CM4: From Hereford To Eternity 04-05

[klayman]

Previous Seasons:

02-03 Hereford United 2nd Place Conference (promotion to 3rd Division via playoffs)
03-04 Hereford United 3rd Place Division 3 (automatic promotion to 2nd Division)

Pre Season:

Cheltenham win the 1st annual Invitational Herefordshire Cup, defeating Kidderminster 2-0 in the final at Edgar Street. Cheltenham, in the 2nd Division with us, have accomplished much the same as we have just done, winning the Conference in 1999 and advancing to the 2nd Division in 2002. We place 3rd in the tournament, ahead of last place Gloucester City.

We get £300k for 2nd Division TV rights. The board cannot allow any money for transfers due to our poor financial situation, but generously grant me 60% of all transfer revenue (last year it was 25%), which is nice of them. They are very pleased with my performance and expect us to fight bravely against relegation from the 2nd division. The supporters are very pleased with the club progress and are in full support of my management. They expect a brave fight against relegation as well. Amazingly, the board increases our wage budget by £2k/week. The top wage I can offer jumps from £1k/week to £1.4k/week now. I’m shocked, but happy at their generosity this season. We finished last season with a £409k profit and have seen our season tickets increase around 20% again for this season. Our debt load remains around £1.4M and unless we do very well in the cup runs this year, will likely lose money this season due to an increase in our wage budget. Oh yeah, I’m £6k/week over the budget right now. I’ll try to fix that during the season.

We get another huge 13 kids out of the youth system. 6 are out right released, 4 show promise, and the other 3 are tied to professional contracts (they are over 16 years old, so I can’t release them without paying off the contract) for the season. Not horrible, but most of the promising players come at defense where we are very solid. By the end of the preseason, however, I’ve released 3 of the 4 promising players, and transferred out the 3 tied to professional contracts to have just 1 player added from our youth setup.

Graham Barrett wins the Hereford Supporters Player of the year, although I think Mellor would have won the title if he was with the club full time. Nonetheless, Barrett deserves the award with his amazing 30 goals last season.

I make one more signing during the offseason…grabbing yet another GK (yeah, I know) in former Tottenham backup and Canadian National team GK Lars Hirschfeld. I’m weak when it comes to signing goalkeepers. I’m weak when it comes to tinkering with the squad. I’m weak when it comes to Canadian National team members. I actually feel bad about my lack of loyalty to Matthew Baker, but nonetheless he finds himself free transferred out to lower division club Bromsgrove Rovers. Best of luck to him, as he played very well for us in his time here.

I get beat (by Hull it seems) on almost every loan transfer I negotiate. I do manage to get Neil Mellor back for the season, but Richie Partridge joins 2nd Division Sheffield Wednesday forcing me to look elsewhere. Oh yeah, Liverpool’s £40k offer for Partridge raised to £1.5M over the offseason, as soon as they saw we had the £40k to make the offer. Eventually I have to go outside the English league to loan players in, and grab young full-back Angel from Celta and Jamie Smith from Celtic, along with German Moritz Volz from Arsenal. In the mean time I’ve made Hull a very good club.

[Kodos]

Since I sadly am not above threadjudice, I will just say this and then disappear. Your title is very clever. Nice work, klayman! Five stars for that alone!

[klayman]

Squad Overview:
Goalkeepers

Name                       Position(s)  Nat  Age  Caps Gls  Wages(p/w)     Expires   Value
Hirschfeld, Lars              GK        CAN  25   17    -      £725        10.06.07    £26k
Myhill, Boaz                  GK        USA  21    -    -      £450        26.06.06    £16k
Griffiths, Ken                GK        ENG  20    -    -      £110        14.06.05    £12k
Holloway, Craig               GK        ENG  19    -    -      £200        21.06.07    £28k

Name                       Apps     Con    Cln  Asts   Yel    Red    MoM    Av R
Hirschfeld, Lars            Signed on a free transfer (last club Tottenham)
Myhill, Boaz                Signed from Premiership club Aston Villa  
Griffiths, Ken              0        0      0    0     0      0      0     0.00
Holloway, Craig             Signed from Premiership club Arsenal

Hirschfeld is the undisputed starter. He has Premiership and International experience, he was just too good a goalie to pass up. Plus he's from Edmonton . Myhill is a very capable backup, and will get his fair share of games, especially when Hirschfeld is away on international duty. Holloway is the star of the new goalies, though. He could start right now, and at 19 is our GK of the future. I'd have no problem with him stepping into the box in case of injuries, and he's only (hopefully) going to get better. Griffiths is transfer listed and his contract will not be renewed next year.

Defenders
Centre-Backs

Name                       Position(s)  Nat  Age  Caps Gls  Wages(p/w)     Expires   Value
Raven, David                  DC        ENG  19    -    -      £825        10.06.08    £26k
Ridgewell, Liam               DC        ENG  20    -    -      £825        12.06.07    £26k
Todd, Christopher             DC        WAL  22    -    -      £1k         13.06.08    £26k
McNulty, Steve                DC        ENG  20    -    -      £200         2.06.06    £16k

Name                       Apps     Gls     Ast     MoM     Yel     Red     AvR
Raven, David                 6(1)     0       2       0       0       0     7.14
Ridgewell, Liam             Transfered from Premiership Aston Villa
Todd, Christopher           46        0       0       2       2       0     7.43
McNulty, Steve               5(18)    0       0       0       1       0     6.78

We'll be going with a 4 back at home, and 5-3-2 with a sweeper on the road, hence the split of the defenders into centre and full backs. Todd was a standout last year and signed late in the season after I had resigned myself to losing him, and had all ready made other transfers to replace him. Therefore we are very strong with additions of Ridgwell and Raven. All three are excellent defenders and will see plenty of time on the pitch. McNulty is still developing, but filled in admirably last season, and hopefully will continue to improve into a future star for us.

