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So, a bit of a reality check on Tuesday night against Rushall, which may be no bad thing, and checking reality whilst picking up points is certainly no bad thing. If legginess contributed to that slightly jaded performance, an overnight stay on the way up to Blyth this weekend should help as long as they’re overnighting in bed rather than at a top nitespot in Northallerton, the Vegas of North Yorkshire.
Yes folks, it’s Blyth away, with memories of that 5-0 defeat still fresh enough to cause involuntary twitching among Bulls fans. It wasn’t a perspective I was able to appreciate at the time, but what Spartans achieved that day in escaping relegation was hugely impressive.
This isn’t really one that can be billed as a revenge mission because the cast of characters has completely changed (much like with the later Police Academy films), at least from the visitors’ perspective, but it would be nice to go back to business as usual against Blyth, and that means beating them home and away. Prior to that end-of-season aberration the Bulls boasted a 100% record against them over seven matches.
That glowing record accurately hints at the fact that Blyth often hang on to their status in the National League North by the skin of their teeth, but this season they opened their account with two wins. That run came to an end on Tuesday when they lost 1-0 to Scarborough, with an injury-time goal being the difference between the sides, allowing Hereford to ease past them in the table into third position – yes, that’s THIRD, not thirty-third. With another of last season’s low points, Peterborough at home, next up, two ghosts could be busted in a week. What’s with the 1980s film references this week I hear you ask? Er, I don’t know, it just happened.
Reports suggest that the Scarborough loss may have been unlucky, and it looks like Spartans could be an altogether trickier proposition this season.
For the sake of Hereford’s chances here, hopefully Blyth’s defeat last time out, unlucky or not, signals the start of a slide back to their habitual home in the relegation places, but you’d imagine even if the hosts are past their peak the Bulls will have to up their game considerably after Tuesday to come away with the points, or simply rely on Curtis Pond again, who is man-of-the-matching more often than Gavin Williams used to in the black-and-white-quartered kit days.
Nevertheless, the Bulls are unbeaten after three games and picking up points when they’re without key players, so that even a draw here would mean they’re averaging two points a game early on. Lassana Mendes will presumably belatedly make his debut in this one in some capacity, although he may have to come off the bench to do so. A combination of his delayed availability and Tuesday’s slightly flat showing mean that supporters will be hoping he’ll be ‘the difference’ to an extent it might be a bit tricky to live up to. If Jason Cowley can join Mendes in playing some part here that just leaves Willo by my reckoning as the only remaining missing player from what might be seen as Hereford’s first choice starting XI.
If Mendes does play, the prospect of plenty of crosses coming in from him on the right and Jordan Cranston on the left should give the strikers something to work with.
If big Dylan Barkers has shown in training on Thursday any of the sort of form that saw Cheltenham give him a chance in League 1 not so long ago he could get a first start here to add a bit of 6’4” Rotterdam heft to the Hereford midfield.
JJ O’Donnell is still there for the hosts and is a big player for them, although he went off injured on Tuesday in that defeat to Scarborough, so could be a doubt. Curiously, they’ve now got JJ Hooper too. In fact, the JJs scored the goals in the 2-0 win at Warrington last Saturday. Ex Bulls loanee Jack Bodenham looks like a handy addition from South Shields to a Spartans defence that has in the past borne precious little similarity to the original heroic Spartans’ defence at the Battle of Thermopylae, around about the time of the release of the first Police Academy film.
Bodenham’s sending off against Warrington should mean he sits this one out on the naughty step, so if he and O’Donnell are missing, Lady Luck seems like she may still be smiling benevolently down on Hereford FC as she has done frequently already this season, although she could have been a bit kinder with injuries.
Blyth generally try to play the right way, so if the Bulls are a bit more lively here than they were on Tuesday this could be a good advert for the division.
A good one to get out of the way when it’s not winter. Or Tuesday. Or both.
COYW