So that means it's got to be us. We have already come up against Southport this season when we struggled to get a 1-1 draw against them at Aggborough. Wayne Hatswell got a latish equaliser after we went down to a stroke of halftime goal and Gareth Sheldon missed a penalty, or was it just a good save.
At first it was thought that we would be without Iyseden Christie for the visit to Southport after he picked up a fifth booking of the season against Darlington but, as I originally thought, that missed game doesn't come in until seven days after the offence. That would have meant that he would miss the Hereford game, and still could do, but after everyone else on websites and message boards said it was the next game I went with them.
Should have stuck with my original thoughts.
The only way that he'll be able to play against Hereford is if the game tomorrow is drawn and he'll then miss the replay on Tuesday 25th. We also face another looming problem with yellow cards because we now have another three players on four yellows and if Hatswell, Burgess or Jackson get carded then they will miss the Hereford game. We could be without up to four important team members against Hereford just because of their own stupidity and poor refereeing.
Definitely missing again tomorrow is Taiwo Atieno because his club, Walsall, don't want him cup tied and Michael Blackwood with his hamstring injury. Doubtful players are Danny Lewis with a slight leg injury after Tuesdays game and Martin O'Connor with his recurring knee problem.
Southport have been having an up and down time since we last met and, just like us, are struggling to find some kind of consistency to their game. They currently lie in sixteenth place in the League, four places below us, but they did get a handy 3-1 win at home to FGR two weeks which is a damn sight better than we could manage.
They'll be without Steve Pickford and Dominic Krief for the game but are expecting a return to the starting selection for Neil Robinson.
Teams:
Harriers from:
Danby, Lewis, Hatswell, Burgess, Evans, Burton, Ludlow, Jackson, O'Connor, Fleming, Graves, Heslop, Hurren, Russell, Christie, Sheldon, Wilson, Blackwood, Thompson.
Southport from:
Dickinson, Speare, Baker, Booth, Daly, Morley, Davis, Fitzgerald, Kilbane, Lane, Leadbetter, Lynch, McGinn, McNutt, Powell, Fitzhenry, Robinson.