Full-Backs

Name                       Position(s)  Nat  Age  Caps Gls  Wages(p/w)     Expires   Value
Angel                         DL        ESP  23    -    -      £0           7.06.05    £600k
Wright, Mark                  DL        ENG  18    -    -      £120        24.06.06    £16k
Byrne, Cliff                  DLC       IRL  22    -    -      £700        16.06.07    £26k
Rossiter, Mark                DRC       IRL  21    -    -      £950        16.06.08    £26k
Volz, Moritz                  D/DMR     GER  21    -    -      £0           7.06.05    £240k
Robson, Paul                  D/DML     ENG  21    -    -      £500         7.06.07    £26k

Name                       Apps     Gls     Ast     MoM     Yel     Red     AvR
Angel                       On season loan from Spanish club Celta
Wright, Mark                 0        0       0       0       0       0     -.--
Byrne, Cliff                37(7)     0       0       1       1       0     6.93
Rossiter, Mark              43(1)     0       1       3       2       0     7.29
Volz, Moritz                On season loan from Premiership Arsenal
Robson, Paul                Signed from Premiership Charlton

Angel Lopez Ruano is probably the best player in the 2nd Division right now. If he can survive the harshness of the English league, he will be a star for us this season. Byrne and Rossiter are both solid members of our defense, and can fill in at centre-back if needed. Volz is transfer listed at Arsenal, but has 2nd Division experience with a loan to Bournemouth last season. If he puts up the same solid numbers he did last year, I'll seriously consider scrapping some cash up to buy him. Robson was signed as cover and should see several games behind Angel at DL or DML. Wright has not progressed at all nor looks like he ever will, and is transfer listed.

[klayman]

Originally posted by Kodos
threadjudice

Threadjudice? Soccer or just me?

Your title is very clever. Nice work, klayman! Five stars for that alone!

Why, thank you.

[Kodos]

Soccer, of course. I just can't bring myself to care about a dynasty that involves a sport that I have absolutely no interest in. Having said that, I'm sure this is a fine dynasty, and it is my loss. Threadjudice can be such an ugly thing. Alas. Good luck!

[klayman]

Midfield

Name                       Position(s)  Nat  Age  Caps Gls  Wages(p/w)     Expires   Value
Baker, Steven                 SW/D/DMC  IRL  25    -    -      £1.3k       26.06.06    £26k
Purdie, Robert                MC        ENG  21    -    -      £300         1.06.07    £20k
Sawyers, Robert               D/DMLC    ENG  25    -    -      £1.1k       21.06.07    £26k
Barron, Frank                 MLC       ENG  18    -    -      £100        30.06.06    £16k
Smith, Paul                   MC        ENG  17    -    -      £110         7.06.07    £26k
Stevenson, John               MC        ENG  18    -    -      £230        24.06.06    £16k
Pitman, Jamie                 MRC       ENG  28    -    -      £575         2.06.06    £16k
Lowe, Danny                   MRLC      ENG  20    -    -      £575         7.06.06    £16k
Scott, Paul                   DMC       ENG  24    -    -      £800         7.06.06    £16k
Cunningham, Gary              MRC       ENG  15    -    -      £100         YOUTH      £0k

Name                       Apps     Gls     Ast     MoM     Yel     Red     AvR
Baker, Steven                40       1       6       1       9       0     7.32 
Purdie, Robert                0(7)    0       0       0       0       0     6.42
Sawyers, Robert              53(1)    1       5       3       9       0     7.11
Barron, Frank                 1(7)    2       0       0       0       0     6.75 
Smith, Paul                   0(2)    0       0       0       0       0     -.-- 
Stevenson, John               0(3)    0       0       0       0       0     -.-- 
Pitman, Jamie                14(10)   0       3       0       4       0     6.41
Lowe, Danny                   1(2)    0       1       0       0       0     6.66
Scott, Paul                  Signed from 2nd Division Huddersfield
Cunningham, Gary             Rookie

Baker and Sawyers will continue to patrol the midfield for us, while new addition Paul Scott will fill in when Baker plays sweeper on the road. Lowe, whose season was cut short by a broken leg last year, and Pitman are adequate back up , while the youngsters probably won't see very much time on the senior squad at all.

Attacking Midfield

Name                       Position(s)  Nat  Age  Caps Gls  Wages(p/w)     Expires   Value
Foley-Sheridan, Michael       AMC       IRL  21    -    -      £1.4k       17.06.09    £40k
Fox, Christian                AMRC      ENG  23    -    -      £1.2k       18.06.06    £16k
Parry, Paul                   AM/FL     WAL  23    -    -      £1k         17.06.07    £26k
Smith, Jamie                  AM/FRL    SCO  23    -    -      £0           7.06.05    £1.4M

Name                       Apps     Gls     Ast     MoM     Yel     Red     AvR
Foley-Sheridan, Michael      38       6       6       2       8       0     7.26
Fox, Christan                27(7)    1       2       0       1       0     6.70
Parry, Paul                  23(15)   3       5       0       4       0     6.76
Smith, Jamie                 On season loan from Celtic

Foley-Sheridan continues to star from the attacking midfield spot. Last year, his stats were affected by the shift of our play toward Richie Partridge, but this year he will once again assume a key role in our offense. Fox and Parry are backup, and provide solid cover for Foley-Sheridan who tends to get jaded a lot. A change in tactics over the preseason has left Jamie Smith without a position. Right now, he'll fill in for Foley-Sheridan until I figure out if I will keep him here all season or try to fill another need.

[klayman]

Originally posted by Kodos
Soccer, of course. I just can't bring myself to care about a dynasty that involves a sport that I have absolutely no interest in. Having said that, I'm sure this is a fine dynasty, and it is my loss. Threadjudice can be such an ugly thing. Alas. Good luck!

No problem. I was like you once, lost among the all the sports until I found the true calling. One day you'll see the light.

