Hereford FC unusually travel east rather
than north for an away game this weekend, as they look to build on a fabulous
start to their National League North campaign.
The Eyrie, Bedford is the destination,
and the Bulls will be keen to move on from last weekend’s FA Cup exit at
Stafford, and prove that the 6-0 against South Shields is what the side is all
about, not the 3-2 last Saturday. If Aaron Downes’ ability to pick the side
back up following defeat matches whatever he did after the opening day Buxton
loss, everyone’s going to be in a happy place after this, and indeed after the
next eight games or so too.
It’s a bit of a funny old business that
Hereford, Oxford and Bedford, three of last season’s strugglers, are in the top
eight, with the Bulls and Oxford first and second. The only ‘ford’ in the
division to miss out on a good start are injury-ravaged Telford. Fate perhaps taking
revenge on their star centre forward Matty Stenson for being a ‘Meadow End
celebrator’ last season. If Macclesfield’s ghastly captain gets struck by
lightning sometime soon, you’ll know there’s something in that ‘Meadow End
celebrator’ theory.
Last season Hereford travelled to
Bedford having just beaten Merthyr and Marine, and in so doing had given
themselves a shot at survival. A 2-2 draw that day ensured that nerves remained
frayed from then until some minutes after the final whistle of the final game
at Edgar Street.
On Saturday those nerves should be considerably
less jangly. Hereford come into the game in free-scoring form, and with a
solidity at the back that was nowhere to be seen last season, notwithstanding
the three goals leaked to Stafford in the Cup. Very good sides have gone out of
the Cup at the first hurdle so many times before, and then gone on to thrive in
the league, arguably as a result.
The hosts are in good form, and come
into this having dumped Paul Caddis and Kings Lynn out of the Cup last weekend.
George Moncur, son of ex-West Ham
playmaker John Moncur, plays a similar role for Bedford as his dad did in
making them tick from midfield, and has also chipped in so far this season with
more-or-less a goal every other game. At 33 he’s no spring chicken though.
So far, Hereford have kept dangermen
such as Glen Taylor and Paul Blackett quiet, and they’ll be hoping to do the
same with Moncur, who will be policed by Kam Kandola. If that policing leads to
an early yellow card (and let’s face it that’s not out of the question),
Preston Bitemo can take over the policing in the second half (when, let’s face
it, another yellow card wouldn’t be out of the question).
However, it’s to be hoped that Moncur
will be far too busy helping his defenders out to need much policing at the
other end of the pitch. Bedford will have to contend with attacking threats aplenty
in the form of the Hereford front four, with Luke Spokes both feeding that
front four and offering considerable threat in his own right. It would be
surprising if the manager doesn’t opt for Iwunze and Cox up front from the
start, an attacking tactical move befitting a side at the top of the table.
Ex-Bull Eno Nto will provide pace out
wide for the Eagles, although his end product in terms of quality crosses never
seemed to be quite there during his stop-start time at Edgar Street. He’ll be
keen to prove otherwise and he’s started the season well – maybe he’s resolved
his fitness issues.
Bedford will have done their homework
and figured out that you could lose 6-0 to this Bulls side if you attempt to
out-football them, but equally you could win 3-2 if you go long and hope. That
would be simplistic. Hereford have admirably repelled the direct route in
winning league games prior to the South Shields thrashing. If Bedford put all
their eggs in that basket they’ll regret it. It’s tempting to think that the
Merrett-Howkins centre-back partnership will relish mopping up that one-dimensional
approach in what has so far been such a promising season, after it caused so
much havoc so often in the Hereford defence in what was such a dismal season
last time.
Joseph James, who has rapidly become a
crucial cog in the Hereford wheel, picked up a knock last Saturday, but will
hopefully be fit and firing here.
Hereford welcome Notts County midfielder
Kameron Muir to the squad for this one, and if he’s anything like as effective
as club-mate Harrison Iwunze promotion should be sewn up by Christmas.
These sides played out two 2-2 draws
last season, and another here would see the Bulls almost certainly remain top
of the table, unless Oxford go nuts with the goals at home to Morecambe. That
seems unlikely, with a mole suggesting that Oxford aren’t much good, despite
their lofty league position.
But where’s the fun in drawing? A win
would mean 25 points from the opening ten games - some start.
COYW
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