Clean slate, starting now

Following a couple of days of licking their wounds (but hopefully not eating too many Easter eggs) after heartbreaking defeat at Kidderminster on Good Friday, Hereford host faltering Merthyr on Easter Monday.

With seven games left and some hefty psychological blows received recently, as well as a punishing schedule physically, will Aaron Downes be able to create a collective mindset whereby the slate is wiped clean, so that this is treated as the first game of a seven-game mini-season, forgetting all about the seven lost games that have preceded it? Given that Hereford now have to win all of their games in hand to just pull level with Bedford (which would still leave them behind on goal difference), that seven-game mini-season is realistically going to have to feature at least five wins, but it also entirely features winnable games, including one against Bedford. If they’re good enough to stay up, they can win five.

The Martyrs lost star striker Ricardo Rees halfway through the season to a move up the pyramid, by which time he’d already scored 24 league goals. However, the effect of his absence has been lessened by the contribution from Lewys Twamley, who has more than just chipped in, scoring 15 with 14 assists. Joseph James, starting to look like a very tidy right back, will be tasked with keeping Twamley quiet.

Striker Cawley Cox joined the Martyrs from Westfields, having also played for Pegasus, suggesting that Hereford FC missed a good ‘un from right under their noses. That move came in January 2025. In December 2024 Hereford had scored three goals in five games. They weren’t exactly in a position to ignore a player scoring freely 400m away from Edgar Street, but for whatever reason he didn’t end up being a Caddis signing. Perhaps that wouldn’t have been the case if the manager was more closely aligned geographically with the county and its footballing scene.     

Cox has scored 11 this season, and got his side’s goal in their draw with Oxford on Good Friday.

Merthyr may be fifth in the table but they look a bit cooked. That said, they’ve been fantastic this season since promotion. They were keeping the top two company for months, jet-propelled by the goals of now-departed Ricardo Rees. They average over two goals a game away from home, although they also concede almost two per game too. In fact overall they’ve conceded more goals than Hereford this season.

If their current form suggests that they’ve run their race for the season, they could very well be there for the taking given how desperate the hosts are for a win. The Welshmen have picked up a solitary point in their last four matches (although admittedly that’s a point more than Hereford have managed in their last four, and indeed their last seven) and you’d be a brave punter to back them to qualify for the play-offs with Chester and Spennymoor absolutely flying in a bid to take their place.

They’ve achieved the remarkable things they’ve achieved so far this season with a squad of just 19 part-time players. Their geographical dislocation from the north of England is more extreme than Hereford’s, so they have to travel further to away games, although admittedly they’re handy for Newport, Cardiff and Bristol in terms of player catchment areas. Their average home attendance is half that of Hereford’s, although some modest funding streams are reportedly in place that don’t seem to be available at Hereford. Some of this makes for slightly uncomfortable reading in comparative terms given the relative league positions of the two clubs.

Surely, surely, surely this is the one where the Bulls’ luck will change. Their current predicament is far from being solely down to bad luck of course, indeed at least two major contributors to 2025/26 going so wrong aren’t down to the players at all, but it is about time a doubly deflected goal went into the opposition’s net for a change. Or how about Hereford being the team to score in the first two minutes? How refreshing would that be?

Friday’s goalscorer Lawson Dath is a doubt here with a niggly groin, but Harrison Sohna can slot back in as a ready-made replacement following his suspension. Sohna and Willcox need to be the dominant central midfield pairing here, with Hereford being completely overrun in that third of the pitch so many times this season, although Willcox has been immense in terms of his contribution since arriving.

Lewis Hudson could return to the squad after an absence of two games through injury, but perhaps a start on the bench is more likely, with Aaron Skinner continuing at left back.

Harley Hamilton similarly could return to the squad here after missing several weeks and what feels like about a season’s worth of grim games.

Much may depend here on which left winger has the best game. If JJ can slot Twamley neatly in his pocket (easier said than done), and Cormac Daly is fed the ball often and early, the Forest loanee could win that particular contest, scoop another MoM award, and contribute hugely to the three-point haul that is desperately needed.

Hereford have to score. Merthyr like to score. This could have been entertaining if it hadn’t become something with so much resting on it. As it is, it’ll presumably just be nailbiting.

COYW