[klayman]

Forwards

Name                       Position(s)  Nat  Age  Caps Gls  Wages(p/w)     Expires   Value
Correia, Albano               SC        POR  22    -    -      £800        22.06.05    £26k
Mellor, Neil                  SC        ENG  21    -    -      £0           7.06.05    £875k
Barrett, Graham               FC        IRL  22    2    -      £950         9.06.06    £50k
Kimmins, Ged                  SC        ENG  21    -    -      £475         3.06.06    £14k
Thornley, Rod                 SC        ENG  27    -    -      £725        12.06.07    £26k

Name                       Apps     Gls     Ast     MoM     Yel     Red     AvR
Correia, Albano              26(13)  14       6       3       3       0     7.23
Barrett, Graham              43      30      14       3       5       0     7.55
Mellor, Neil                 41(1)   25      10      15       3       0     7.61
Kimmins, Ged                  0(3)    0       0       0       0       0     6.33
Thornley, Rod                 3(7)    4       2       0       0       0     7.09

We make no changes to our forwards this year, thankfully getting Neil Mellor back on another season long loan from Liverpool. Barrett and Mellor will brunt most of the attack, while Correia and Thornley will fill in much like last year. Thornley will likely see more time, as I want to try to avoid the jadeness that set in with Barrett and Mellor last season. I'm undecided about keeping Correia around for another season, and will probably let his performance this year sway my judgement. Kimmins is purely cover in case of injury, although Parry, Jamie Smith, and Christian Fox would probably assume that role if we are hit with massive injuries.

[klayman]

All of the scouts and physios get contract extensions, this being the last year of all their contracts. John Cockerill stays on as my assistant manager, extending his contract until 2009, where I’m sure I’ll be fired by then. All of the coaching staff’s contracts are up this season, and I’ll be making judgments on who to extend and who to let go as the season wears on.

Unlike my other two years here, I run most of the preseason friendlies as I tweak tactics and player depth. We play mostly 1st division clubs, getting a win against Portsmouth, a draw and a loss against Brighton, and a draw against Sheffield United. I’ll run two different tactics this year, one each for home and away, as I hope to avoid that horrible away form we got caught in midseason last year. The tactics are attached.

Cardiff and Wigan have been made 7-4 joint favorites to gain promotion from the English Second Division this season. The rest of the main contenders are priced at: 2-1 QPR, 3-1 Barnsley, 16-1 Blackpool, 16-1 Wycombe. Hereford is given 40-1 odds for promotion. The bookmakers think that promotion for your team is unlikely and that you should be far more concerned about the possibility of getting relegated.

The press…they’re always so positive this time of year. Nonetheless, I doubt we’ll have the kind of success we had last year, but I’m sure we’ll stay clear of relegation.

[klayman]

Wycombe vs Hereford
Our counter attack works wonderfully today as we hold Wycombe to very few chances. Mellor opens the scoring after a Barrett cross leaves him with the simple finish for a 1-0 lead just 16 mins in. Wycombe equalize when a header off a corner kick finds the short corner on Myhill just before the end of the half. Wycombe’s 2 shot of the game, in the 65th min, puts us in the hole as it beats Myhill to the top corner from 12 yards out. But in the 71st min, Angel, hopelessly out of position, picks up a Jamie Smith through ball, turns the defender and finds the corner from 12 yards out for the late equalizer and the 2-2 draw.

Angel becomes the first defender to score for us in 2 years. And in open play as well!!!

Hereford vs Leyton Orient
Leyton joined us from the 3rd Division and have a solid squad. But Angel and Foley-Sheridan completely rip their defense apart combining for 17 runs on the day. Correia opens the scoring 14 mins in off a Foley-Sheridan corner and we continue to pressure from there. Hirschfeld easily handles the only shot Leyton can muster on the day, a 35 yarder right into his hands, and David Raven scores off a Sawyers corner for the 2-0 win. 2 goals by 2 defenders in 2 games…holy crap!

Crewe vs Hereford
2 mins in, Crewe score off a corner to put us in the hole. We try to come forward, but that has no effect and only creates chances for Crewe. Colin Little makes it 0-2 with a pretty passing play that Hirschfeld had no chance on, and then adds another off a corner just before the end of the half. We manage to get one shot on goal, when Barrett breaks free in the 56th min, but the shot is saved and deflected clear for the 0-3 loss.

I make some adjustments to our defensive corner instructions as we let in 3 goals off corners already this season. Paul Scott is gone for 4 weeks with a fractured arm from the match.

[Katon]

Maybe your defenders should spend less time practicing their shooting and more time practicing defensive set pieces. Did you switch their training around this summer?

Nice young squad, by the way. You don't seem to have anybody the wrong side of thirty. Good luck!

[klayman]

hehe...no, they're still training as defenders. Probably since I mentioned it, another one won't score for another 2 years now.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Tranmere
We come out flat, and Tranmere dominate the pitch, capping off some solid play with a beautiful goal by Iain Hume in the 14th min. That wakes everybody up though, and Foley-Sheridan feeds Barrett, who rounds the keeper for the easy goal only 4 mins later. In the 23rd min, Barrett is send in all alone by Mellor, and Barrett makes no mistake from 8 yards out for the 2-1 lead. That opens the floodgates, as Tranmere come forward looking to equalize and in the 35th min, Christian Fox catches them on the counter feeding Barrett for the breakaway. Barrett rounds the keeper again and has a good chance for the hat-trick, but instead takes the sure goal by crossing to an unmarked Mellor who heads it across the goal line for the 3-1 lead. Barrett isn’t finished, and 5 mins later he has the Tranmere GK out of position for a long shot, but once again unselfishly dishes to Mellor for the better chance, and the powerful striker makes it 4-1 from 18 yards out. Tranmere drop into a defensive shell after that, and never threaten as we take the 4-1 win.

That takes us to the end of August, where we are shut out of all the awards. We lose £42k for the month but have managed a respectable 9th place showing in the 2nd Division so far, which is pretty good. An enquiry into Celta as to the availability of Angel comes back with a “We want nothing for him.” Cool. I offer a small £5k transfer anyway, just cause I don’t think they are serious, but they happily accept it. Unfortanetly, the receivers handle the contracts on transfers, and they don’t quite offer Angel enough. Although he thinks both sides are close to reaching a deal, since I have no control over what the receivers are offering, I’ll have to wait until January, when I can sign Angel on a bosman. Regardless, I’m happy. He’s one hell of a player.

Huddersfield vs Hereford
On the road again, and our counter attack is completely ineffective against Huddersfield. They go up 1-0 after Hirschfeld makes a spectacular save, but the defenders can’t clear the rebound for the easy goal. It’s Huddersfield’s only real chance of the game, as we have the defensive area covered, but just can’t create any chances with this tactic. Some tweaks at half time don’t really pan out, which lead to some more tweaks that create a couple of good chances for us. In the 80th, Volz sends a long ball down the right flank, and substitute Correia uses his pace to win the ball, crossing perfectly to a rushing Mellor for the late equalizer and we steal a point with the 1-1 draw.

