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Hereford FC host Chester on Saturday in what is arguably the first true test this season of whether the Bulls have what it takes to go from relegation near-certainties to promotion possibles in just a few months.
Four points were picked up from the Cestrians last season, and but for a last-gasp equaliser ‘up there’ the Bulls would have done the double.
This season the Seals are looking to improve on last season’s seventh place (they lost to Macclesfield in the play-off quarter-finals), and they’ve started well, in fact they’ve started perfectly, with four wins from four games.
Captain Declan Weeks, so often the player who makes them tick from his central midfield position, continues to be an influential presence. However, last season’s bright spark Dylan Mottram-Henry couldn’t resist the bright lights and sheer glamour (what other reason could there be?) of playing for Hednesford Town.
Talking of which, something that wasn’t a huge concern at Edgar Street last season but may be this is player poaching. The club has wisely started investing in putting more players on contracts and making some of those contracts two years’ long. If the side continues to develop in the way it’s promising to, small clubs with big backing could come sniffing. It’s to be hoped that ‘the project’ being developed by Downes and Pell at Edgar Street, and the wisdom and relative far-sightedness of putting players on contracts, should see off the worst of any predatory behaviour. If an EFL club comes knocking you wouldn’t want to stand in anyone’s way, but Hednesford…?
A 93rd-minute goal from Dan Ward was enough to maintain Chester’s 100% record so far this season against Spalding last Saturday, and their top spot in the table. Not a result to send any undue apprehension down Offa’s Dyke to Hereford, but when they’re good they do seem to do just enough in games and not concede.
Much-travelled Dom McHale was briefly at Edgar Street (along with everywhere else) and is now at the Deva. He’s clearly a gifted player and you get the feeling he gets more up for this sort of game than he would against 20 people away from home in the winter. However, he hasn’t been seen so far this season.
Tom Peers is their target man up front, but it’s Ma’kel Campbell who’s started the season in Harrison Iwunze-esque fashion, with three goals from midfield. The 19-year-old Londoner was signed from Morecambe in the summer having spent his teenage years at Fulham.
The Chester midfield does look strong, and in Kam Kandola’s absence this will be a big game for Luke Spokes in combatting that strength.
Big-money (well £12,500) signing Connor Woods got that late goal against Hereford at the Deva last November, but has yet to score this season, having only got seven goals last season.
An arguably bigger threat up front comes from Jacob Hazel, who’s previously scored 19 in a season for Darlington at this level and 13 for Boston in the division above.
The Bulls go into this one having not conceded a goal in three games. The win last weekend at Worksop will possibly gradually look even better as sides go there and struggle with the pitch surface and cramped surroundings.
Aaron Downes is currently blessed with one striker who defenders don’t like playing against, one who can’t stop scoring, and another who has an assist (and it was some assist) and a goal in hardly any minutes played so far in his Hereford career. It’ll be interesting to see what combination of Cox, Iwunzi and Waldren the manager opts for at the start of the game.
So the defence is going well and picks itself for this, the other end of the pitch is going well, Theo Richardson is going well, but the side will go into this one without the aforementioned Kam Kandola in the middle. He takes Preston Bitemo’s place on the suspension naughty step, with Bitemo possibly taking the stand-in captain’s place on the field, although Keziah Martin could move into the middle to partner Luke Spokes if necessary. That may give fans the chance to get a proper look at Fleetwood loanee Liam Roberts on the left flank.
500 from Cheshire, 500 more than usual from Herefordshire intrigued by the good start…could be a 4,000 bank holiday weekend gate. Win this and those growing hopes and dreams of a decent season may just start to look like they’re rooted in some sort of reality.
Finally, I sincerely hope there’s no kit clash for the rest of the season that requires the white top-yellow shorts combo. I’m certainly no Coco Chanel, but I’m pretty sure that it’s an utterly horrific fashion faux pas.
COYW