For the second time in four days
Hereford FC host the table toppers, with South Shields and Fylde changing
places on Saturday courtesy of that fantastic win for Hereford, and three
points too for Fylde at home to Paul Caddis-managed Kings Lynn.
Is that a problem? No, because Hereford,
still in the relegation places let’s not forget, are doing a good impression of
being the best team in the league at the moment, and should be backed by
another 2500 midweek crowd under the Edgar Street lights.
They’ll go into this one respectful of
the opposition’s excellent record this season, but with no fear and bundles of
self-belief. It’s very hard to take in the full scale of the transformation
that’s occurred since Aaron Downes and Harry Pell came in – it feels like a
dream.
Fylde won’t fancy this one bit, but like
South Shields they’re full-time so they won’t have Tuesday night bus legs prior
to kick off, presumably luxuriating in a morning journey down and a bit of
afternoon pampering, maybe some selfies in front of the ground - this is, after all, their Cup Final.
The visitors, relegated to this level
last season, have bounced back from that relegation very well, helped in no
small part by their chairman’s money, and have been lurking behind South
Shields in second position since August. They’ve now moved to the top, but can
they stay there?
They have the best away record in the
division, and have conceded fewer goals than anyone else on their travels.
They’ve won eight of their last ten games. Having said that South Shields were
going well until they came to Hereford.
The Coasters are managed by Craig Mahon.
Mahon has started well at the club in this his first season in management, but
he’ll need to continue to build on that success as the club tends to get
through one manager a year. It’s possible or even probable that his services
will be dispensed with if they don’t go up…ridiculous.
Centre forward Danny Ormerod has 26
league goals this season in 32 appearances, which isn’t bad for a 19-year-old.
He’s contracted to the club for two years, on full-time terms of course, with
the option of a third. That illustrates the difference in how these two clubs
are run, with Hereford’s recovery built primarily on the impact of short-term
loanees. The commercial viability of a football club now seems to count for
very little in terms of sporting success.
Jon Ustabasi has been a prominent
performer in the past against Hereford, with Chorley and now with Fylde. He has
scored 16 times this season, and ex-Leeds youngster Luca Thomas weighs in with
goals and assists aplenty from a wide position.
In October, when these sides met in
Lancashire, Hereford put in one of their best performances of the Caddis
mini-season (the overall season has been so disjointed, and latterly
unrecognisably successful, that it seems to make more sense dividing it into
two) and were somewhat robbed in coming away empty-handed following a 2-1 loss,
the aforementioned Ustabasi getting the winner in the 94th minute.
Parallels there with the South Shields situation – 2-1 to them earlier in the
season in a game Hereford should have got something from, with the scoreline
reversed at Edgar Street at the weekend. If the same can happen here the vast
majority of the crowd will go home happy. Again.
Hereford’s starting XI here will
presumably show some signs of rotation. The same back four has now started two
matches running, so given that we’re now entering the truly nutty stage of the
fixture pile-up Aaron Downes may feel the need to make a change or two there.
However, a big well done is due to that defence for very nearly keeping a clean
sheet against a strong South Shields side. Going a step further and denying
Fylde a goal here would demonstrate real progress, and the new manager will
have to decide whether rotation or the benefits of continuity are most likely
to deliver that clean sheet. Tricky.
In midfield, Harry Tustin should get a
start here having only been used for 15 minutes on Saturday. Harrison Sohna,
languid and lovely to watch, now has three goals in two games. It would be very
difficult to rest him against a top side, and the next game at Alfreton on
Thursday may be one he’d be better being on the bench for, as it could be a bit
more agricultural.
Up top, George Munday and Andy Williams
are scoring, Mikey Lane will be soon, and all three will be keen to get the one
starting place available given what the three magicians in behind are capable
of creating for them.
And the magic circle is apparently set
to get wider. At the time of writing, the newly-signed winger mentioned by
Aaron Downes at the fans forum last week hadn’t been announced, but if he has
the same impact as the players already brought in by the new management team he
should be something to behold.
Three games ago (which was probably
about three days ago given how the fixtures are currently), I suggested that if
Hereford win all their remaining matches they’ll finish on 80 points and
qualify for the play-offs. Er, it’s still on.
COYW
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