Charging Bulls

Hereford FC are back in action on Saturday following an entertaining win on Tuesday night against Radcliffe. The first half of that game wasn’t far off as complete a performance as you could wish for, apart from maybe the clinical finishing to enable the scoreboard to reflect the approach play and general dominance.

The fact that it was a performance achieved without Joe Willis, Lewis Hudson and Fin Holmes suggests that the squad will have sufficient strength in depth to capably face the rigours of winter, a cold, wet Tuesday night somewhere on the doorstep of the Arctic Circle, and the ups and downs of a full season in the National League North in general.

This side looks like it will at least win more than it will lose. That said, Marine and Radcliffe aren’t South Shields or Chester, and the Bulls will soon face the latter without Kam Kandola. That will be a true test, both for the side as a whole and for Preston Bitemo as Kandola’s understudy.

But first it’s Worksop, and the second plastic pitch of the season.

They narrowly won their opening two games 2-1, including an impressive victory at Darlington, but came unstuck last time, losing 1-0 at newcomers Hebburn.

Two big threats are midfielder Alecs Starcenko and striker Kian Harratt.

Latvian Starcenko is part of the furniture at the KC Sofas Stadium having been there for six seasons. He’ll be instrumental in much of their play, and is one for Kandola to keep an eye on as the latter plays his final game before a suspension-induced early-season break.

Harratt arrived in the summer from Oldham and looks to be a very impressive signing. He’s played in the Championship for Huddersfield under Neil Warnock, scoring against Middlesbrough and QPR, and also played in the EFL for Port Vale, Fleetwood and Oldham. He’s still only 24, has scored two already this season, and is a clear danger. That said, he’s taken a lot more minutes to score his two than Harrison Iwunze has to score his. The Notts County youngster’s blistering pace and physical presence, alongside his finishing, constitute a real threat from the Bulls up front.

Harratt’s fellow striker and new signing Ryan Viggars will be suspended for this following a sending off – we’re not alone!

Another new signing, Andrew Boyce, has been made club captain, and at 36 has a wealth of experience, winning promotion from the NLN with Scunthorpe in 2025. Hopefully, at 36, he’ll also find the flicks, tricks and rapid movement of the Hereford front five horrible to cope with.

The Tigers had a perceived weakness last season against long throws, and Boyce will presumably have been brought in to address that, as he’ll have cleared more long throws in his long career than most people have had hot dinners.

They themselves have a long throw expert in Deegan Atherton, so an aerial threat could be the order of the day.

The Bulls picked up all six points In the two games these sides contested last season, Worksop’s first in the NLN. The Tigers didn’t find life easy at step 2 last season but achieved their primary aim of avoiding relegation and finished five points clear of Hereford. They look stronger this time.  

In terms of the visitors, there’s been some talk this season about whether one or two strikers should be played. Given that the midfielders keep getting sent off, and given how effective Harrison Iwunze and Danny Waldren were when they came on against Radcliffe, maybe the talk should be about playing three strikers rather than one, and keep the midfielders to the bare minimum as they’re clearly not to be trusted to stay on the pitch.

One midfielder who has managed to stay on the pitch so far has been Luke Spokes, who has a languid fluidity you don’t see too much at this level. His effortless ability to ghost past players suggests that his first goal of the season is imminent, as, hopefully, is Cawley Cox’s.

Of the other new arrivals, the busy-but-channelled energy of Billy Phillips and the composure of Will Merrett seem set to contribute considerably to a transformation of the ‘product’ on offer at Edgar Street this season.

No injuries or red cards would be good here, and a win could see the Bulls top the table.

COYW