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Hereford FC return to the M&M Edgar Street Stadium on Saturday as they host Spennymoor Town, looking to build on the ambition to make that three-sided, outdated, tumbledown, beautiful anachronism of a home ground something of a footballing fortress. Another 4000 gate is unlikely, but 3000+ would suggest that the faith in the potential of this season’s squad is growing. It doesn’t need saying of course that 3000 crowds let alone 4000 crowds at this level is EFL-ishly good.
Moors have finished just shy of the play-offs in each of the last five seasons, sometimes by the sort of margin Hereford avoided relegation by last season, which is all-in-all a bit unlucky, but those finishes have all come as a result of finally waking up in spring and rocketing up the table from just above the relegation places. They’re notoriously slow starters.
True to form, they’re currently following that same path, sitting in the relegation places after six games. This could, therefore, be an ideal time to play them before they get into their stride post-Christmas.
Spennymoor of course means Glen Taylor. The evergreen goal machine yet again finished as one of the top scorers in the NLN last season, and it says it all about his quality that ‘only’ scoring 22 goals hinted at a slowing down in the striker as he ages. He’s got a couple of goals already this season, and will be looking to add to that tally at what’s been a happy hunting ground for him in recent seasons, although most grounds are. It’s pleasing to note that if he does score, which he won’t of course, he’s far too classy an individual to gloat ridiculously in front of the Meadow End.
George Cantrill was signed from Alfreton in the summer, and brings his Alfreton long-throw with him. His arrival presumably signalled a desire on the part of new-ish manager Tommy Miller to ‘mix things up’ a bit, ie go long and aerial more often, but any speculation as to the tactical inclinations of that new-ish manager is now very much by-the-by as he left the club on Wednesday. ‘Mr Spennymoor’ Jason Ainsley will take charge of the team on Saturday.
The visitors boast a strong record in this fixture going back to 2018, and took all six points from the two matches against Hereford last season. Their 2-1 win at Edgar Street in March was the Bulls’ fourth loss in eight days. That run of games seemed nuts at the time, part of seven straight losses in no time at all, but in hindsight it just seems even more so. An inhuman workload for part-time footballers particularly when those footballers are playing in front of so many people, with the added pressure that brings. Fortunately, both Moors goals that evening were the sort of bafflingly embarrassing and simplistic concessions that are no longer conceded by the Hereford FC defence, marshalled by a Kyle Howkins currently in magisterial form.
So the head-to-head record isn’t great, but If you include the back-end of last season Spennymoor have won just two of their last ten games. Big Kyle will savour the opportunity of slipping Taylor into his pocket for the afternoon as the basis upon which to start improving that head-to-head record.
On Monday Moors drew at home with newly-minted Hednesford, who have spent a lot of money for the right to sit in 17th position in the National League North. Ex-Bulls Ahkeem Rose and Omari Sterling-James were reportedly prominent for the visitors.
Taylor and some of their other historically reliable performers such as Rob Ramshaw aren’t getting any younger, and ex-Bull Ben Pollock (really lovely man, plays the game the right way) looked a little bit wider than his ‘optimum athleticism’ the last time they were down here. They could be a bit of a creaky outfit ripe to be undone by a pacy, hungry Bulls side.
Monday’s game at Southport wasn’t a classic, but it was a non-classic that delivered three points, and that’s the sort of outcome that brings success to sides who can surf the tougher stuff away when necessary and follow it up with scintillating football back home. To out-Southport Southport in terms of nicking a tight one on their own patch was sweet indeed. Now for the scintillating home performance.
The Bulls sit in second position in the table going into this game, behind a very strong Macclesfield side. With Chester in fourth there does seem to be a suggestion that this season may see some of the names with a past spent significantly higher up the pyramid doing well, but it is of course very, very early days.
This is the last game that Kam Kandola will sit out; he’ll be back on Tuesday at Market Harborough, with at least two of the three long-term injurees gradually edging closer to a place on the bench too.
Ahead of their return, this is a golden opportunity for another three points against a side who are characteristically not yet properly competitive and could be struggling with a bit of upheaval behind the scenes.
COYW