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Next Game: Rushall At Home In The League On Saturday 30th November At 3.00pm

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Competition For Places Is Vital Said Richards


Head Coach Marc Richards wants competition for all places in the team and says it's vital at all levels.

Eliot Richards was named on the bench for yesterday's game against Kidderminster Harriers after returning from injury, meaning there was no place for fellow midfielder Billy Murphy.

Bristol City loanee Harvey Smith has been regular face in the Bulls defence up until missing Saturday's game at Bradford after suffering mild concussion in a youth game for his parent club last week.

Jordan Cullinane-Liburd donned the captain's armband in his absence and has looked fairly solid alongside new signing Josh Gowling. The pair managed to keep Hereford's first clean sheet in the league since August in Wednesday's game. 

"It was great to get Eliot back on the pitch, you saw what he gave us in the last ten minutes," Richards said.

"That little bit of quality, composure, right decision at the right time and it was great to get him back.

"That competition for places is vital whatever level you're playing, we need to constantly need to be looking at it.

"You get a few little injuries, a few bits of illness and it affects you quite a bit. We need to constantly be looking to make sure we have competition for all places in the team."

It's quick turnaround now for Hereford as they entertain Chester at home on Saturday before making the short trip to Aggborough to play Harriers again on Tuesday.

Richards says that with the recent developments in the club's analysis it means that the side can prepare and do their homework without a physical training session.

"We knew before coming into the Christmas period that we'd have five games in a short space of time, and we'd probably only get one training session in that," added Richards.

"It's very much about the lads looking after themselves over the next couple of days and going again.

"The good thing is we can communicate without having to physically be there with some of the stuff we've brought in from an analysis perspective and doing our homework.

"We can do that without having a physical training session."

Many fans see the return of Mike Symons as being a crucial part in Hereford's upturn in form recently.

The striker says it's a tough Christmas period for the Bulls, with Chester on Saturday 'another tough one'.

Symons said: "Another tough one. We've got a tough Christmas period and then we go to Kiddy away and Chorley at home.

"I went to the Chorley away game when I was injured and I thought they were a really dominant team, that'll be a nice challenge at home as well.

"We can build on that, Chester at home will be a tough one. We can regroup again over the next couple of days and get ourselves up for that one."