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The recent Banbury and Gloucester defeats exposed the same defensive flaws in the Bulls back line that caused last season’s slow start, suggesting that little progress has been made over the last calendar year. However, with Luke Haines moving into midfield and Orrin Pendley taking his place in defence last time up at Alfreton, there were signs that some resilience had returned.
As has been generally felt, both early last season and this, Haines is a valuable asset to the squad but seemingly almost conclusively now not as a central defender. If big Orrin can handle Matt Rhead as he did last Saturday, apparently relishing the challenge, he could be the answer at the back physically, and seems more inclined to keep it refreshingly simple. Of course, to put the salvation of the Bulls defence on the shoulders of a lad who has never previously played at National League North level is a big ask, and probably foolishly optimistic, when that role was given to the significantly more experienced Krystian Pearce last season, but if it works no-one would complain. It would also add to the Bulls’ attacking threat at corners, given that he's such a substantial unit.
If that switch does work and the opposition is finally made to work for goals rather than being gifted them, the matchday experience will become a far less frustrating one.
New left winger James Caton is a bit of a curious arrival. In a nomadic ten-year career he has played just 114 games, scoring nine goals. Admittedly much of that time has been spent at a higher level, so maybe the thinking is that he’ll show hitherto untapped potential at NLN level. If so, his 32 appearances for Darlington and Nuneaton at that very level, which produced just one goal, were presumably glossed over.
With Ty Barnett on a goalscorer’s contract those defensive headers of his, albeit very welcome, will be coming at quite a cost to the club. He’ll know more than anyone that he could badly do with causing some damage at the other end of the pitch here, and when that goal comes it’ll be very enthusiastically greeted by supporters I’m sure after the shifts he’s put in.
Aaron Amadi-Harrison has now had a fortnight or so to edge closer to fitness, so could be an impactful substitute to bring on here.
Brackley, uncharacteristically, started the season patchily, winning their opener but then losing three on the bounce. They’ve since reverted to type, beating Gloucester and Kidderminster before drawing with Chorley away, which is always a decent result, although the match was described as ‘not one for the purists’ by manager Kevin Wilkin, ie more-or-less unwatchably bad.
As ever, the Saints have thrown the kitchen sink at their traditional not-quite-good-enough push towards a springtime of choking in the play-offs, with free-scoring Callum Stead joining them in the summer from neighbours Kettering Town. So far, that free-scoring reputation has delivered a solitary goal this season, which could mean he’s either hopelessly out of touch and can be safely discounted as a threat or imminently due a hat-trick, which could be handed to him on a plate here if the Bulls decide to give their Gloucester performance another airing, not so much delivering their A-game as their G-game. No-one wants to see that. Ever again.
Ex-Bull Jordan Cullinane-Liburd should be in the hosts’ squad, although most likely as a bench-warmer.
Hereford’s record against Brackley since promotion to the NLN is, well, not very good at all, and the hosts will be as strong and quick and efficient and capable as ever. However, that greater resilience at the back with Luke Haines shielding, coupled with the bundles of ability in front of him, should give the visitors a chance here to replicate that decent win at Chester earlier in the season. This season is still more than young enough for the early promise shown in that game to be rekindled and for the ‘work in progress’ to become more of a finished article, one that can push on up into the play-offs and stay there.
Over the next month the Bulls have three very winnable home games to look forward to following the FA Cup tie with Bromsgrove. Blyth, Leamington and Peterborough all come to Edgar Street, and if the club wants to retain any aspirations of success this season a return of seven points from those games would seem to be a reasonable target. Anything less would suggest another season of frustrating inconsistency.
A win here would take the pressure off a bit going into those games, which should make that points haul easier to achieve.
Simple as that.
COYW