Following back-to-back victories over Peterborough Sports and Brackley Town the Bulls now go in search of more points on Tuesday night. Here we preview the expedition to South Shields in the North-East.
Paul “Blacky” Blackett. That’s really all you need to know about Shields. With Stewart of Leamington now departed, he’s the Division’s leading scorer. Being full time and on a generous long-term contract, the North East club have an excellent chance of retaining the centre forwards’ service. Which is handy as Blackett has scored 15 goals plus 4 assists in his 22 appearances. Doubly important to Shields as they have no other specialist central striker in their squad. Next highest scorer is wide man Kyle Crossly with 5 goals. The Mariners can be excitable, with 4 red cards already issued.
Our hosts are quite strong at home with a 7-3-4 record. They’ve had some very strange results early this season although recently they’ve collected 14 out of 21 points at home. Also noteworthy are their 27 home goals. Scoring 7 past ten-man Rushall after Nathan Cameron was sent off again really contributed. Because of not winning any of their last 4 and previous slip-ups (losing 3-0 to Needham Market and 0-1 to Radcliffe took a bit of explaining) and their regular leaking of goals, the north-east club are strictly mid-table and attendances are down. They are the only NLN full-time club not to be in a play-off spot. Not an ideal situation when the club owner/sole director has tried to sell the club since October 2023. There’s been no updates for many months. I have an impression, maybe an incorrect one, that costs have been cut this term, possibly to make the club more sellable.
This is only the fourth games between the clubs. The corresponding match early last season saw a rare parking the bus by Caddis’s men who ground out a goalless draw. At the Street, both home and away clubs have each won 3-0. The Mariners boss, the splendidly named Mr Dickman, admitted that “we have got this terrible habit of when we concede one, we concede another one quite quickly afterwards.” That’s very generous. The elephant in the room is a part-time club travelling a huge distance to do battle with a rested full-time outfit.
The Mariners have a very welcoming and friendly stadium with bars on every side (as in alcohol, not prisons). Segregation is simply not necessary. Just the getting there and back which is so tedious Tickets in advance are £16/£10 for terrace (£2 extra all round to sit). Pay on the day is possible. Interesting to note that 25/26 season tickets go on sale before our game and are at a lower cost than this season.
Tickets can be purchased via the following link:
Full match commentary will be available via Radio Hereford FC whose ‘Man in the North’ Ian Sandford will be joined by Chris May.
Radio Hereford FC | Hereford FC – The Official website of Hereford FC
DAZN are predictably streaming the game.
COYW
Simon Wright
