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Next Up: Edgar Street
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Preview: Hereford v Grimsby

By: Kevin Dolan
Date: 09/03/2007

GRIMSBY Town can further cement their place in mid-table as they travel to Hereford, a ground they have not visited for over 15 years.

Home > 2006-2007 Season > Previews > Hereford (a)


The Opposition

Overview
After relegation from the league at the end of the 1996/97 season, Hereford finally made it back up last season when they defeated Halifax Town 3-2 in the Conference play off final. The Bulls finished last season losing only one of their last 19 games and have had a solid first season back.

Graham Turner is one of the longest serving managers in the country and took over at Edgar Street in the summer of 1995. Despite relegation in 1997, he was backed to stay on and became the majority shareholder in the club soon after, steering the club through a difficult financial period. After a number of years struggling in the Conference, Turner eventually began to turn the team around and they finished second in 2004, 2005 and 2006 before finally winning the play offs at the third attempt.

The Team
Hereford currently lie 10th in League two, five points ahead of The Mariners. The Bulls have had a more than satisfactory season, never being in contention for relegation and still with have an outside chance of reaching the play offs. A run through the autumn of only two defeats in 14 put them only one point and one place outside the play offs at the beginning of the year, but an inconsistent spell since then has seen them fall back slightly.

Captain and midfielder Rob Purdie is the longest serving player at Edgar Street, missing only one game of last season’s campaign and has the most appearances this. He is also the club’s joint top scorer with 9 goals (including 8 penalties) alongside Alan Connell. After 10 years at Chester, ‘keeper Wayne Brown spent last season on loan with Hereford and then made the move permanent over the summer. Malawian defender Tamika Mkandawire has been an almost ever present over the last three seasons and contributed 8 goals to the promotion campaign. One time Town target Tim Sills (left)moved from Oxford in the summer, but has struggled to establish himself.

Key Player
Steve Guinan’s goal at The Millennium Stadium ruined The Mariners’ promotion hopes last May but, after an indifferent season in League One, he has recently joined Hereford on loan. His six goals in eight games, including a hat trick at Lincoln, have earned him another month’s extension to his loan spell. The striker previously spent two years at Edgar Street (2002-04) where he averaged a goal every other game before joining Cheltenham.

Recent Form

TownHereford
WBury(h)2-0
LMacclesfield(a)1-2
WWrexham(h)2-1
WMansfield(a)2-1
WBristol R(h)4-3
Currently 16th in League Two.
LHartlepool(a)2-3
DChester(a)1-1
DRochdale(h)0-0
WLincoln(a)4-1
WBarnet(h)2-0
Currently 10th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownHereford
Bore8
Toner7
Connell9
Purdie9

Team News

TownHereford

  • Town's only new injury worry is Nick Fenton, who picked up an achilles injury in training this week, but is hoping to be feet.

  • Gary Croft remains out through injury.

  • Alan Buckley has to decide between his favoured 4-4-2 formation, or revert to the 4-5-1 with which Town have had some success in recent weeks, especially away from home.
  • Hereford will be without both defender Dean Beckwith and full back Trent McClenahan through injury.

  • There is a doubt over midfielder Steve Jennings who was carried off at Hartlepool after suffering a knee injury.
  • Probable Teams

    TownHereford
    1Phil Barnes
    2John McDermott
    6Justin Whittle
    5Nick Fenton
    3Tom Newey
    18Peter Bore
    25James Hunt
    8Paul Bolland
    10Ciaran Toner
    19Gary Jones
    22Danny North
    1Wayne Brown
    2Simon Travis
    5Tamika Mkandawire
    4Richard Rose
    6Rob Purdie
    16Andrew Williams
    25Ben Smith
    31Stephen Jennings
    3Danny Thomas
    24Steve Guinan
    12Alan Connell

    Subs

    TownHereford
    13Robert Murray
    29Matthew Bloomer
    7Isaiah Rankin
    16Danny Boshell
    17Peter Till
    14Glyn Thompson
    20Alex Jeannin
    23Phil Gulliver
    9Tim Sills
    8Andy Ferrell

    Head to Head

    The Mariners have a relatively poor record against The Bulls, although this season is their first meeting since the 1989/90 season.

    P 13 W 4 D 3 L 6 F 14 A 18

    Hereford Head-to-Head (77th on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    The last time The Mariners visited Edgar Street was in March 1990 when Gary Childs earned a 1-0 win in what became the second of seven successive wins.

    07-Mar-1990
    Hereford0 - 1Grimsby
      Childs

    Grimsby Team: Sherwood, McDermott, Jobling, Tillson Birtles, Cunnington, Childs, Gilbert, Rees, Cockerill (Agnew), Alexander

    Prediction

    Town 1-1 Hereford

    Reader's POMs

    Directions

    Click on the link for directions to Edgar Street (left).

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