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Anyway, following Tuesday’s ultimately fruitless trip to Derbyshire, the Bulls hit the road again on Saturday as they visit Victory Park, Chorley to take on the in-form Magpies.
With things starting to look up a few short days ago, such is the nature of football that suddenly injuries and suspensions are making things awkward again.
Aurio Teixeira and Kyle Howkins are suspended for this match, Paul Downing and Jordan Lyden, having just signed season-long contracts, could both be missing injured, as could Ethan Freemantle. Lassana Mendes and Ollie Southern have also been struggling of late. That’s all on top of the long-term absence of Andy Williams, Jason Cowley and Mark Derricott of course. That’s not just numbers, but some hugely influential presences that will or could be missing for what looks like a tough assignment. The Bulls have after all lost all three matches they’ve contested at Victory Park since promotion to the National League North, although those matches were played ‘BCP’, or ‘Before Curtis Pond’.
With several of the more experienced players possibly missing, much will rest on the shoulders of captain Nathan Cameron in keeping things on an even keel at one end, and Adam Rooney trying to make something happen at the other. Cameron is a player returning from injury himself of course, and Rooney has played a lot more minutes already this season than he would have imagined would be the case. Jordan Cranston will hopefully be fit enough to be a 90-minute option alongside Cameron at the back. It’s a challenging situation but one that at least gives Connor Stanley, Koby Arthur and Jack Tolley the opportunity to show that they’ve got what it takes to be regular starters.
At the current rate of attrition it’ll be the under-18s turning out against Gillingham next weekend, but if they can beat Clee Hill they shouldn’t have too much trouble against the stuttering Gills.
Paul Caddis never seems to moan about the injury luck, perhaps mindful of the fact that his budget forces him to take a few gambles on good players with slightly chequered fitness histories, and it’s easy to imagine that his positivity is hugely infectious in the dressing room. The spirit in the squad seems to be rock solid, and that could deliver something uplifting here to banish the memories of Alfreton and allow some optimistic looking forward to a bit of fun in the FA Cup next week, as could the form of Alex Babos.
It’s always a bit irritating to be such underdogs in National League North games given the relative size of the club compared to the size of the, er, overdog, but given the ravages of suspension and injury the threadbare Bulls go into this one as outsiders at 9/4, with the home side priced at evens.
Chorley have won six of their last ten which is the sort of solid form that should see them competing as usual for a place in the play-offs. On Tuesday they impressively beat high-flying, big spending South Shields at home, with Magpies goalie Matt Urwin reportedly making a number of good saves.
Evesham-born manager Andy Preece will be hoping for better from his players this season after they faded last spring and missed out on a top seven position. Despite that, they still ended the season having conceded fewer goals at home than everyone apart from Brackley, who win all their home games 1-0. Chorley, with ex-Bull Harvey Smith playing his part at centre back, are rock solid defensively at home.
The start they’ve enjoyed this time has been all the more impressive as they’ve lost main goal-getter Connor Hall who has jumped ship to Solihull, and other established players like Scott Leather and Jon Ustabasi, to be replaced largely by youngsters from their education programme. A fabulous approach if it works, and one to be applauded.
They do however have a habit of winning alternate games, and this is one they’re scheduled not to win, and if that’s not a guarantee of a Bulls victory I don’t know what is.
Ex-manager Jamie Vermiglio has returned to the club as chairman, and given his success with the Magpies in the past this should give them a boost.
Dutch winger Justin Johnson is their top scorer with six goals, and also has a name that doesn’t sound very Dutch. Interesting facts about his name don’t stop their either, because his middle name is ‘Addo’ suggesting that his parents may be Bulls fans back in Holland, if indeed the Johnsons are from Holland, which I have my suspicions about.
I understand that communal prayers are to be offered up to the footballing gods at 6pm on Friday night in High Town for the wellness of Paul Downing’s hamstring and Jordan Lyden’s thigh. All invited, BYO cider.
COYW