Paul Caddis will certainly be looking for a reaction after today’s flat performance against Spennymoor Town when his Bulls’ squad go on the road to Needham Market on Tuesday. Hereford’s jaded, lacklustre showing must not be repeated if they are to remain realistic play-off contenders. Simon Wright previews our latest monster trip which remains an all-ticket affair for Hereford supporters.
The demands of National League North have impacted upon the Needham Market squad. Last years’ Southern league Premier Central Champions racked up 50 points at home and 85 points in total. Attackers McGrath and Ingram scored 30 between them. This season, the Marketman have gathered a miserable 9 home points out of 42. The same strikers have only scored 5 times with Ingram missing our game due to suspension. Their third top scorer Mills has just left the club. Surprising for a 200-game veteran.
Even more startling was the shock resignation of manager Kevin Horlock after four years in charge. His No 2 is now in the hot seat. On the positive side, a new loan forward has joined. He’s very Iffy. Genuinely as in Iffy Allen. I wonder with 8,500 miles to travel whether privately club officials would not be unhappy with relegation. Visiting very distant Step 2 venues once is a novelty, to do so twice is hard work. In public, its different particularly after their 6-1 rout at Buxton moved them out of the bottom four.
As we know to our cost, Needham are better at points gathering on the road (a surprising 19 so far). They’ll get headlines for scoring six on the road though really that says more about opponents Farsley Celtic whose new manager has apparently resigned already and whoever was left could only round up 14 players.
Be aware that pretty much every opponent struggle to break Needham down. Most defeats are by a single goal.
They’ve not lost by more than two since October. Their long-serving back four is their strength, held together by the Morphew brothers, very senior stagers. We both “needham” points. The key is to score first, be patient and turn up with the right hat on.
Being a new ground will interest slightly more regulars even though we’re talking a 400-mile round evening trip. The roads there are fast with Bloomfields (IP6 8DA) being just 3 miles off the A14.
We’re talking a pretty modest host, a club where their biggest ever crowd was 1,700 in an advertised imaginary 4,000 capacity. Average gates are 499, 40% up on last season who presumably are still enjoying the silky-smooth Step 2 ‘ballers on display. Plus admiring the eleven (count ‘em) goals from the home side, 3 of them v South Shields.
Needham are considered to be very welcoming hosts. A groundhopping acquittance of mine told me how much he enjoyed his visit “watching the match on an old settee with beer and a sandwich in hand.” Admission is the standard £15/ £10 with the concessions starting at 60. Visitors are still expected to buy a ticket in advance via
Seems nonsense for a midweek game with 300 folk in attendance!
Match Live | Hereford FC – The Official website of Hereford FC
If you can’t be there for points searching, Tom Gough & Jamie Klein for Radio Hereford will be broadcasting and so will DAZN.
