This game was originally meant to have been played on New Years Day but poor weather, combined with a poor pitch, led to its cancellation on the morning before everyone set out. Even now though we might find the game is subject to the weather with forecasts of storms from some sources but then we also get freezing cold weather forecasts from others.
If the game does get the green light then we'll be finding ourselves up against a resurgent Bulls with four home wins and a draw away from home in their last six games with their last defeat coming at our place on Boxing day. A draw at FGR two weeks ago was followed up with an impressive 4-1 victory at home to Southport and then, while we were the Stadium of Light, Salisbury found themselves on the losing end by a single goal at Edgar Street.This time last week it had looked likely that Hereford would be calling the administrators in after they had failed to raise the monies needed to continue before a pencilled in court review today. At the last minute, on Friday, the Hereford board finally gathered enough money together to stave off a ten point reduction. That respite is only temporary and unless something more substantial arises soon then they could find themselves in the same situation come the end of February.
In comparison to United our league form took a slight dive last Tuesday when we somehow lost at home to struggling Dartford with the Reds going 2-0 down before recovering enough to grab a consolation goal. It was believed that the reason for that defeat was players not wanting to get injured before the Sunderland game and that was confirmed later when Lee Vaughan told the press that he avoided as much contact as possible so that he wouldn't miss out.
Callum Gittings made his comeback from injury when he came on as a sub late on in the game on Saturday. His arrival on the pitch made us into a more competitive team and one wishes, in hindsight, that he had played right from the start. If he had then we could have been entertaining Southampton in the 5th round of the cup and not travelling to Lincoln City in the league instead.
Also coming on as a sub in the game was our newest arrival Freddie Ladapo. He came close to scoring in the dying minutes of the contest and looked quite sharp on his debut, once he was moved upfront instead of in the deeper position where he was originally told to play.
Missing from the game was Lee Fowler (right) and, having been originally told that he was out injured, it appears that it was actually for reasons other than injury that he never appeared at Sunderland at all. We missed his creative abilities and that makes the non starting of Gittings even more strange.
Now we're out of all cups we have to seize the chance to get ourselves back up into the play-off positions and tomorrows game isn't going to make that easy. I fully expect Hereford to raise their game against a bigger club and also to claim the bragging rights that go with that. Their recent form will have given them confidence while we might be feeling a little bit down after our exertions and exploits.
A draw would be good for Hereford but where we are concerned only all three points will do.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
Lewis, N Vaughan, L Vaughan, Dunkley, Demetriou, Gowling, Dyer, Storer, Fowler, Jackman, Angus, Byrne, Johnson, Riis, Malbon, Morgan-Smith, Blissett, Cieslewicz, Rowe, Aloi, Ladapo, Gittings, Gash.
Hereford from:
R Evans, O Evans, Lloyd-Weston, Bush, James, McDonald, Leadbitter, Graham, Purdie, O'Keefe, Walker, Sharp, Smith, Collins, Edwards, Rankine, Artus, J Brown, Pilkington, Gwynne, Edge, Williams, Murphy.
Talk about the game here
Links to Hereford Utd websites here
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