THE chance of picking up silverware tomorrow will give a competitive edge to Hereford United's pre-season friendly against Stoke City at Edgar Street (3pm).

At stake will be the Central Conference Doxhill Cup, a reserve team trophy, which United should have played for against Stoke in April.

The match, however, was held over because of fixture congestion.

Hereford's director of football, Graham Turner, said: "As it is now a pre-season game, we have told Stoke we will be treating it as a first team fixture, so I expect that they will send a strong side to Edgar Street."

The Bulls will step up their pre-season programme on Tuesday when they entertain Newport County at Edgar Street for the Herefordshire Senior Cup (7.45pm).

Last season Newport won promotion to the Dr Martens League Premier Division and are managed by Herefordshire-based Tim Harris and Chris Hyde.

They are likely to field some players with Hereford connections, including former United and Pegasus Juiniors winger Roy Jordan.

Hereford's new signings - strikers Steven Piearce, Leroy May and Craig Hanson, central defender James Wall and utility player Rob Elms - are set for figure in the two friendlies.

They were all in action at Evesham United on Monday.