Hereford vs Walsall
Off the opening kickoff, Angel feeds Correia down the left flank. Correia, Jamie Smith, and Rod Thornley are all behind the defense as Correia rushes towards the goal. A 3 on nothing break…which Correia completely flubs by getting tackled just inside the area. Luckily the ball falls to Jamie Smith who catches the keeper out of position for the very quick 1-0 lead. We comfortably hold possession until in the 65th min, when Walsall catch us on a counter, and then they catch a huge break as a shot deflects off Christopher Todd, stranding Boaz Myhill and equalizing on their only chance of the game. We come right back, and in the 70th min, Angel makes a beautiful cross that finds the head of Jamie Smith in the 6 yard box for his 2nd of the game. Walsall never threaten, and we cruise to the 2-1 win.

[klayman]

Dag & Red vs Hereford LEAGUE CUP 1st Round
Some more tweaks to our away tactic prove very fruitful, as we create several great chances against Dag & Red. A handball in the area sets us a Angel penalty attempt, but the Dag & Red GK isn’t fooled and makes the save in the 9th min. Things go back and forth, as we seem to be allowing Dag & Red too many opportunities to go along with our own chances. It almost bites us in the ass in the 50th min, as a complete defensive breakdown leads to Dag & Red’s best chance of the game, but Hirschfeld is brilliant in making the save. 4 mins later a misplayed ball by a defender, frees Graham Barrett and he crosses to Mellor for the perfect volley and 1-0 win.

We get £20k for advancing to the 2nd round. Last year a game at Highbury saved us from financial ruin, and I’d like to get into a similar situation, although I hope it’s not a 1-5 outcome again. We’ll have to get by 1st Division Norwich first though. We’ve had 5 draws in the League Cup now, all of them away.

Rotherham vs Hereford
The tweaks to the away tactic are doing just fine, as we hold 2nd place Rotherham to 1 weak chance in the 1st half while creating several of our own. That changes in the 42nd, when Jamie Smith gets a yellow card and then decides to complain about, quickly getting him another and putting us down 10 men. We drop into a defensive shell and prevent Rotherham from getting any shots on Hirschfeld for the rest of the game, but seriously hampering our offensive output as well. In 2nd half stoppage time, substitute Paul Parry wins a race to the ball from the keeper, and only a last ditch tackle prevents a goal. That sets up a corner, which Angel floats in, and Sawyers heads it into the goal, but the whistle blows claiming Sawyers pushed off a defender, and the game ends in a scoreless draw.

The draw is a good result against the 2nd highest scoring team in the Division, and it keeps us in 9th place, 5 points back of 1st place Wigan, and only 1 point out of a playoff spot.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Northampton
The stats for the game: Hereford 10 shots, 7 on target, 5 corners, 68% completed passes, 100% tackles won, 11 runs by Angel alone compared against Northampton’s 4 shots, 2 on target, 0 corners, and 5 runs made by the entire team. That being said, a poor clearance out of the area by Volz leads a Northampton goal in 1st half stoppage time, gifting them the 0-1 win.

Hartlepool vs Hereford
Neither team generates any good chances on the night and the game turns out to be a fairly boring affair. Thornley gets the only real chance in the 36th min when the Hartlepool GK misplays a long ball and Thornley has a crack at the open net, but is under too much pressure from the defense and puts it well wide. We settle for the away point in a 0-0 draw.

That closes out September and we drop to 16th in the division with 13 points. We trail 1st place Wigan by 7, and 6th place (last playoff spot) Northampton by 3, while holding a slight +2 goal difference on 17th place Tranmere. Thanks to prize money from our Worthington Cup win, we leave the month with only a £5k loss, although that doesn’t stop some of the players from moaning about the poor finances.

[Katon]

Nice tight division.

[klayman]

Notts County vs Hereford
As well as we’ve played lately with a struggling offensive, we our absolutely crap on the road against Notts County. We allow 16 shots to our 1, and no amount of tweaks I make do anything to change Notts County domination. Luckily for us, Hirschfeld is a solid wall in net, stopping everything except a cheap penalty in the 48th min, and we only lose 0-1.

Norwich vs Hereford LEAGUE CUP 2nd Round
14,135 fans show up which should give us a nice payday regardless of the outcome. Norwich control the early possession, but Foley-Sheridan catches them too far forward in the 11th min freeing Barrett with a 40 pass. Barrett finds Mellor in the area with a nice flick on pass, and Mellor tries to round the Norwich GK but runs out of room. A simple turn on the ball frees Mellor from the GK and 2 other defenders and he is left with the simple finish for an outstanding goal. Norwich pour on the pressure but the defense is stunning at allowing very few good chances, and Hirschfeld is solid on the shot that do manage to get through. It looks like Norwich will eventually equalize until the 42nd and a Norwich player gets a red card for a professional foul sending them 1 man down for the rest of the match. Barrett puts us up by 2 in the 56th lobbing the Norwich GK on a breakaway, and then adds another when he takes a Mellor throw in just outside the six yard box and finds the goal with out a problem. Norwich continue to pressure despite being down to 10 men, and claw one back in the 62nd, but Hirschfeld is spectacular after that and we hold on for the excellent 3-1 win.

We get £20k for the win plus over £100k in shared gate receipts as we make our way to the 3rd round of the Worthington Cup for the 2nd straight year. We’ll play either 1st Division Ipswich or Premiership Preston at Edgar Street for the 3rd round matchup.

Hereford vs Barnsley
We come back home after a 3 game away stand, and look for a win and some offense for tonight. We having scored in 4 straight Division 2 matches as we hover around 18th spot in the Division (well clear of 21st spot relegation and 19th spot Wycombe, though). Barnsley control the pace of the 1st half, however, and it’s not until stoppage time that we get our first shot on net. Incredibly, our second shot comes off the rebound on the first, and Barrett puts it home for the undeserved 1-0 lead at the half. The 2nd half is much the same, and eventually Barnsley equalize off a rebound in the 72nd min. That leads to drama as Correia, who tends to have a knack for the late goal, grabs a Barrett cross and rounds the keeper for the 89th min strike. Barnsley refuse to die though, and Hirschfeld hesitates coming out for a ball, and is caught out of position for the late 93rd min equalizer and a 2-2 draw.

