Is this a dream?

For the second time in four days Hereford FC host the table toppers, with South Shields and Fylde changing places on Saturday courtesy of that fantastic win for Hereford, and three points too for Fylde at home to Paul Caddis-managed Kings Lynn.

Is that a problem? No, because Hereford, still in the relegation places let’s not forget, are doing a good impression of being the best team in the league at the moment, and should be backed by another 2500 midweek crowd under the Edgar Street lights.

They’ll go into this one respectful of the opposition’s excellent record this season, but with no fear and bundles of self-belief. It’s very hard to take in the full scale of the transformation that’s occurred since Aaron Downes and Harry Pell came in – it feels like a dream.

Fylde won’t fancy this one bit, but like South Shields they’re full-time so they won’t have Tuesday night bus legs prior to kick off, presumably luxuriating in a morning journey down and a bit of afternoon pampering, maybe some selfies in front of the ground - this is, after all, their Cup Final.

The visitors, relegated to this level last season, have bounced back from that relegation very well, helped in no small part by their chairman’s money, and have been lurking behind South Shields in second position since August. They’ve now moved to the top, but can they stay there?

They have the best away record in the division, and have conceded fewer goals than anyone else on their travels. They’ve won eight of their last ten games. Having said that South Shields were going well until they came to Hereford.

The Coasters are managed by Craig Mahon. Mahon has started well at the club in this his first season in management, but he’ll need to continue to build on that success as the club tends to get through one manager a year. It’s possible or even probable that his services will be dispensed with if they don’t go up…ridiculous.

Centre forward Danny Ormerod has 26 league goals this season in 32 appearances, which isn’t bad for a 19-year-old. He’s contracted to the club for two years, on full-time terms of course, with the option of a third. That illustrates the difference in how these two clubs are run, with Hereford’s recovery built primarily on the impact of short-term loanees. The commercial viability of a football club now seems to count for very little in terms of sporting success.

Jon Ustabasi has been a prominent performer in the past against Hereford, with Chorley and now with Fylde. He has scored 16 times this season, and ex-Leeds youngster Luca Thomas weighs in with goals and assists aplenty from a wide position.

In October, when these sides met in Lancashire, Hereford put in one of their best performances of the Caddis mini-season (the overall season has been so disjointed, and latterly unrecognisably successful, that it seems to make more sense dividing it into two) and were somewhat robbed in coming away empty-handed following a 2-1 loss, the aforementioned Ustabasi getting the winner in the 94^th minute. Parallels there with the South Shields situation – 2-1 to them earlier in the season in a game Hereford should have got something from, with the scoreline reversed at Edgar Street at the weekend. If the same can happen here the vast majority of the crowd will go home happy. Again.

Hereford’s starting XI here will presumably show some signs of rotation. The same back four has now started two matches running, so given that we’re now entering the truly nutty stage of the fixture pile-up Aaron Downes may feel the need to make a change or two there. However, a big well done is due to that defence for very nearly keeping a clean sheet against a strong South Shields side. Going a step further and denying Fylde a goal here would demonstrate real progress, and the new manager will have to decide whether rotation or the benefits of continuity are most likely to deliver that clean sheet. Tricky.

In midfield, Harry Tustin should get a start here having only been used for 15 minutes on Saturday. Harrison Sohna, languid and lovely to watch, now has three goals in two games. It would be very difficult to rest him against a top side, and the next game at Alfreton on Thursday may be one he’d be better being on the bench for, as it could be a bit more agricultural.

Up top, George Munday and Andy Williams are scoring, Mikey Lane will be soon, and all three will be keen to get the one starting place available given what the three magicians in behind are capable of creating for them.

And the magic circle is apparently set to get wider. At the time of writing, the newly-signed winger mentioned by Aaron Downes at the fans forum last week hadn’t been announced, but if he has the same impact as the players already brought in by the new management team he should be something to behold.

Three games ago (which was probably about three days ago given how the fixtures are currently), I suggested that if Hereford win all their remaining matches they’ll finish on 80 points and qualify for the play-offs. Er, it’s still on.

COYW