A preview of tomorrow's game between Harborough and Hereford written by James Lee:
Enterprise National League North
Harborough Town v Hereford
Tuesday 8th September 2026
Kick-off: 7.45 pm
Venue: The Beehive
Author – James Lee
Enterprise National League North football returns to the Beehive on Tuesday night as we host Hereford FC.
This will be the first competitive fixture between the sides, so both sets of players will want to give their side the edge. All signs point to this fixture being a fiercely entertaining battle and a tough test for both, backed up by manager Mitch Austin: “Look forward to bringing them down here, a great place and should be a good game.”
Hereford FC were founded in 2014, born out of the ashes of Hereford United, a club with a proud history but sadly folded due to off-the-field issues. They kept the Bulls nickname, continued to wear the white shirts with black shorts combination and continued to play at the historic Edgar Street. In just their first season, the club broke a string of attendance records on their way to a league and cup double, also reaching the FA Vase final. The club went on their best FA Cup run since reforming in the 2017/18 season when they drew away at League One outfit Fleetwood Town, forcing a replay which they did later lose.
Manager Aaron Downes took charge in February 2026 initially until the end of the season, but in April he signed a two-year extension to remain at the helm. Having played over 170 games for Chesterfield and over a century for Torquay, his pedigree in the game is beyond doubt. Downes even took over as interim manager at the latter in 2024. The Bulls have had a good start to the season despite losing their season opener away at Buxton in the 98th minute; they haven’t looked back since, unbeaten in six, winning five and drawing the other at home against Chester, only conceding two goals in these; they come into this fixture in good form.
Harborough will need to keep a close watch on several key threats, none more than young Harrison Iwunze, on loan from League One side Notts County. The striker has made an immediate impact, already netting five times this season, two of these coming in Saturday’s home victory over Spennymoor Town.
Another danger man is Billy Phillips, who also signed for Hereford this summer and has scored two goals so far this season. The 20-year-old can operate in attacking midfield or out wide and enjoys taking on a man and creating for his side. Aaron Skinner has made over 120 appearances for The Bulls. He has been named their player of the season twice in the past three years; the 24-year-old full-back isn’t scared to make an impact, having already scored twice this season following on from his penalty on the final day of last season, which helped Hereford preserve their National League North status. The blend of youth and experience is certainly paying off this season, and everyone in yellow knows the test this will bring.
The Bees will be hoping to bounce back following their defeat on Saturday at St James Park against Brackley Town, in a game where Harborough were largely on top but were made to miss chances. However, the Bees are yet to taste anything but victory at the Beehive this season, having beaten Morecambe 1-0, turning around a half-time deficit to beat Darlington 4-2, and a late Paul Malone winner saw the Bees take all three points against Marine in the last outing at the Beehive.
Across the opening seven fixtures, The Bees have certainly proved they are worthy of this level, matching established sides stride for stride. And there’s no question the supporters have driven this on, pushing the team every step of the way, whatever the result or venue. Striker Britt Assombalonga leads the way in terms of goals this season with three, closely followed by Riley O’Sullivan with two. Both will be hoping to add to their tallies against the Bulls’ strong backline on Tuesday evening.