The news gets worse as we lose both Jamie Smith and Graham Barrett from the match. Smith is out 2 weeks with a damaged shoulder, while we lose Barrett for 2 months with a dislocated shoulder. We get 2 weeks off before our next match against 1st place Queen Park Rangers, however.

Hereford vs Q.P.R
For 71 minutes, the 1st place Rangers control the game and go up in the 72nd off a corner kick for the 1-0 lead. The forces some changes in our tactics since we seem to be having some difficulty at home this year. The team responds, and the next 18 mins are a sharp contrast to the first 72. Correia responds in the 74th to equalize when he rounds the GK after a picture perfect Christian Fox pass. Not to be outdone is Angel, who makes a great run into the corner, feeding Mellor with the cross. The header is saved but off the Angel rebound, Mark Rossiter heads the ball off the GK and a QPR defenders puts it in his own goal for the 2-1 Hereford win.

The win moves us up to 13th in the extremely tight 2nd Division, 6 points back of the last playoff spot, and 10 points clear of relegation. It also knock QPR out of 1st place, which is now held by 3rd Division conquerors Colchester.

[klayman]

Ipswich defeat Preston 2-0 on the road to set up our 3rd round League Cup draw at Edgar Street later next month. If we win, it will be the first time Hereford would have advanced past the 3rd round of the Worthington Cup in our history.

Hereford vs Peterborough LDV VANS TROPHY South 1st Round
We go with the tactical changes we made from the latter part of the last game and absolutely crush 3rd Division Peterborough. Man of the Match, Albano Correia finishes the night with 3 goals and 2 assists, while Mellor got the brace, and Foley-Sheridan got a single for the excellent 6-0 win.

Hereford vs Port Vale
Port Vale sit 18th and don’t put up much of a struggle in this match. Correia scores an excellent goal in the 48th min, after about 30 mins of Hereford pressure. He strikes again in the 74th, his 5th goal in 2 games, as he takes a Mellor feed and finds the far corner from 20 yards. Hirschfeld easily handles all of Port Vale’s 3 shots on the night, and we comfortably win 2-0.

We draw another 3rd Division team for the 2nd round Vans Trophy game, getting Southend at Edgar Street next month. We also draw 2nd Division Rotherham at Edgar Street for the 1st round of the FA Cup. I guess someone was listening to my complaints about always getting away draws.

That takes us out of October with a nice £78k profit for the month. With 3 cup games in November (all at home), we should come out of November with similar numbers as well. We currently sit 13th with 20 points, behind 11th place Sheffield Wednesday and 12th place Chesterfield on goal difference. We’re 7 points back of leaders Q.P.R, and 1 point ahead of 14th place Barnsley. We are clear of relegation by a margin of 10 points over 21st place Bournemouth. Full table is attached.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Cheltenham
The play is pretty even with both teams creating several chances in the opening half but settling for a scoreless draw at the break. In the 2nd half, Thornley intercepts a poor clearance by the Cheltenham GK and feeds Foley-Sheridan whose 25 yard blast leads to a corner. Off the Angel corner kick, Christopher Todd’s head meets the ball, and Todd has his first ever goal for Hereford in the 50th min. That opens the game up for us a little more, and Foley-Sheridan gets another shot in from 25 yards out, this time finding the top corner for the 2-0 win.

Wigan vs Hereford
Wigan sit in a disappointing 11th place since the bookmakers marked them for promotion this year. Their current place not withstanding, they have an excellent side, and exert horrendous pressure on the Hereford goal in the first half. Although they outshoot us 9-0, we come out of the half unscathed thanks to the brilliance of Lars Hirschfeld and some timely clearances by the defense. Things continue much the same throughout the 2nd half. Paul Parry gets are only shot of the game in the 80th min, right at the Wigan GK. Hirschfeld continues to amaze the Wigan shooters, and gets lucky with a couple of bounces that go our way. Just when we have walked out of JJB Stadium stealing a point, in the 92nd min, seconds before the whistle is set to blow to end the game, Wigan get a break and beat Hirschfeld with their 15th shot of the night, and we lose 0-1.

A disappointing loss, but a good result considering 4 of our star players, Mellor, Foley-Sheridan, Angel, and Barrett, were resting or out with injury for the match.

Hereford vs Ipswich LEAGUE CUP 3rd Round
We’re very comfortable at home, even against Ipswich who sit in 4th place in the 1st Division, a stone’s throw out of the Premiership. They control early, of course, but can’t beat the brilliance of Lars Hirschfeld, and in the 41st min Angel tears up their defense with a beautiful run capped by Mellor flicking to Correia for the 1-0 lead. Only 2 mins later, Correia is the beneficiary of a very poor backpass by Ipswich, and rounds the GK for his 2nd of the night. We come out with tons of confidence in the 2nd half, cheered on by 5095 fans. In the 60th, Foley-Sheridan’s pace wins him the ball just to the left of the area. His cross, intended for Correia, hits an Ipswich defender and skirts out of harms way. But Correia is able to track down the ball, and he finds Neil Mellor unmarked in the 6 yard box…and it’s 3-0 Hereford! Just when we thought we had it all wrapped up, however, acting captain Liam Ridgewell gets a red card in the 73rd min for a professional foul, and Ipswich come forward. They score not two mins later to get within a shout, and are sniffing around the net again in the 77th, but some last ditch tackling by Christian Fox saves the day. We drop to the always crowd pleasing 10 men in the area defense after that, and Ipswich never threaten again for the shocking 3-1 win.

We get £30k for the win and advance to the 4th round for the first time in the clubs history. Ridgewell is suspended for 1 game for his red card as well as Foley-Sheridan who picked up his 5th yellow in the match. We didn’t make as much money as if we were away (only £35k), considering we have to split the receipts, but a win is better.

With his recent outburst of goals, Albano Correia becomes the active Hereford career goal leader with 36, 1 ahead of Graham Barret, and 2 up on Neil Mellor.

