Former Merthyr Town manager Steve Jenkins and a number of ex-Martyrs players are closing in on the EvoStik Southern League title.
Welshman Jenkins is assistant to manager Peter Beadle at Edgar Street, while Ryan Green, Eliott Richards and Keyon Reffell are playing key roles in their promotion chase.
The Bulls are 10 points clear of second-placed King’s Lynn with a game in hand and the top teams clash this weekend.
Former Spurs and Norwich City player Ian Culverhouse is manager of the Linnetts and says: “I’m not surprised by Hereford and the season they are having.
“They are a big club where things went wrong a few years back, but they are now fighting their way back up the pyramid and I’m sure it won’t be long before they are playing league football again.
“But we have our own challenges and targets and it’s important that we get something from this game.
“We are taking a good following to Hereford. It will be a cracking atmosphere with a big crowd and two quality teams going at it.”
Suspended striker Leon Mettam and the injured Cameron King are ruled out of the King’s Lynn team.
Central midfield player and captain Michael Clunan says: “Our aim has been promotion from day one.
“There are going to be 3,000 spectators at the game. We have experienced players in our squad who have played at a higher level and they won’t be phased by that.
“It has all the makings of another great game.”
Merthyr Town had hoped to be challenging for the Premier Division play-offs, but financial problems have seen the Martyrs slide down the table.
They are, though, unbeaten in three matches, have taken seven points from that run and are comfortably clear of any relegation danger.
Manager Gavin Williams takes his team to Dorchester Town’s Avenue Stadium in Dorset on Saturday (3pm) before they travel to Royston Town in Hertfordshire next Tuesday.
Ian Traylor is Merthyr’s leading scorer with 18 goals, taking his total for the Welsh club to 153 in almost 350 appearances.
Welshman Garyn Preen, a former Merthyr Town player, has signed for Evesham United, who have also added teenage Bristol Rovers forward Cameron Ebbutt to their squad on loan.
Former Wales under-19 international Preen came through Cardiff City’s youth system and moved to Southampton before playing at Burton Albion, Salisbury, Neath, Afan Lido, Merthyr, Cinderford Town and Hungerford Town.
Evostik Southern League Premier Division fixtures:
Saturday, March 10: Banbury United v Farnborough; Basingstoke v St Neots; Biggleswade Town v Weymouth; Bishops Stortford v Redditch United; Chesham United v Hitchin Town; Dorchester Town v Merthyr Town; Gosport Borough v Kettering Town; Hereford v Kings Lynn; Royston Town v Kings Langley; Slough Town v Frome Town; St Ives v Stratford Town; Tiverton Town v Dunstable Town.
Merthyr Town, from: Oliver Davies, Adam Davies, Scott Tancock, Ashley Evans, Ashley Evans (capt), Kyle Patten, Jarrad Wright, Corey Jenkins, Matthew Harris, Harry Franklin, Jaye Bowen, Ian Traylor, Miles John, Lee Price, Kerry Morgan, Owain Jones, Craig Reddy.
EvoStik Southern League Premier Division
Merthyr Town remaining fixtures 2017-18
March
Saturday 10 v Dorchester Town A
Saturday 13 v Dorchester Town A
Saturday 17 v St Neots Town H
Saturday 24 v Biggleswade Town A
Saturday 31 v Bishops Stortford A
April
Monday 2 v Frome Town H
Saturday 7 v King’s Lynn Town A
Tuesday 10 v Chesham United H
Saturday 14 v Kings Langley H
Saturday 21 v Banbury United A
Saturday 28 v Redditch United H
EvoStik Southern League
Premier Table
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
| 1. | Hereford | 34 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 86 | 26 | 60 | 83 | |
| 2. | King’s Lynn Town | 35 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 77 | 31 | 46 | 73 | |
| 3. | Weymouth | 36 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 78 | 41 | 37 | 72 | |
| 4. | Kettering Town | 34 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 82 | 39 | 43 | 70 | |
| 5. | Slough Town | 30 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 74 | 35 | 39 | 61 | |
| 6. | Chesham United | 36 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 74 | 44 | 30 | 61 | |
| 7. | Tiverton Town | 34 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 51 | 52 | -1 | 56 | |
| 8. | Banbury United | 36 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 71 | 48 | 23 | 55 | |
| 9. | Royston Town | 32 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 58 | 45 | 13 | 55 | |
| 10. | Frome Town | 33 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 13 | 64 | 64 | 0 | 50 | |
| 11. | St Neots Town | 36 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 61 | 64 | -3 | 50 | |
| 12. | Basingstoke Town | 35 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 70 | 54 | 16 | 49 | |
| 13. | Hitchin Town | 34 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 51 | 50 | 1 | 49 | |
| 14. | Stratford Town | 35 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 53 | 55 | -2 | 48 | |
| 15. | Farnborough | 36 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 69 | 86 | -17 | 47 | |
| 16. | Redditch United | 35 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 60 | 54 | 6 | 45 | |
| 17. | Biggleswade Town | 34 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 38 | 40 | -2 | 43 | |
| 18. | Merthyr Town | 35 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 58 | 74 | -16 | 41 | |
| 19. | Dorchester Town | 36 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 53 | 70 | -17 | 39 | |
| 20. | Bishop’s Stortford | 34 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 51 | 63 | -12 | 37 | |
| 21. | Kings Langley | 36 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 44 | 73 | -29 | 30 | |
| 22. | St Ives Town | 33 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 43 | 78 | -35 | 24 | |
| 23. | Dunstable Town | 36 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 23 | 112 | -89 | 13 | |
| 24. | Gosport Borough | 35 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 23 | 114 | -91 | 9 |
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