Who Will Gowling Choose To Start Against Portsmouth?

 

Hereford manager Josh Gowling has a number of decisions to make about his starting eleven to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup this evening.

Last Saturday two players, who usually feature, were not in the starting eleven.

Ryan Mclean was on the bench after recovering from an injury and Luke Haines was not in the squad as he was serving a one match ban for receiving five yellow cards.

Here's a list of the starting eleven at Curzon Albion last Saturday:

Eve, Hodgkiss, Evans, Thompson-Sommers, Amadi-Holloway, Pinchard, Storey, Hanson, Pendley, Barnett, Thompson

As Gowling explained after the game he brought Jordan Thompson into the eleven as he went with three in defence along with two wing backs.

Whether he will go with that formation remains to be seen but the odds are he will revert to four in defence. If so that implies Thompson will miss out and Hodgkiss, Amadi-Holloway, Pendley and Evans will start.

And if he does go 4-4-2 who does he select in midfield. Will he stick with Hanson and Thompson-Summers or, perhaps more likely, bring in Luke Haines. And does that mean Thompson-Summers will be on the bench given Hanson is probably more defensive.

Another decision is who will be the wingers?  With Mclean looking fit, and scoring, last Saturday when he came on as a substitute, he will be hopeful of a start.

The other winger is expected to be Storey with Pinchard playing behind Barnett. Unless Gowling decides to put Storey alongside Barnett with Pinchard on the wing.

Finally it looks like Eve will be in goal as Brad Wade isn't thought to be fully fit after his nine week lay-off.

Whatever Gowling decides we'll find out around 7pm this evening.