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Hereford FC host local rivals and full-time moneybags Kidderminster Harriers in what should be a near sell-out Boxing Day local derby fixture at Edgar Street, unusually kicking off at 1pm to avoid the possibility of a floodlight-induced abandonment. Just how much more shabby chic can Edgar Street become? You just don’t get drop-dead cool unscheduled sudden darknesses at Aggborough.
After Saturday’s trip to Scunthorpe, part-time little Hereford (as opposed to Little Hereford, a tiny place that sits happily on the right side of a bafflingly jagged bit of the Herefordshire/Worcestershire/Shropshire borderland) go into battle for the second time in a week against one of the few clubs clinging on to full-time status at a level below Tamworth. The ‘Tamworth Rule’ dictates that anyone full-time in a division below them is culpable of being, er, financially brave.
As usual with this fixture, there’ll be quite a bit of familiarity between the two sets of players. Harriers have tended to take our better (although brittle and ageing) players, and we find others to replace them (admittedly sometimes players they’ve already tried and cast aside) who are neither brittle nor ageing, who then prove to be perfect fits under a hungry young manager, as opposed to Phil Brown.
Harriers have quality in spades. On the ex-Bulls front, Tope Obadeyi, Reiss McNally and Paul Downing are all thoroughbred performers at this level.
Another ex-Bull, Maz Kouhyar, hasn’t started for over a month, after being taken off early in their workmanlike 1-0 home win against Farsley. Prior to that he’d been hugely influential for them. After that Farsley game, the fans wanted “less of the swapping onto the left foot of certain strikers and instead just try their luck right footedly”. That advice may have got through to their strikers as they’ve scored freely since, presumably with their right feet, in both senses.
They’ve put four past Radcliffe and South Shields recently, and eased past Southport 2-0 at home on Saturday. Like Hereford, they’re keeping clean sheets, so this could be tight. It could equally be 5-5, who knows. If it’s a 3-0 home win Hereford will sneak above Harriers in the table.
Tope when he’s fit and on it can run a game at this level as we know, but he’s now 35 and has been in and out of the squad of late. He’ll presumably be keen on this one though. Paul Downing has been out for a big chunk of the season (surprise, surprise), but seems fit and well for the moment, and looks like a starter here.
Non-ex-Bulls Ashley Hemmings and Amari Morgan-Smith are familiar threats.
Loanee Jim Kellerman recently arrived at Aggborough on loan from National League Ebbsfleet, a club that could be relegated some considerable time before Easter. You don’t get many ‘Jims’ these days; it’s nice to see. He sounds like a lumberjack or an overrated American author. I hope he lumbers onto the pitch in a plaid shirt, leaving the chainsaw in the dressing room.
Another hugely impressive defensive display secured a point last week at Scunthorpe, making it three clean sheets in a row for the Bulls. It was a result that also pointed to the progress made since last season, when the Iron bossed both games against Hereford.
It was influential loanee Stephen Dawson who made the difference between these two sides from midfield on Boxing Day in 2020. Could another loanee Dylan Mitchell do the same here? He certainly has the same overall quality as a footballer, and very much younger legs.
Another player who could make a spectacular contribution is Jaiden White. He has plenty to prove in terms of showing Harriers they were premature in getting rid of him as a youngster, and has already proved at Hereford that he’s ready for this level, and that readiness coupled with a point to prove could make him a handful for McNally and Downing.
Matt Preston, Yusifu Ceesay, Kyle Howkins and Jason Cowley are other ex-Harriers players who have realised that the grass is greener in Herefordshire.
Ryan Bartley missed the Scunthorpe trip, but should have recovered from illness in time for this one to add solidity to an already now rock-solid back four, which should result in yet another ex-Harriers player Sammy Robinson moving back to his holding role in midfield. Bartley will be tasked with keeping Ashley Hemmings quiet, and the latter has nine goals and eight assists to his name this season already, so he’s going well and the Derby loanee will have his hands full. Luckily the Derby loanee is a considerably better footballer than most of the full backs Hemmings will have had on toast so far this season.
There may be a gap in financial muscle between these two clubs these days, but there will hopefully be close to 4,000 people willing the home side on here. That crowd will collectively be the 12th man against our fancy full-time neighbours.
Finally, let no-one forget that those fancy full-time neighbours helped us out massively ten years ago when we needed it, and absolutely didn’t have to – it was a wonderful gesture – this should therefore be a very friendly derby, off the pitch at least.
Merry Christmas to all readers and to Kiddy fans making the trip across to the beautiful Marches, many of you doing so via(ish) Little Hereford.
COYW