Hereford's Smith expects tough battle against County

Hereford United's stand-in captain Ben Smith expects a tough battle against Notts County this afternoon at Edgar Street.

"It is not going to be easy but we are feeling really confident at the moment," said Smith. "Our win against Bradford City was one of our best performances for a while.

"Although it is great to be winning away from home, we don't want to rely on that.

"I would like to think it will be easier than at Meadow Lane because we were under a lot of pressure in the last 10 minutes. But if we can replicate that result, everyone will be happy."

Meanwhile the game will be manager Graham Turner's 650th game in charge for Hereford United.

And although the FA Cup game at Tranmere is just four days away, it seems unlikely that Turner will make changes to today's squad that defeated Bradford last Saturday unless forced to.

Both Clint Easton and Simon Johnson were subbed late in the game but hopefully will be fit enough to start this afternoon. The return of captain Karl Broadhurst, who has been out with flu, seems likely particularily if either Easton or Johnson are unable to take any part in the game.

A win today for the Bulls would be the third since the home defeat to Morecambe before Christmas.

"It's a crucial time, promotion isn't won or lost over Christmas, but it goes a long way towards it," commented Turner.

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