Highlights of yesterday's 1-1 draw between Hereford and Chester are now on line.
To view: https://herefordfc.co.uk/2026/08/highlights-hereford-fc-1-1-chester-fc/
Sunday, August 30, 2026
National North Bank Holiday Monday Preview
Little rest for clubs in the National North League as they are all set to be playing again tomorrow.
This review from NL's Sam Elliott.
Chester weren’t too frustrated by two Enterprise National League North dropped points at a much-improved Hereford.
But the 1-1 draw did mean new arrivals Hebburn went top - and Phil Parkinson’s side will get another tough examination when Morecambe arrive on their back of their first success.
It’s a day of fantastic matches in the division and first plays third as Macclesfield host new table toppers Hebburn Town.
Oxford City missed the chance take over on Friday, and they want to get back to winning ways at Worksop Town.
The rain caused South Shields havoc at Brackley Town after the abandonment, but after Bart Cybulski’s hat-trick on Saturday, they know they must not take Spalding United lightly.
AFC Telford United are the surprise early bottom markers - can they start their climb against Bedford Town?
Elsewhere in the division King's Lynn Town v Scarborough Athletic could produce goals with Harborough Town playing Marine and Southport looking to recover from a weekend hiding at home to Hereford.
Hereford Women Draw With Dudley
Hereford Women drew their 'home' game with Dudley Ladies this afternoon.
It ended 1-1.
The game was played at Bromyard.
Next Sunday Hereford are playing at Edgar Street as it's a Cup match.
Hereford 8/5 To Win At Southport
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| A Consolation Penalty Goal For Hereford Last Season At Southport Who Won The Game 5-1 |
Despite Southport losing 5-1 at Scarborough yesterday and Hereford holding high flying Chester to a 1-1 draw, the bookmakers are offering 8/5 for a Hereford victory when the two teams meet at Southport tomorrow afternoon.
Currently Hereford are 4th in the league with 10 points from 5 starts, Southport are 17th with 5 points.
Southport 6/4 Draw 13/5 Hereford 8/5
Howkins In National North Team Of The First Half Of The Weekend
Hereford defender Kyle Howkins has been selected for the National North League team for the first part of the weekend.
He gave an excellent performance for Hereford in their 1-1 draw with Chester yesterday.
Bank holiday sun, sea and sand(grounders)
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It’s not quite the Med, but the attraction of a bright day on the Irish Sea coast beckons for Hereford FC on bank holiday Monday as they visit the Monaco of Merseyside, Southport.
This fixture was the first one last season to follow the departure of Paul Caddis. Adam Rooney admirably took the reins for it, but with everything in a very messy state at the time the 5-1 scoreline wasn’t a huge surprise. That was the Irishman’s one and only game in charge before Aaron Downes took over.
Having just about stayed up following that transition, the Bulls can now have another crack at it as an utterly rejuvenated side.
Historically the Haig Avenue pitch hasn’t always been a manicured bowling green, but it’s now much-improved, and will be the first away game of the season played on actual grass. The commercial benefits of plastic pitches to clubs at this level are considerable so their proliferation is understandable, but the spectacle they deliver does seem to be something of a poor relation to a game on a natural surface.
Southport tend to draw at home more than most. They only lost six home games last season yet still finished down in 14th position due to drawing so much. Incidentally, and on that note, if Hereford are to have a successful season they’d be looking to lose two games at home all season, three max, to finish in the top three. That sort of stat hits home in illustrating the scale of the transformation needed between last season and this if 2026/27 is to live up to its early promise.
As ever, Southport seem to be set up as a strong collective unit rather than a side featuring individual flair. On Saturday they were thumped 5-1 at Scarborough, finding themselves three goals down after barely half an hour. Will this be backlash or hangover? An early goal for the visitors could see home heads drops quicker than might otherwise have been the case if they weren’t coming into this following a thrashing.
Unusually, and possibly uniquely, 75% of the central midfielders in this game could be Lukes. Lukes Burgess and Griffiths will go up against Mr Spokes for Hereford. Take that Opta with your nonsensical ‘xG’ – you don’t do ‘Number of players called Luke’ do you?
The Southport Lukes (who sound like an indie band that disappeared without trace after one forgettable single in 1997 and a throwaway suggestion in the NME that they were the inheritors of Echo and the Bunnymen’s Scouse-rock crown) have made a good start to the season, or at least they had until Burgess got sent off on Saturday.
He has a couple of goals and a couple of assists already, and Griffiths came in from Macclesfield last autumn and has been a ‘combative’ addition to the side so far, with three yellow cards in five games.
Midfielder Danny Lloyd-McGoldrick is suspended for this, and for Hereford Kam Kandola will sit out the second match of his three-match ban here.
Red cards seem to be more common this season than last, possibly because no-one respects the idea of the captain alone being allowed to approach the referee to question their decisions. There’s a fair case to be made that both of Hereford’s red cards this season would have been yellow but for the pressure put on the referee from every member of the opposition, and often members of the coaching staff too, in bullying the referee. We’re all sometimes baffled by refereeing decisions, but there would be no game without them, and they need to have their authority respected, and should issue cards to players (notably goalies) who sometimes run from a different postcode to attempt to pressure them into getting an opposing player sent off.
New rulings seem to have put paid to the sort of time-wasting that was making games unwatchable (and again goalies were particularly culpable in that) – this hounding of refs similarly needs to be nipped in the bud. Perhaps it could actually be self-policed in a grown-up fashion by the 24 managers in the division getting together in a video call and agreeing to ensure that captains should be the only players entitled to approach referees.
Praise for Preston Bitemo after Saturday’s game from the manager may hint at a start here, allowing Luke Spokes a more advanced posting. Given the minimal recovery time since the Chester game, Aaron Downes may look to rotate a bit elsewhere too – a first start for Danny Waldren perhaps if fitness allows?
