Back home to Edgar Street for Hereford
FC this weekend for what could be the stiffest test of the season so far.
Full-time South Shields are the
visitors, looking to go one better this season after narrowly missing out on
automatic promotion last time. They’ll also be looking for revenge after losing
2-1 in this fixture in March.
You would have got good odds on two
Harrisons scoring two goals for Hereford in this fixture two seasons running
before Harrison Sohna’s two stunning strikes last season. Now, however, another
brace for Harrison Iwunze to complete that unlikely double doesn’t seem too far-fetched
at all. What a waste, incidentally, that Harrison Sohna’s wand of a left peg is
rotting on the bench at Woking. Not literally of course – that would be
disgusting, and quite unfortunate for the lad.
Rio Clegg turned professional at the age
of 24 in midweek with his move from Radcliffe to South Shields. Clegg joins Paul
Blackett up top for the Mariners in what looks on paper to be a formidable
strike force. However, one thing to bear in mind about the new arrival is that he’s
only previously played for small clubs in and around Manchester, and whilst
last season’s 26 goals was outstanding, it’s a punt on the part of South
Shields that last season wasn’t a one-off at this level. Clegg replaces Sonny Finch, who left for
Grimsby recently for a reportedly substantial fee. Along with Clegg, the Mariners have also
brought in ex-Rangers and Sunderland winger Jordan Jones.
They’ve got quality throughout. Harrison
Iwunze’s now a marked man of course, and his marker in this game will be one of the
division’s better centre halves, captain Robbie Tinkler. If the Notts County
loanee can get the better of him he’ll be doing well. He’ll have to rapidly
become wise to the full range of tricks they teach at NLN Centre Back Dark Arts School.
Cedwyn Scott’s a capable goal-getter, and
of course there’s Blackett, scorer of 82 goals in the last three seasons.
However, he’s only scored a third of the goals Iwunze’s scored so far, and if
that ratio continues and Blackett gets his usual 30, Iwunze will finish the
season on 90 goals if his loan at Edgar Street is extended from January to the
end of the season.
The full-timers won’t have had the
rigmarole of an early start and long coach trip on the day of the match, so
should be perfectly well rested after a night in a hotel en route.
On Tuesday night they edged a tight one
at home to Marine 2-1, with Blackett getting one of the goals. That win took
them up to third in the table, which, if my maths is correct, is nowhere near as good as being first in the table.
Hereford FC are, er, top of the league. Sounds
odd, feels really good. Much more of this and there will be more scouts at
Bulls games than at a jamboree. Tuesday night’s 3-0 win at Harborough Town, a
side who had previously won all their home games, was another excellent whole-team
performance marked by the squad’s togetherness and strength as a unit, with the
highlight being Cawley Cox getting off the mark for the season. It was good to
see all three strikers bag a goal.
The Bulls’ goal led something of a
charmed life in the latter stages of the game, something that never seemed to
happen last season, but ultimately another clean sheet was secured. That’s five
in eight games with only four goals conceded. Contrast that with Spennymoor and
Darlington each shipping 18 in what hasn’t been the best of starts for
northeastern sides in the division, South Shields excepted, of course.
What a testament that league position is
to the diligence and hard work that Aaron Downes and Harry Pell put in over the
summer, and what good use they’re making of hugely capable substitutes coming
on in games and exploiting opposition tiredness. Everyone truly is playing
their part.
This should be another good advert for
the division given that South Shields like to play ground-level passing football,
and they could well have the majority of possession, so the hosts may have to
be patient, close down, chase and harry, and then find Harry. Kam Kandola
sitting deep will have a huge role to play in this game. Being good without the
ball is something the side has already shown to have in its locker.
Another big crowd looks a certainty, and
the momentum of an early goal and the reaction of the crowd to it could deliver
a special afternoon. What a happy space we’re in at the moment.
COYW
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