17-01-22 – Preview – Hereford FC Vs Kidderminster Harriers

Preview: Phil Lench

Yes it’s here again. Yet another Hereford preview but, hopefully, this one won’t be a waste of time, this time. It’s well known about the infestation down at Edgar Street that led to the abandonment of our festive fixtures so now we have the chance to try and play them again starting with the away fixture tomorrow evening. The game at Aggborough will be on February 15th.

We come into this game, as before, on the back of an unbeaten run of ten games in the league. On Saturday a dramatic last gasp header from Marcus Dinanga gave us all of the points at Darlington while at the same time Hereford were at home being given a lesson in football by Gateshead. 0-2 was the result there.

Tomorrow the Heed will be at home to basement AFC Telford so three points at the International will put them top while three points for us will put us into third place with three games in hand.

We’re looking really strong at the moment and the FA Cup win against Reading seemed to confirm the belief within the squad that this could finally be our turn. The squad was strengthened further on Friday with the arrival of Devonte Redmond from Wrexham AFC and the midfielder looks to be the replacement we were looking for to replace Elliot Bonds after he was recalled from his loan with us by Cheltenham Town. There may be further strengthening before too long too.

Hereford are in a bit of a mess on the pitch with quality loan players, like Levi Andoh, returning to their clubs but inferior players being bought in from the likes of Lye Town and Lichfield City (Justice Campbell and Sam Fitzgerald respectively). They have also loaned in Seb Revan from Aston Villa and he’ll be remembered by Harriers fans when he played against us in the FA Cup for Grimsby Town in November.

They’ll be without the one quality defender they did have with Krystian Pearce missing the game as he serves the second of the three game ban he received following a dismissal at Brackley Town. A game they lost 1-0. Levi Andoh has seen his loan end and has now gone back to Ipswich Town along with Dan Smith who was on loan from Eastleigh.

Since our FA Trophy win there last year they have also seen Victor Sodeinde leave for a better life at Banbury Utd while, today, Zeli Ismail walked out on the club claiming he’d been promised better elsewhere.

They have injuries too: Harry Pinchard has a groin problem, Luke Haines a calf tear and the former Harriers defender, Jared Hodgkiss, is having knee injections. At this rate they’ll be putting out their womens team out against us.

As for us we seem to have an empty treatment room with Cliff Moyo now out of it and Nathan Cameron probably out of it too. He missed the Darlington game but that was seen as a precaution. 

So there we go then. All we have to do now is win.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Emery, Richards, Cameron, Foulkes, Penny, Bajrami, Lowe, Austin, Montrose, Carrington, Martin, Redmond, Freemantle, Bastable, Tolley, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James, Dinanga.

Hereford FC from:

Hall, Liburd-Hines, Lloyd, Klukowski, Raison, Egan, Fitzgerald, Vincent, Gillela, Pollock, Revan, Forsyth, Kouyhar, Whittingham, Campbell, Speake, Owen-Evans, Storey, Gordon, McLean, Morris, Smith, Njie.

Referee: Mr Richie Watkins. Nuneaton

Shanes Opposition Stats Pack:

At home in the league: (P11, W4, D3, L4) Farsley 0-1, AFC Fylde 1-4, Spennymoor 0-2, Leamington 1-1, Alfreton 3-3, Chorley 1-0, Blyth 2-0, Chester 1-0, Kettering 3-0, Curzon 2-2, Gateshead 0-2.

Goals (all competitions): Owen-Evans – 6, Storey – 5,  Smith – 3,  McLean – 3, Pinchard – 2,    Haines – 2,  Gordon – 2, Lloyd – 1,  Kouyhar – 1,  Hulbert – 1,  Forsyth – 1.

Since our win at Edgar St in the Trophy Hereford have won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 at home.

We all know their COVID outbreak put paid to the Christmas crackers, the Bulls have seen a bit of change in the squad since then: Dan Smith returned to Eastleigh, Levi Andoh returned to Ipswich.

Luke Haines & Jared Hodgkiss have missed the last couple of games, but they have recently welcomed Toby Raison back from a loan with Merthyr Town and George Forsyth after an injury layoff. He played against Gateshead on Saturday. Harry Pinchard is expected to be another week or so away following an injection to solve a groin problem.

Victor Sodeinde, who came on as a sub against us in the Trophy, has now left the club and joined Banbury Utd. Pa Sulay Njie is still at the club and has had Covid.

The Squad (appearances are starts + sub, includes both league and cups):

Goalkeepers: Brandon Hall (P19 conceded 19. Faced 2 penalties, both saved. Former Harrier), Nykah Jarone Liburd-Hines (P1 conceded 0), Jordan Wright (P4 conceded 7 including 1 penalty. No longer with the club because he was on loan from Nottm Forest, 9th Sept to 9th Nov)

Defence: Jared Hodgkiss (P21. Former Harrier), Levi Andoh (P16, was on loan from Ipswich),  Jaden Charles (P0. Was on loan from Mansfield Town), Luke Haines (P18, 2 goals), Mitch Hancox (P9, on loan to York since 29th Oct), Reiss McNally (P3, was on loan from Solihull), Krystian Pearce (P10, sent off at Brackley and will miss the game), Patrick Prosper-Fini (P8. Joined Hednesford Town on dual registration on November 26th), Toby Raison (P0) Ryan Price (P0), Jamie Egan (P11, on loan from Bristol Rovers), Sam Fitzgerald (P0, dual registration with Lichfield City. Signed on Saturday), Dinesh Gillela (P2, ex Bournemouth, signed just before Brackley), Seb Revan (P1, on loan from Aston Villa and played against us in the FA Cup for Grimsby).

Midfield: George Forsyth (P10, 1 goal, former Harrier), Zeli Ismail (P12, left club for a second time today), Yan Klukowski (P5. Former Harrier), Maziar Kouhyar (P17, 1 goal), Ryan Lloyd (P23, 1 goal), Tom Owen-Evans (P22, 6 goals), Harry Pinchard (P9, 2 goals), Ben Pollock (P20), Joe Speake (P0), Miles Storey (P18, 5 goals), Richard Whittingham (P1), James Vincent (P12. Former Harrier), Justice Campbell (P0, dual registration with Lye Town. Signed on Saturday).

Attack: Joey Butlin (P1, missed pen. Left for Chasetown on 15th Aug), Jaanai Gordon (P8, 2 goals, dual registration with Stratford Town since 16th Nov), Ollie Hulbert (P6, 1 goal. Was on loan from Bristol Rovers. Now on loan at Gloucester), Ryan McLean (P22, 3 goals and a missed pen), Harley Morris (P0), Dan Smith (P21, 3 goals. Was on loan from Eastleigh), Victor Sodeinde (P3. Left to join Banbury Utd), Pa Sulay Njie (P0).

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