[klayman]

Oldham vs Hereford
We head out back on the road and I continue to make changes to our tactics. We’ve dropped the sweeper and gone with a more traditional 5-3-2 on the road to try and plug some holes in the midfield we were experiencing. It pays off in the 22nd min as Paul Parry feeds Correia on a break, and Correia rounds the GK for his team leading 11th goal of the season. Our defense holds up strong and Oldham get very little in the way of opportunities. In the 85th Paul Parry clinches the win when he takes a Rossiter flick on in the area, and skips by the challenging GK to settle the game at 2-0.

Hereford vs Southend LDV VANS TROPHY South 2nd round
We make some changes to our home tactic as well, going with a more or less traditional 4-4-2 to take advantage of some of our strengths. We rest most of our starters for this match, and Myhill is in net for Hirschfeld who’s away on international duty with Canada. In the 21st, Rod Thornley draws the GK out of position, and feeds Neil Mellor for the wide open net and his 10th goal of the year. After that it is all Hereford, as Thornley converts on a freekick from 25 yards out in the 40th for a 2-0 halftime lead. We lose David Raven to an injury in the 2nd half, but in the 88th min, Christian Fox is the beneficiary of a great Mellor pass and a perfect Thornley dummy run that leaves him with the open net for the 3-0 win.

Raven is out for 3 days with a shoulder injury, but should be fit for our next match. Graham Barrett has also returned to light training following his lengthy shoulder injury, and should be back with the team in the coming week.

Hereford vs Rotherham FA CUP 1st Round
We control the possession but Rotherham put up a defensive wall and the game comes to a passive deadlock. That is until Angel takes a 40 yard freekick in the 40th min and finds the top corner with an amazing strike for the 1-0 lead. Easily goal of the year! Rotherham open up after that and come forward forcing us back on the ball. Hirschfeld makes an amazing save in the 74th min to keep the game even and then a goalpost in the 78th saves us from the equalizer. Rotherham continue to press for the equalizer but a red card in the 87th min puts their hopes to bed and we win 1-0.

We get £20k for the win and advance to the 2nd round. We in the midst of some fixture congestion playing 4 games in 7 days with the early success we’ve found in the cup runs. Hopefully it doesn’t hamper our regular season performance too much.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Gillingham
Although only working off 2 days rest, we come out flying in the first half. Thornley gets an excellent opportunity when Jamie Smith draws out the Gillingham players and finds him with a perfect cross, but Thornley puts it harmlessly right back into the keeper’s arms. Thornley then finds Correia with a pass in behind the defense, but Correia puts it into the side netting as he tries to round the keeper in the 26th. Those easy chances come back to haunt us as Gillianham catch us too far forward on one of our freekicks and go ahead in the 55th min. That forces me to make some changes bringing Foley-Sheridan and Robert Sawyers, who I hoped to rest for our next game against Tottenham. However, the changes prove fruitful when in the 69th min, a poor giveaway by the Gillinham GK lands at the feet of Jamie Smith who uses a Foley-Sheridan dummy run to set up an empty net goal for Correia, and a 1-1 draw.

Tottenham vs Hereford LEAGUE CUP 4th Round
We’re only here at White Hart Lane to not embarrass ourselves and to collect a huge payday. And we collect on both accounts. We hold the Tottenham squad (mostly reserves and backups) to very little opportunities and Hirschfeld is there to shut the door on his former club when they do break through. A dodgy penalty call in the 37th min is forgiven when Tottenham forward Steffen Iversen puts it well wide. We’re out shot 9-0 in the game, and former Man City forward Eyal Berkovic scores his first goal as a Spur in the 68th, knocking us out of the Worthington Cup with a 0-1 loss.

Despite the result, we played very formidably against the Premiership club and take home a £320k payday as a result of the 26618 fans that showed up. That equals another profitable year for the club in all likeliness, and for the first time since I became manager our debt load is below £1M.

Hereford vs Bournemouth
We close out November with our 4th match in the last 7 days. Thankfully, we get a week off after this match, but we have some tired squad members heading into the game. That doesn’t seem to affect the outcome, as Angel scores on a penalty in the 9th min, and Christopher Todd off a corner in the 50th before AFC Bournemouth respond with a shot. They beat Boaz Myhill in the 53rd to draw within one, but Mellor and Thornley respond to put us up 4-1 in the 70th. Bournemouth adds another in the 72nd, but Thornley again replies with a strong goal in the 84th for the comfortable 5-2 win.

That finishes a very successful November giving us a £320k profit for the month, and a £383k profit on the year. We sit 9th in the 2nd Division, 1 point behind 8th spot QPR, and ahead of 10th spot Sheffield Wednesday by goal difference. Only 8 points separates 1st place Gillingham with 12th place Blackpool as nobody is running away with the division race this year.

[klayman]

We get Graham Barrett back to full time training, but the news is offset by the loss of Jamie Smith to a torn groin. Smith will be gone for 2 months, just as he was finally establishing a role for himself on the left wing. Barrett is gaining interest from several 1st Division clubs, so we are working hard to renegotiate his contract to remove the £50k minimum fee release clause I gave him 2 years ago, when £50k was a lot for a 3rd Division player. Live and learn.

Blackpool vs Hereford
We are back on the road where we have been somewhat more successful in avoiding losses in Division 2 than we were in Division 3, yet unable to find the winning touch with only 1 win in 9 matches. Mellor scores off a perfectly placed Angel corner in the 14th min to put us up by one. We get several chances after that, but some poor finishing comes back to haunt us. With Blackpool buzzing for the equalizer, Angel finds himself to far forward in the 88th min, and gets beat to the ball in the left corner. The cross from the corner finds it way to an unmarked Blackpool forward in the 6 yard box, but a last ditch tackle by Rossiter dispossess the player of the ball. Unfortunately it flies into the open net for the own goal and another 1-1 away draw for us.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Hereford
This is our first game against former Hereford loanee Richie Partridge. Partridge isn’t much of a factor in the match that Sheffield completely dominates. Hirschfeld keeps us in the game but just before the end of the half, a curving 30 yarder catches him flat footed and puts Sheffield up 1-0. That’s all they need, as our only chance of the 2nd half comes after Correia rounds the GK in the 84th min, but puts the ball agonizingly across the goal line and we lose 0-1.

Barrett, who started against Sheffield Wednesday, considers the team to be lacking the resources needed to match his demands and we break off negotiations. With continued interest in his services, we will probably lose him at some point in the year.

