Worrying end-of-season slump follows positives

Graham Turner's avowed intention at the start of the season of ensuring that the club's place back in football's elite would extend beyond one campaign has been achieved with some comfort.

Additionally, on the positive side, a number of the club's players have established themselves as having the necessary qualities to do well in league football and there have been a clutch of excellent displays.

The downside has been a lack of consistency and a worrying slump towards the end of the season which has seen the goal flow all but dry up.

Among the players, Rob Purdie, whose flair as a forward player had never been in doubt although a level of inconsistency had sometimes made him the butt of the crowd's jibes, emerged as a left-back of genuine quality.

Wayne Brown's excellent goalkeeping was responsible for a number of points while Tamika Mkandawire, once he found his feet at league level, continued his emergence as a defender of real promise.

Dean Beckwith, Mkandawire's centre-back partner for much of the season, also did enough to show that he has the talent to make him worthy of the move up from the Conference.

Simon Travis, too, established himself back in the league and the offer of a contract at Stockport County just before deadline day shows that he is highly regarded, not only in Hereford.

Andy Williams, the scouts' most frequent target on their visits to Edgar Street, continued to demonstrate his potential although not playing in attack as often as probably he, or his many fans, would have liked.

He did, however, often display moments of remarkable flair on the flanks, none more so than in showing off his scintillating skills in the 4-1 win at Lincoln, the best individual performance of the season in one of the best team displays for many years.

At the start of the season, Stuart Fleetwood seemed another likely target for bigger clubs after his hat-trick against Coventry but a troublesome virus and consequent loss of form caused him to disappear almost entirely from the radar, to the extent that his future at Edgar Street must be in doubt.

Alex Jeannin, who appeared unlucky to be sidelined after some good performances in mid-season, has already departed while Andy Ferrell, too, has become a peripheral figure after losing his place in January. His spectacular FA Cup strike against Port Vale is one, however, that will live long in the memory.

Alan Connell latterly revealed himself as something of a dead-ball expert and his goal tally would perhaps have been greater if he had played in the front-line, rather than as an attacking midfielder, in all his appearances.

Of the other pre-season signings, only Trent McClenahan and Richard Rose can be said to have made a really positive impact, although Martyn Giles was going some way to doing so when he sustained the injury which has ruined his season.

Phil Gulliver did have a particularly good spell around the turn of the year, however, while Luke Webb could well be one of the stars of next season if he continues his development.

Jon Wallis and Gareth Sheldon quickly disappeared while Tim Sills' effort has not resulted in the currency in which all strikers have to be measured. Two goals in 35 league appearances simply were not enough.

Among the more recent newcomers, Ben Smith immediately pepped up the United attack on his welcome return but later in the season was too often pushed deep to be an effective goal-poacher while Danny Thomas revealed flashes of skill on the left without always producing the end product that might have been hoped for.

Turner's effective use of the loan system brought the significant midfield pairing of John Eustace and Neil Mackenzie and the points gained during their two months with the club proved absolutely crucial to the club's survival.

Similarly, Steve Guinan looked a more likely goalscorer than most of the rest of the permanent playing staff and a league hat-trick, at Lincoln, puts him in fairly exclusive company.

Wins at Stockport, Milton Keynes Dons, Swindon, Notts County and Lincoln showed what the team could achieve when the force took them while defeats at Barnet, Mansfield, Macclesfield and Peterborough, among others, showed what could happen when it did not.

Crowds at Edgar Street were encouraging, with the average of 3,327 exceeded only once by the club - 3,881 in 1984-5 - in league football since 1979-80.

Just 17 goals conceded at home is the best record that United have ever returned in the Football League apart from the 12 let in during their first campaign, first-time around in 1972-3.

But the 23 goals scored at Edgar Street was a poor return with only 1979-80 (22) and 1982-3 (19) producing fewer.

However, lessons will have been learned and valuable experience gained by all. Let's see what 2007-8 brings.

appearances and goalscorers League appearances: Purdie 43+1, Brown 39, Mkandawire 39, Travis 34+2, Connell 33+11, Beckwith 32, Williams 30+11, Rose 29+4, Gulliver 24+2, McClenahan 24+2, Sills 22+14, Fleetwood 21+6, Smith 18, Guinan 16, Ferrell 15+6, Thomas 15, Webb 13+8, Giles 11+2, Jeannin 11+1, Jennings 11, Eustace 8, Mackenzie 7, Tynan 7, Sheldon 3+5, Palmer 1+2, Wallis 0+2, Fitzpatrick 0+1, Harrison 0+1, Osborn 0+1.

League goalscorers: Connell 9, Williams 8, Guinan 7, Purdie 6, Fleetwood 3, Mkandawire 2, Sills 2, Thomas 2, Jeannin 1, McClenahan 1, Rose 1, Sheldon 1, Smith 1.

Overall appearances: Purdie 48+3, Mkandawire 46, Brown 43, Beckwith 41, Travis 39+4, Connell 38+12, Williams 33+16, Rose 33+5, Sills 32+15, Gulliver 31+2, McClenahan 28+2, Fleetwood 27+8, Ferrell 23+6, Webb 19+7, Jeannin 18+1, Smith 18, Guinan 16, Thomas 15, Giles 13+2, Jennings 11, Eustace 8, Mackenzie 7, Tynan 7, Sheldon 6+6, Palmer 4+2, Gwynne 4, Thompson 4, Fitzpatrick 3+1, Wallis 2+2, Lewis 1+1, Jones 0+2, Harrison 0+1, Osborn 0+1 Overall goalscorers: Connell 12, Fleetwood 9, Purdie 9, Williams 8, Guinan 7, Palmer 6, Sills 5, Webb 3, Ferrell 2, Gulliver 2, Mkandawire 2, Thomas 2, Fitzpatrick 1, Jeannin 1, Jones 1, McClenahan 1, Rose 1, Sheldon 1, Smith 1.