It’ll hopefully be two on the bounce for the Bulls
as they look to secure a second win in four days at home to Radcliffe on
Tuesday evening.
If you feel some wet stuff coming down from the sky
don’t be alarmed, it’s called ‘rain’ and it’s completely harmless. Yes folks,
the forecast suggests that during the game we may get some respite at last from
the drought. Ben Bowen will be pleased.
The Bulls will be looking to lay down some further
foundations to support the idea that Edgar Street can be something of a
fortress this season, a place that visiting sides are genuinely intimated by, in
many cases after an intimidating 250-mile coach journey to get there before any
of the actual sporting intimidation even begins.
With a sub-2000 attendance now a real rarity for a
Tuesday evening game at Edgar Street, there should be good enough numbers in to
generate a bit of that intimidatory atmosphere.
What was so, so, so refreshing about Saturday was
that the side’s only thought having edged ahead was to double their 1-0 lead
rather than sit on it. The latter approach has of course mostly ended in misery
when attempted by previous managers, and that positivity on Saturday looks to
be suggestive of a far more dynamic approach under the Downes-Pell regime.
I was thinking on Saturday that for the second
season running the club seems to have got itself a loanee from Notts County who
isn’t starting XI-ready, even when half of many people’s idea of the starting
XI are missing. Harrison Iwunze then came on and scored within ten minutes of
his introduction to the game.
Perhaps he will now be deemed to be starting
XI-ready.
A clean sheet against Marine and Kaptain Kam Kandola
judged as MOTM playing a little higher up the pitch, but ready to drop back
when the missing midfielders return, may suggest that last year’s defensive
frailties have been addressed to an extent at least. Sides should have to work
much harder to score against Hereford this time around.
One of many positives to come out of the Marine game
was that no fresh injuries seem to have been reported afterwards. Hopefully
that tide of bad luck has now turned. If back-to-back wins can be achieved
whilst not at full strength, that bodes very well for when the longer-term
injured players come back.
With everyone playing a full part in an encouraging
performance on Saturday, Aaron Downes may be tempted not to make any changes,
but that goal from Iwunze should get him a start, which could involve a
formation tweak, with Cawley Cox playing off the Notts County youngster. That
does seem to be a role that may suit CC more.
The visitors come down to Edgar Street pointless
this season following an opening day defeat at home to newcomers Spalding, and
on Saturday a narrow 2-1 loss at Macclesfield, with the hosts pinching a late
winner. Macc had goalie Christian Dibble to thank for those three points,
without whom they would have lost, so this side are dangerous despite the start
they’ve made, no doubt about it.
Manager Bernard Morley, now operating without his
erstwhile partner Anthony Johnson, suggested after that game that centre backs
Michael Nottingham and Tom Davies, forced off injured, may be missing for this.
He also described them as ‘two of the best centre backs in the division’, so
that would be quite a loss. Their names are added to an already considerable
injury list at the club – similarities with Hereford there.
We may see Harry Redknapp appearing for the visitors.
No, not that one – ‘that one’ is this one’s grandad. Son of Jamie is a 6’ 4” centre
back. For younger readers, Harry Redknapp (the older one) was a winger for West
Ham when wingers for West Ham came from east London rather than Leominster, and
Jamie Redknapp, Harry snr’s son, used to swan about in midfield for a Liverpool
side that wasn’t very good. For older readers, you didn’t need that explanation,
apologies.
Two others to watch out for are wide man Michael
Afuye and striker Rio Clegg. Clegg scored 26 goals last season, including one
against Hereford, and could have got a hat-trick against Macclesfield on
Saturday if it wasn’t for the form of Dibble. Luckily we have our own Dibble in
the more palatable form of Theo Richardson.
Can this season’s Bulls cope with and counter the
Radcliffe threat with lovely, silky, easy-on-the-eye total football and further
offer the suggestion that 2026/27 could actually occasionally be fun rather
than torture? Is it even legal to be that optimistic on the evidence of beating
Marine 1-0?
We’ll be given more of a clue on Tuesday. You
wouldn’t want to miss it. Or the rain.
COYW
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