Finally, a match! Whether that’s
a good thing or not remains to be seen, but tomorrow sees beleaguered Hereford
FC travel to Boston. Unfortunately, it’s United of Lincolnshire, rather than
Red Sox of Massachusetts, so the opposition won’t be running out in their
pyjamas not knowing the rules of soccer or anything like that, thus robbing the
Bulls of a potential advantage.
No, this Boston sit sixth in the
league having recently put together an impressive run of form, winning three of
their last five matches, having finished resolutely mid-table last season. When
exactly are we going to be handed a gimme by the fixture computer? I suppose we
had one recently at home to Ashton and that didn‘t end well. Anyway, the thing
to remember about Boston is that they simply don’t draw football matches, so we
can safely conclude that 5pm tomorrow will be a time of misery or jubilation.
As far as the visitors are
concerned, a smattering of new faces have been added to the squad in the
fortnight since the backs-to-the-wall draw at Stockport, giving some hope that
new head coach Marc Richards is slowly building a unit that’s capable of
pulling away from the lower reaches of the National League North table.
Striker James Roberts joins from
Halesowen, but served his apprenticeship at Oxford United. As such, he is of
course now expected to score 150 goals in the next three seasons to emulate the
last Oxonian striker to wear the shirt. With Harry White and Marlon Jackson
struggling to find form, Roberts could come straight in to partner fellow
newcomer George Lloyd up top.
In midfield, it’s two in and
three out, with Jamie Bird, Lewis Hall and Jordan Lam leaving the club, making
way for Tom Owen-Evans and Tommy O’Sullivan. With some supporters considering
the jettisoning of Bird in particular somewhat premature, it does look like potential
is being replaced by quality at this level, and given the predicament the club
finds itself in that looks to be a sensible trade-off.
With Jettison
Myrie-Williams also having recently been jennysoned, it’s all change in
midfield.
At the back, Martin Horsell will
presumably be sitting this one out as a post-head injury precaution as much as
anything else, with the Derby loanees Matt Yates and Ethan Wassall starting
again in goal and at centre back respectively. With young Harvey Smith both
captaining and scoring at Edgeley Park, Ryan Green may have to settle for a
place on the bench as he recovers from injury. The same fate may also await former
skipper Jordan Cullinane-Liburd.
With the possibility of debutants
and nearly-news making up half of the starting XI, it’s surely to be hoped that
there will at least be an enthusiasm that’s been lacking in some of the
resigned performances of late. Since Pete Beadle’s sacking, the Bulls have now
lost…well, we don’t need to rehearse all that, but suffice to say we’re bottom
of the form table and sit just three points above the relegation places, so an
upturn, whether brought about by enthusiasm alone or a mixture of enthusiasm
and pure, unadulterated skill, is long overdue.
We’ve been reminded on these
pages recently that this fixture has had goals in it in the past, but I’m sure
everyone would be just fine with a 1-0 win tomorrow. In fact, what am I saying,
‘just fine’? I’d probably have a street party, and I don’t have any neighbours.
COYW