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The Bulls travel to Cleethorpes this weekend to face league leaders Grimsby Town in a Conference match.
The two sides last met in September when the Mariners left Edgar Street with a 2-0 victory in a game where clinical finishing mattered. Since that game, the Mariners have surged up to the top of the table, while the Bulls have battled against a growing injury list that saw them field loanee Tom Nichols alongside the departed Sean Canham as a makeshift front line.
Grimsby will have loan defender Nathan Pond in their side for the final time on Saturday. The Fleetwood man, along with fellow loanees Ross Hannah and Scott Neilson, has been instrumental in their rise up the table but intends to try his luck with the League Two side before considering a more permanent return to Lincolnshire. Since the other two loanees left the Mariners have earned four points from six in their derby games with Lincoln.
The Bulls will travel cross-country on Friday for an overnight stay with an unusually large number of fit strikers. Ryan Bowman's surprise inclusion on New Years Day means boss Martin Foyle will have him, new arrival Chris Sharp, and the no-nonsense Kyle Perry to choose from. Marlon Jackson is also back in light training, doing some running along with Chris Carruthers, but Saturday is likely to be too early for them. Doubts also surround the fitness of Sam Clucas and Will Evans with the pair continuing to receive treatment.
Grimsby Town vs Hereford United, Blundell Park, Saturday 5th January, 3.00pm.
