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The early season fixtures continue to come thick and fast as Hereford FC travel to Market Harborough on Tuesday evening for a game against Harborough Town. If the points keep coming similarly thick and fast a return to the game-every-other-day schedule of late last season might be a good idea – OK, maybe not.
The Bees lost 1-0 at slow starting Brackley on Saturday, but they’ve beaten Marine, Darlington and Morecambe – their three wins so far all coming at home, giving them a 100% record to protect in this game at their Bowden Park HQ.
It’s hopefully not too patronising to describe that HQ as a relatively ‘modest’ one, and huge recent success on the pitch in the form of back-to-back promotions hasn’t yet been matched by facility enhancements off it. However, appearances can be deceptive and the hosts are clearly a live threat at home.
Britt Assombalonga has spent most of his career at Championship and League 1 level for the likes of Forest and Middlesbrough. He joined Harborough in the summer from Barnet, seemingly on a game-by-game basis, and unless his knees have gone at 33 he’s going to be a handful. If his knees have gone he’s done very well to score two and create two more this season. He looks like an excellent signing if he sticks around – 170+ career goals at significantly higher levels demands considerable respect. Over to you, Kyle and Will, to keep him quiet.
Ex-Bull Sam Osborne was a rare bright spark last season for Hereford, and will be a significant threat here, although Aaron Skinner, Kyle Howkins and Theo Richardson will at least know the ex-Alfreton man’s game inside out in countering that threat.
Ex-Brackley defender George Carline has been a thorn in the Bulls’ side before, and will be on long throw duty for the hosts.
The Bulls’ narrow win at the weekend against a subdued Spennymoor side maintained their second place in the table (yep, second top, not second bottom). There was plenty to like about the performance, including two sublime finishes from that rare beast, a proper centre forward. The Bulls didn’t perhaps totally click, and the flat second quarter of the game was the sort of switch-off better sides will punish.
However, it was another win with hints that there’s more to come when the telepathy develops still further among the players, and puts further clear blue water between this season and last.
Harrison Iwunze goes into this game with five goals in seven games, stats that will give the opposition cause for concern, and those stats don’t even begin to describe what an unplayable handful he can be away from his goalscoring. He and Cawley Cox looked dangerous as a pair in the second half on Saturday – will Aaron Downes gamble on starting with a front two?
Kam Kandola comes back into contention here following suspension and will presumably start in midfield with the back four looking settled, although Preston Bitemo is looking more and more accomplished as a defensive midfielder.
Selection headaches in terms of which combination of strikers to go for and whether to start with Kandola, who has been magnificent so far, or Bitemo, who is emerging as a proper player, bode very well for a play-off push. If everyone can keep their feet on the ground and continue to work hard for each other who knows what’s possible. Shrewsbury next season? It looks like they’re fully committed to doing their bit to make that a reality in getting relegated.
Theo Richardson continues to sparkle in goal, and Saturday’s game could have had a very different outcome without him. Kyle Howkins continues to be at the peak of his form, the other three defenders are all contributing skilfully and significantly, and it’s been a joy to witness Harry Tustin evolve from boy to man in a white shirt over the course of the end of last season and the start of this one.
The hosts have the momentum of promotion behind them, a perfect home record and some very good players in their ranks, and as such should offer a good deal more than a limited Spennymoor did on Saturday. Harry Pell described the Spennymoor game as a banana skin. This looks to be far more of one. It’s a tricky one, but they’ll be thinking the same about the visit of Hereford, and they’re right to. This Bulls side is a good one, with the promise of more to come.
Another win could see Hereford go into Saturday’s home game with South Shields as favourites, and what an indication of progress that would be.
COYW