It’s Blyth Spartans away tomorrow, kick off 3pm, and Blyth is so far north it’s like in space or something, so it’ll probably be postponed for lack-of-gravity reasons. If you’re making the journey, and the only travel options are reportedly by using Elon Musk, Richard Branson or NASA forms of rocket transport, good luck to you.
However, despite the lack of
gravity, or maybe because of it if they’re employing the same aerial tactics as
certain supposedly progressive tacticians coaching teams in this division,
Blyth are doing OK. Since losing 3-0 at Edgar Street on the opening day of the
season to a bright and sparky Hereford team, the Spartans sit in tenth place, just three points outside the play-offs, and mirroring their finishing position last season.
Following Tuesday night’s 1-1
draw against Guiseley, optimists will no doubt talk glowingly about a better
performance and a brighter future for the Bulls, but draws against the detritus
of the division have never got the baby’s bonnet knitted, and coming as it did
on the back of the really disappointing home draw with Nuneaton the Bulls are still in danger.
This is what I wrote in this
space prior to the Boston game, way back in October: “Since Pete Beadle’s sacking…we
sit just three points above the relegation places, so an upturn…is long overdue.”
If that upturn was a library book the local council would be starting to get
very cross indeed. We still sit three points above the relegation places, and
an upturn is still very much needed.
Statistics traditionally keep
company with lies and damned lies of course, and our current form, often peddled
by vested interests as signalling some sort of a renaissance (16 points from the
last ten league games) doesn’t really tell the whole story.
However, the signs are perhaps
there. Marc Richards may be getting close to finding the right system with the
cards he holds/has been handed by Tim Harris. If only the latter could lay his
hands on someone with an eye for goal some semblance of optimism could return. Ah-ha! News just in that an announcement is imminent on that front. It's been a while coming, but if the reason for that is that Harris has been waiting for someone who will genuinely make a difference, that strikes me as being very prudent.
Also, as everyone knows by now, Jimmy Oates has returned on loan for the rest of the season (and it's lucky that being Australian he probably won't consider Exeter to Blyth to be that great a distance to travel). Obviously, this frees Kieran Thomas up to move forward into midfield, where the consensus seems to be that his ability to disrupt opposition attacks is more valuable to the cause than his steady work at right back.
Again, there's a choice to be made about who partners Josh Gowling in the centre of defence, and perhaps Jordan Cullinane-Liburd's threat from set pieces could give him the nod, especially now that we've realised that we're allowed to score from corners.
Eliot Richards now finally seems to have cemented a much deserved starting place, and in-form Tom Owen-Evans will presumably be among the first names on the teamsheet. Unfortunately, just as Keyon Reffell was closing in on full fitness, he finds himself back in rehab for the majority of the rest of the season with a broken ankle. Good luck with the recovery Keyon, you'll be sorely missed. Again.
Marc Richards after the match on Tuesday referred to Blyth's form, and that it was typical bad timing for the Bulls to be meeting them when they're flying. I wrote here a while ago that we seemed to be continually coming up against teams starting or enjoying a run of good form. That hasn't been the case by and large recently though, with Kidderminster, Nuneaton and Guiseley all struggling, and Blyth have only won one of their last five, although admittedly they're also unbeaten in those five. With a bit of luck they'll have half an eye on next weekend's big Trophy game away at Leyton Orient, and they're no great shakes defensively, having conceded six more goals than Hereford so far this season.
However, this one will undoubtedly be tough, even with a talisman at right back and the new Mo Salah up front, but a win really would suggest that things are starting to come together. If only there was a bit of belief rather than hesitancy when attempting to defend set pieces. As ever, the squad will have everyone's full support, be it from the travelling astronauts or the stay-at-homers.
Fingers crossed.
COYW