Hereford vs Dag & Red FA CUP 2nd Round
It is a rematch of our 1st Round League Cup match, but that’s were the similarities end. In the pouring rain we completely dominate the poor Division 3 club. In the 6th, Foley-Sheridan wins the ball in the air from GK Tony Roberts who came out to play it, and Foley-Sheridan hits the empty net from 20 yards out for the quick lead. That only foreshadows what is in store, as a Barrett header off a Thornley cross makes 2-0 in the 21st min. Barrett adds another in the 43rd when he rounds the GK after taking a Foley-Sheridan feed, and it is 3-0 in the 43rd min. Dag & Red get one back before the half ends, but the 2nd half is all Hereford. Foley-Sheridan adds his second off a perfect Barrett feed in the 55th, and Thornley gets a gift in the 73rd when a Sawyers shot deflects off a Dag & Red defender right to the feet of the striker to make it 5-1. Dag & Red add another in the 80th, before Foley-Sheridan completes the hat-trick a min later with a beautiful move in the area. Not to be outdone, Mark Rossiter scores his first career goal after chasing down a Barrett rebound and finding the open net in the 89th min for the 7-2 win.

We get £30k for the win and it sets a record for the highest scoring game for our club. We draw 1st Division Stoke away for the 3rd round of the FA Cup.

Rod Thornley becomes the 8th 1st team member to complain about the financial situation of the club despite the fact we’re in the best financial shape since I joined the club.

Rossiter's goal means that Cliff Byrne is the only defender NOT to score so far this year!!! A far cry from the first two years of zero goals by all the defenders.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Kidderminster LDV VANS TROPHY South Quarter Final
The rain continues as we take on our 3rd Division rivals. Foley-Sheridan receives a perfect 50 yard pass from Liam Ridgewell and finds the corner from 20 yards out in the 16th min for the 1-0 lead. The Harriers drop to a 5-4-1 formation, but it does them no good as Mellor rounds the GK in the 30th to make it 2-0. Less than a minute later, Parry crosses for Barrett, who chips a low pass to Foley-Sheridan that catches the GK going the other way for the 3-0 lead and Foley-Sheridan’s 5th goal in 2 games. In the 44th a Volz freekick finds its way expertly into the area for a rushing Mellor and he makes no mistake for the 4-0 half time lead. In the 2nd, Kidderminster make things interesting for the 1550 fans that braved the rain, as they add strikes in the 66th and 80th min, but we hold on for the 4-2 win and advance to the semi finals.

We lose both Volz and Ridgewell with injuries during the match. Both are out for a week.

Colchester vs Hereford
Returning to Division 2 play against our former Division 3 foes, Colchester strike first in the 6th min after some pretty passing plays grants them the opportunity. Mellor strikes back in the 12th min with a header off an Angel corner for his 15th goal of the season to equalize. Colchester outshoot us the rest of the way, ending up with a 14-2 shot advantage, but we hold them to long range and poor efforts to come away with the 1-1 draw.

Hereford vs Cardiff
Mellor opens the scoring in the 14th when plays a nice give and go with Foley-Sheridan to take the 1-0 lead. After that it is all Cardiff however, as they simply outclass us on the pitch, outshooting us 17-4 at our home ground. Hirschfeld keeps things close, but eventually they beat him to equalize and once more in the 62nd min to take the 2-1 victory.

[klayman]

Leyton Orient vs Hereford
Although we control early possession against the last place squad, Orient strike first when Hirschfeld gets beat to a cross in the air for the 0-1 Orient lead in the 11th min. We continue to apply pressure and in the 38th Correia is the architect of a Mellor goal when he blazes down the left flank and places a perfect cross at Mellor’s feet in the area. We get several more chances to put Orient away, but none are more hopeful than an Angel penalty shot in the 64th. However, the young defender puts the ball wide of the post and we’re forced to settle for the 1-1 draw.

We lose Correia with a thigh strain for 2 weeks from the match. We also complete our first Bosman signing of the year, grabbing Newcastle trainee Guy Bates. Bates is a very talented 19 year old striker, and should play well along side Barrett next year.

Neil Mellor wins the 2nd Division player of the month award for December where he scored 6 goals and had 4 man of the match awards in the month.

We lose £41k for the month of December pushing us back over the £1M debt load we are carrying. If we manage to stay up in the 2nd Division this year, and at this point that looks almost certain, we should be able to come close to clearing the debt load by this time next year.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Crewe
Crewe crushed us 3-0 way back in August to welcome us to the 2nd Division as we play our rematch against them on New Year’s Day. Neither team gains an advantage early, until Neil Mellor beats the Crewe GK for a race to the ball in the 69th min, and finds the empty net for the 1-0 lead. In the 77th, Rossiter takes a penalty in the area allowing Crewe to equalize, and then they go ahead in the 81st when a freekick deflects off the wall stranding Hirschfeld out of position for the easy score. Surely the winning goal, if not for Graham Barrett who takes a 40 yard Paul Parry pass, turns two defenders and beats the GK from 16 yards out in stoppage time to steal the point in a 2-2 draw.

Hereford vs Wycombe
We hold struggling Wycombe to no shots in the game, and Neil Mellor converts a Barrett cross for the only goal we need in the 13th min before adding another in the 30th for his 20th of the year. Foley-Sheridan adds one more for good measure in the 50th before Wycombe drop down to 10 men after a red card giving us the 3-0 victory.

Following Hereford United’s 3-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers, Hereford’s chairman Graham Turner declared himself extremely pleased with the result. A top half finish for a team who were considered relegation candidates would be a fine result. But there’s a long way to go and this season is bound to hold many more surprises. If the Bulls continue to perform as they are at the moment, say the critics, there is nothing to prevent them from finishing in the top half.

Gasp! A positive news release from the press! This season does hold surprises.

[klayman]

Stoke vs Hereford FA CUP 3rd Round
After the display we put on at White Hart Lane against Tottenham, I’m hoping that we have enough to win here against Stoke, or at the very least draw and force a replay back at Edgar Street. That’s not the case to be however. Stoke open the scoring in the 21st, and although Graham Barrett equalizes in the 31st, they reply with complete domination, beating Hirschfeld 3 more times to send us crashing out of the FA Cup with a 4-1 defeat.

