosts look like they’re becoming a tighter unit with greater strength in depth than they did when these sides met in August. There will be plenty of options for Paul Caddis here who can come off the bench and make a difference, as evidenced by I-Lani Edwards last week. Keenan Quansah partnered Kyle Howkins in the middle of the defence last weekend, and could offer a more regular alternative to the Howkins-Preston option that has on occasion struggled against pacy attackers. With 14 games scheduled for January and February, that squad will be needed, and will arguably need bolstering as some of the loanees depart.

At the other end of the pitch Willo is getting ever closer to finding the net, and also looking increasingly desperate to do so. He’ll get one here, surely. It’s been ages since a hat-trick was scored, in fact.

As ever though, priority number one will be getting through the early stages of the match without conceding a sloppy goal or three. It would make things a good deal easier if that unfortunate habit has been put to bed for the rest of the season.

The Len Weston Stand will be closed for this one given that Radcliffe surprisingly failed to sell their 1000 allocation, so two sides of the ground will hopefully be crammed. It made for quite a good atmosphere in the Meadow End against Hemel Hempstead until the wheels fell off, and I couldn’t believe only 1300 were in for that, given how it felt. Hopefully at least the same number will turn up for this, rewarded with something very far removed from that 0-3 FA Cup defeat.

No precious league points at stake here then, but a very useful yardstick as to whether the recent twitch of an upturn in form is a promising sign of an enjoyable few months to come or a false dawn.

Did I mention that it could be a very good time to play them?

COYW