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With one or two hearts possibly still racing among Bulls fans after Monday’s nerve-wracking rollercoaster ride against Radcliffe, Hereford FC travel to Northamptonshire on Saturday for a stiff test at St James Park, Brackley.
Brackley are generally no-nonsense, well-drilled, efficient, strong in all areas physically and technically, love a 1-0 home win, and a bit dull. Hereford this season seem to be many things, but dull isn’t one of them. Which approach will come out on top: cold calculation or gung-ho mentalism? Who knows, but one thing we do know is that the visitors have a record at Brackley that can only be improved, given that the points return from the five league games these two have played at Brackley has been a big fat bagel.
However, are the Saints still as characterised above? Instead of robotic efficiency and consistency, there have been signs this season that gung-ho mentalism isn’t out of the question for them either. A 4-0 home win against Curzon Ashton, who had been going well, was crazily out of character, and it followed some previously unheard of inconsistency in terms of a loss, then a win, then a loss. It’s fair to say that they’ve had a tougher opening five fixtures than Hereford, having faced Spennymoor, Curzon, Kidderminster, Scunthorpe and Chester, so their 13th place in the table could be a bit misleading.
They were play-off losers again last season for the umpteenth time, and are now having to regroup and give it yet another go to try to get out of the National League North.
Manager Gavin Cowan signed an extended contract in the middle of last season, and has looked to be a good fit at the club, but he’ll have to find a way to ensure they finish as champions to avoid the play-offs, because the play-offs don’t like them one bit.
Old boys Matt Lowe and Shane Byrne returned to the club from Accrington and Kiddy respectively in the summer. Lowe scored against Curzon Ashton and Byrne is keeping former Bull Tommy O’Sullivan out of the side.
Up front, Connor Hall is generally good for a goal every other game at this level. He was a big signing for them over the summer, although he hasn’t been starting recently. One forward who is starting is Instantly recognisable big beard Danny Newton, always a lively threat for them up top and now with two goals in the last two games.
Ex-Bull Zac Lilly is now an established part of the Brackley defence, and is hopefully still capable of the odd rush of blood to the head, and George Carline will be on long throw duty for them.
I’ve always assumed Brackley are full-time, but not according to a quote from Gavin Cowan in the week. If they’re not, they’re still financially capable of paying players sufficiently well for them to stay at the club long-term.
Something the Brackley defenders didn’t like at all last season was being hurried and harried and hassled by Jason Cowley, something he is of course an absolute master at. It’s a shame therefore that he’ll miss this one with injury, but hopefully whoever’s up front for Hereford can do something similar. That back four can be rock solid when it’s allowed to be, but when it’s constantly niggled at it gets grumpy and therefore fallible. Captain Gareth Dean in particular was unsettled by the tactic, which was nice to see as he’s absolutely cruised through some games between these teams without a glove being laid on him. Despite being sent off in Monday’s 2-2 draw at Spennymoor, Dean should be available here as his suspension won’t have kicked in yet. Bit of a shame if that’s the case.
Offensively, the Bulls offer much on the counterattack, and should be able to give Brackley a good deal more to think about than has been the case at times in the past. Defensively however, they may need a guardian angel hovering above their penalty area to act as a spiritual fourth defender, and/or the return to the starting line-up of Matt Preston to act as an actual fourth defender.
Tate Campbell, an oasis of calm on Monday in the midst of a tsunami of pinball, will hopefully bring that form into this game. He played with a maturity and quality against Radcliffe that was an absolute credit to him. There was a feeling pre-season that if the ex-Blues midfielder came good the season would, to an extent, unfold itself agreeably around him. Five games in and he seems to have familiarised himself with the division and how he can assert his authority on it.
Cosmos Matwasa, whether chosen to start or to come on again off the bench, has an opportunity here against his old club to show them what they’re missing.
There’s clearly still some early-season bedding in taking place, which we get to see live during matches given the limited time the squad has to do it in training, but to remain unbeaten in that slightly unfinished state bodes well for when a settled tactical approach clicks. If the season is to continue as it’s progressed so far though, this will be won comfortably and then there’ll be a 5-5 draw at home against struggling Needham Market on Tuesday.
COYW