We do manage to take home about £150k in split gate receipts for the match, but once again a win and a match against a Premiership opponent would have improved our financial situation greatly. The LDV Vans Trophy is the last tournament we are still in, and we’ll play 3rd Division Swansea in the Semi Final later this month.

With continued interest in Barrett, 1st Division Burnley makes an enquiry to us about his transfer status. Having switched to reject all offers and do not wish to sell this player, the receivers actually get the hint and do something right by telling Burnley he is not for sale. There are still several teams interested though.

Hereford vs Huddersfield
Huddersfield are underperforming at 22nd in the Division, but still have a capable squad. Regardless, we own the majority of possession on our own pitch, and in the 20th min, Graham Barrett gets his 10th goal of the year of a perfect pass by Neil Mellor for the 1-0 lead. It’s all we need as we hold Huddersfield to only one shot, which youngster Craig Holloway, getting his first start for Hereford, easily handles, and we take the 3 points with a 1-0 win.

Sheffield United comes in after the game with an enquiry on Barrett. The receivers tell them the same thing, and that is Barrett is not for sale. That seems to scare all the other teams off, although a £50k bid would secure his services anyway, plus the fact that the receivers would likely accept any offer regardless of my reject all offers position. For now, Barrett looks to remain a Bull, but we’re going to have to find some way to offer him more money to keep him here after next year.

[klayman]

Christian Fox’s season comes to an abrupt end as he breaks his ankle and is lost for 5 months.

Walsall vs Hereford
We come out completely flat against 4th place Walsall and they embarrass us on the pitch. Outshooting us 13-0 in the game, they beat Hirschfeld with a deflected shot in the 2nd min, and a 30 yarder in the 39th to easily win 2-0.

Hereford vs Chesterfield
We’re stuck in a bad run of form, having won only 2 of our last 9 Division 2 matches. 3423 fans show up in the pouring rain to watch Foley-Sheridan connect of a Barrett cross in the 4th min for the 1-0 lead. Barrett is again the architect 4 mins later when he finds Mellor unmarked in the area for the quick 2-0 lead. Things certainly look good for our squad until a penalty cuts the lead in half in the 33rd min. Mellor gets his 2nd of the night off an Angel corner kick just 4 mins later to restore the 2 goal lead heading into the break. Chesterfield beat Hirschfeld early in the 2nd half to come within one goal again. Angel has a chance to put the game away in the 52th min with a penalty shot, but puts it wide right instead. That proves costly, as the referee awards Chesterfield another penalty shot in the 59th min, which they convert, stealing the points with a disappointing 3-3 draw.

The injuries to our wingers continue as Moritz Volz is lost for 2 months with a dislocated shoulder. Thankfully, Jamie Smith has started light training following his lengthy groin injury.

Hereford vs Rotherham
We attempt to make ground against 8th place Rotherham at Edgar Street, but they have other plans in store for us. They outshoot us 15-4 on our own pitch, and no amount of tweaking to the tactics seems able to prevent the onslaught. They eventually beat Hirschfeld twice in the 2nd half, handing us a humbling 0-2 loss.

With our poor form and loss of capable wingers I redesign the tactics from the ground up. I fall back to the familiar 3 centre-backs I used previously, with 2 wing backs supporting the attack. 2 central midfields connect the lone AMC and the 2 strikers at home. On the road we’ll continue with the 5 defenders (3 centre-backs, 2 full-backs) with a withdrawn center midfielder. 2 other central midfielders will support the lone AMC and lone striker on the road. I’d like to finish in the Top 10 this year, and that is a distinct possibility, providing we can turn some of these draws into wins.

[klayman]

Hereford vs Swansea LDV VANS TROPHY South Semi Final
Swansea is the only Division 3 club to make it to the Semi finals in both sections this year. Mellor lobs the GK in the 20th min to give us a quick lead, and Paul Parry puts us in the driver’s seat with a blast from the left of the 6 yard box in the 24th min. Foley-Sheridan is gifted a goal in the 36th when the Swansea GK misplays a long ball right to Foley-Sheridan and is caught out of position for the easy 30 yard strike. Mellor adds another one off an Angel corner kick in the 39th to head into the break up 4-0. Swansea claw one back in the 66th min, but it is far too little to help them advance and we win 4-1 to move on to the final.

We draw fellow 2nd Division club Wycombe who are struggling in 22nd place for the south final. Wigan and Notts County will battle in the north final later next month.

Northampton vs Hereford
Jamie Smith returns to the starting 11, and is instrumental in setting up the first goal in the 33rd min, when his timely tackle wins the ball for Graham Barrett who finds Neil Mellor just inside the area for the powerful strike. A defensive breakdown off a freekick in the 48th min, leads to a Northampton goal to equalize, but both teams play relatively safe the rest of the way, drawing 1-1.

That closes out a disappointing January for the club. We are shut out of the awards, but come away with a £91k profit for the month, thanks to our FA Cup match against Stoke. That pushes our total profit on the year up to £450k as we hover around the £1M mark for our debt load.

After 2 years of being one of the top clubs in our respective division, we’ve seemed to have reached a plateau as a mid table club in the 2nd Division. We currently sit 12th with 42 points, which should well be enough to save us from relegation this year. We trail 11th place Colchester by 1 point while holding a +8 goal difference lead over 13th place Sheffield Wednesday, albeit with a game in hand against both clubs. We are 11 points out of a playoff spot and with 16 games to go in the season it looks well out of our grasp for this year. A full table is attached.

With January comes the expiration of contracts, but we have been unable to make any significant Bosman signings for the new year. Angel, who was confident we could work out a deal just weeks ago, feels that a move England would not be benefical to his career and refuses to sign with us. Hopefully he will change his mind when Celta release him later this year and we can pick him up on a free. Our other targets center around Christopher Eagles, a young midfielder currently with Manchester United; Juan, a Brazilian left full back playing with the Arsenal reserves; and Elias, a talented young Spanish winger playing for Mallorca. All three of their contracts are expiring, and their 3 teams do not look like they will re-sign them, but they refuse to move to Hereford at this time. Hopefully once they are out of contract they will be more willing to play for us.