HerefordHereford Unitedvs.Portsmouth

The TV cameras will be there to see the biggest opponents to come to this part of the world since they reformed in 2014.

Match preview

After climbing up the divisions with three successive promotions in their first three seasons, Hereford are now a settled sixth-tier club, plying their trade in the National League North.

In their only previous appearance in the competition proper since then, Hereford's name was in the hat for the potentially illustrious third round back in 2017.

That was thanks to a first round win over Telford before taking League One Fleetwood Town to a playoff in the next round.

Unfortunately, they fell to defeat here in that replay, but they will be dreaming of a different result against third-tier opposition again on Friday night.

None of the players who played in the FA Cup run are still at the club, so it is uncharted territory for this group of players.

They come into the tie in great form, as they have won seven of their last nine matches in all competitions, with their only defeat surprisingly coming against a struggling Bradford Park Avenue side.

Even still, it has been a fantastic response after being in the relegation zone after eight matches.

It will be a hugely poignant moment on Friday too, as the club will remember Ronnie Radford, the man who scored that famous goal against Newcastle United in the FA Cup in 1972 at this stadium, after he passed away this week.

Portsmouth were in action as recently as Tuesday, where a penalty shoot-out win over AFC Wimbledon sealed their place in the last 32 of the EFL Trophy, a competition they won in 2019 and were finalists in a year later.

They also had fine pedigree in this competition too until their dramatic drop down the divisions, winning the cup itself in 2008 before being losing finalists in 2010.

Since falling out of the top two divisions in 2012, they have gone out in the first round in five of those 10 seasons, while disappointingly losing to Harrogate Town in round two last season.

Pompey are having a strong season though, sitting fifth in League One, within touching distance of many of the sides above them, who they have two games in hand on.

Hereford United form (all competitions):

W

D

W

L

W

W

Hereford United FA Cup form:

Portsmouth form (all competitions):

D

L

W

D

D

W

Team News

Hereford have utilised a five-at-the-back formation of late, with Jared Hodgkiss and Jack Evans playing as marauding wing-backs, but the duo may be restricted in their attacking duties here.

They do have a substantial amount of injuries to deal with though, as Thierry Latty-Fairweather and Zak Lilly are among the men out, but Kane Thompson-Sommers has recently returned to the side.

Danny Cowley also has a huge number of injuries to deal with among his Portsmouth squad, and there are doubts as to whether three of their loanees, Dane Scarlett, Josh Koroma and Owen Dale, will be granted permission by their parent clubs to play.

Those respective loan deals will end come the New Year, and their parent clubs are yet to decide whether they will allow them to play, given that they will then be cup-tied upon returning to the club.

Two of their other loanees, Josh Griffiths and Joe Pigott, are eligible to play thanks to arrangements in their contracts and that will be a welcome relief for Cowley.

Hereford United possible starting lineup:

Eve; Hodgkiss, Thompson, Thompson-Sommers, Pendley, Evans; Pinchard, Hanson; Storey, Amadi-Holloway, Barnett

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:

Griffiths; Swanson, Raggett, Robertson, Ogilvie; Dale, Tunnicliffe, Mingi, Koroma; Bishop, Pigott

We say: Hereford United 0-3 Portsmouth

While the fairytale will be on the forefront of everyone's minds, this is one of the biggest mismatches in the first round when looking at league placings, and Hereford may come unstuck against opposition of such higher quality.

Previews by email