1

I was back at Nethermoor Park where Guiseley were hosting Hereford FC in a National League North fixture. It was the first ever meeting of the two teams.

Hereford are another phoenix club, formed to replace the former league club Hereford United which was wound up in 2014. In their first three seasons of existence they have risen through the football pyramid, winning consecutive titles & promotions from the Midland Football League, Southern League South & West and last season the Southern League Premier.  Life has proved more challenging this season, and they're currently just one place above the relegaion zone, with Guiseley just a further place and three points ahead of them.

It was a cold evening, with the pitch visibly hardening with frost as the match progressed.  Guiseley took the lead in the first half with a neat flicked finish from Kayodo Odejeyi (worth watching on the brief match highlights, where eagle eyed among you may observe me in the small group just behind and to the right of the goal her scored in.) The lead didn't last long into the second half though, and although there were one or two chances at each end 1-1 it finished.

One feature of last nights players was that both teams had young England U17 goalkeepers on loan from Championship clubs: Matt Yates (Hereford, pictured, from Derby County) and Marcus Dewhirst (Guiseley from Sheffield United). Dewhirst in particular produced a couple of excellent saves. I'm sure they'll both be 1's to watch.

And it was my fiftieth match of the 18/19 season so far.