We dodged one there. The original plan was a Tuesday night trek to Buxton. Just those pitch dark last 20 miles from Leek across the Peaks is enough to put the wind up most folk. A lovely town for sure in the daylight. In the dark during a bleak November night, the charms are concealed around the highest ground in England. They’ll be wind for sure, possibly snow if you could see it. Much shivering on sparsely populated terraces.
A tough call for our players too – hours on a coach after work to take on a full-time team whose players mainly live in Buxton. Several can literally walk to the Silverlands. An all-round tough gig on a windswept artificial pitch followed by a long slog home. Even Radio Hereford would struggle for a commentator.
The positive bit of an early cup exit was a leisurely laidback Saturday. Time for some to meander around the town, grab some decent grub before the football. The home side were in a bad run and confidence was lacking. Hereford took full advantage to win 2-1. Since then, the Bucks have clicked into gear with only one defeat in the last 8 and have become a play-off contender.
So yes other clubs play on Tuesday night when we don’t and yes we may drop a little in the table. But think of the bigger advantages. A training night to work on shape and formation, important particularly for our new signings. Saturday’s opponents won’t have that – they’ll be slogging against Brackley instead. We don’t go to Buxton – ahem to that.
Simon Wright