To go toe-to-toe against a Chester side destined for the play-offs (at least) with four big players missing (three injured and one suspended), is very encouraging.
A place in the top three beckons here for Hereford if they can return to winning ways against a hopefully shellshocked Southport side.
COYW
After Ninety Minutes At Edgar Street
Pictures from after the end of yesterday's drawn game between Hereford and Chester.
Downes Speaks About His Latest Signing Callum Witts
Towards the end of his post Chester interview, Hereford manager Aaron Downes was asked about his most recent signing Callum Witts.
"Callum is a real good player.
"He is only 18 and is someone who were have had in for the past few weeks in training.
"I was surprised he was let go by Coventry because he is a good player but he was someone we were keen to bring in.
"As a young player he needs games so it's a great opportunity for him to go and get some games early on and see how he develops.
"As a young center-half you need an elbow in the face, you need a broken nose, you need a cut on the side of your head. That will make you stronger, better.
"We saw with Preston Bitemo last year he got 40 games under his belt and then he goes out and produces what he does today when he comes on. He was excellent.
"And that comes with games and experience.
"You could keep him in house and use him but he needs to go and get 30/40 games.
"If he does that then we'll have a player on our hands, that's for sure."
How did you come across him?
"Connections in the game and bringing him in and agents and I know people at Coventry.
"Numerous different ways."
Saturday, August 29, 2026
National North League Saturday Review
A look at the results in the National North League with NL's Sam Elliott.
Chester were held to a 1-1 draw at Hereford, Billy Waters levelled after Billy Phillips put the Bulls in front.
Hebburn Town take over at the top of the Enterprise National League North after a stunning second half ripped King’s Lynn Town apart 4-2.
Macclesfield are also on 13 points as things really closed up. Daniel Elliott’s two goals proved the difference at Darlington.
Like the Quakers, Spennymoor Town are slow starts and went down 3-1 at Bedford Town. George Newell got both goals as Marine defeated managerless Radcliffe.
Bartosz Cybulski hit a sublime hat-trick as Spalding United got the better of Worksop Town 3-1.
Scarborough Athletic’s Rio Allen also scored a double, an so did Mo Fadera as the Seadogs hit Southport for five.
On Friday night, Buxton wrecked Oxford City’s hope of going top.
Sisa Tuntulwana‘s double earned the away side a morale boosting victory despite Tyrone Marsh’s best efforts.
Morecambe are up and running after Teddy Collis’ double downed AFC Telford United, securing the club’s first win of the new campaign.
Hednesford also have lift off, Dave Abimbola five minutes from time halted Harborough Town. Britt Assombalonga was again on target and it looked like three points were coming before George Langston’s 82 minute goal flipped the encounter between the two promoted clubs.
News Round Up
Former Hereford goalkeeper Curtis Pond played his 400th game for Chasetown this afternoon.
Sam Clucas is on trial with Bradford City, the former Hereford United winger was recently released by Shrewsbury.
Southport captain Luke Burgess was red carded in the 95th minute at Scarborough who won the game 5-1. Hereford travel to Southport on Monday.
King’s Lynn manager Paul Caddis said he accepted full responsibility after watching his side surrender a half-time lead for the second successive game. They were 2-1 ahead at Hebburn but lost 4-2. "I pick the team, I pick the players, I decide the tactics and the substitutions. That’s two weeks in a row where we’ve thrown away six points."
Second Half Pictures From Hereford v Chester
A selection of pictures from this afternoon at a packed Edgar Street.
First Half Pictures From Edgar Street
A fairly level first half with both Hereford and Chester scoring.
Before Kick-Off At Edgar Street
Pictures from before kick-off at Edgar Street this afternoon including a packed-out Meadow End. Chester were the visitors whilst Hereford manager Aaron Downes sized up a possible recruit.
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| Andy Boucher |
Downes hails aggressive Bulls as they stand up to challenge
Aaron Downes said he was “nearly as tired as the players” after Hereford battled their way to a deserved point against league‑leaders Chester at Edgar Street.
Aaron Downes
The Bulls extended their unbeaten run to four games and became the first side to take points off the Seals this season. Downes felt the 1–1 draw was a fair reflection of a fiercely competitive contest.
“It was a good game. Really good game,” he said. “Good game from two good teams in my opinion. It was a tough game for us. You can see they move the ball well, they've got good patterns, they get the ball forward quickly as well and they're an athletic side. They’re energetic.
"It was a tough challenge for us today and I think we stood up to it.”
Downes praised his side’s ability to impose themselves at key moments.
“There were patches of play in both halves where we moved the ball really well and we were aggressive out of possession, good in possession at moments," he said.
"Overall, that was a good game of football."
Hereford took the lead through Billy Phillips after excellent work from Keziah Martin and Aaron Skinner. Downes called it “a good goal, great work from Kez… Skins does great down the side and Bill finds himself free in the box and it’s a great finish.”
Chester equalised through Billy Waters shortly before half‑time, with some supporters feeling the goal may have been offside. Downes wasn’t ready to judge it.
"I haven't seen it back yet so I will review it, but a few of the boys are saying it is," he said.
"The linesman's in a good position from where I've seen it, so I don't know. No quibbles at the minute, but I might tell you differently tomorrow when I've viewed it."
The visitors enjoyed a strong spell early in the second half, forcing Theo Richardson to several saves.
While Chester found some momentum, Hereford’s best second‑half chance fell to Harrison Iwunze, who headed wide from a good cross.
But Downes said his side got into some good areas in the second half but didn’t come up with an end product, which was disappointing, but the manager was satisfied overall.
“A draw’s probably a fair result,” he said. “It’s probably a good point for both teams.”
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