Leeds need to start picking up a few more points away from home, but we have one issue to resolve before we face Hereford United.  

Frazer Richardson is still out with his thigh injury, and his understudy Hughes is struggling to shake off the leg problem that caused him to limp off during the game at Huddersfield. Hughes will be given as long as possible to prove his fitness before the game, but otherwise we’ll be really struggling for someone to play in that position. Douglas stood in when Hughes went off on Saturday, but he is serving a one match ban, so we might have to resort to playing the left footed Parker at right back. Personally, I think we might as well try Prutton there, as at least he’s right-footed.

Elsewhere we could well be unchanged, as Beckford is still suspended, and Liam Dickinson won’t start his loan spell at Leeds until Saturday, in order to be eligible for the play-off final. The other Dickinson (Carl) is likely to be heading out of Leeds and back to Stoke after tonight, as he wants to play in the Premiership. But to be honest I’m not sure he’s good enough to play regular Premiership football, even though he’s perfectly adequate at League One level.

We also have three players just one booking short of a one match ban, in Becchio, Johnson and Snodgrass, but I don’t think the first two of this trio would be that much of a loss on current form.  One the official site Simon Grayson was warning against complacency, though I don’t see why on earth we should be complacent after losing our last two away fixtures!  And he’s still insisted that we played well on Saturday, even though most Leeds fans thought that we never really looked like breaking Huddersfield down.

Grayson said "If we show the same attitude and quality as we did on Saturday at Huddersfield then the result is there for us to take. It's a difficult game because it's the next game. Hereford won't be pushovers. We have two big games this week against teams near the bottom, and we have to produce the results. It'll be like any away game in that there will be a big crowd and a full turnout of Leeds fans, and we have to do the job."

Although Hereford have struggled this season, they boosted their confidence a little by winning at Cheltenham on Saturday. Earlier in the season we would have beaten them by far more than the final 1-0 scoreline if it hadn’t been for the heroics of their goalkeeper Darren Randolph. But Randolph has now returned to Charlton and Hereford now employ 18 year-old Hungarian Under-21 international Peter Gulacsi between the posts. Gulacsi is at Edgar Street for the rest of the season, on loan from Liverpool. Graham Turner is also has  injury problems affecting several defenders, as Josh Gowling (ankle) and Dean Beckwith (concussion) are both doubtful, while Karl Broadhurst is also struggling with a dead leg.

And of course, Hereford are looking forward to the chance to play a massive club like Leeds. Striker Steve Guinan told BBC Hereford & Worcester: "If you can't get up for Leeds at home what can you get up for.  We've had a lot of games recently, but will have a couple of days to relax the body and get up for it. We know it will be be a tough game but we are ready for them."

 This cup-final syndrome could be starting to cost Leeds dear, as we lost at both Walsall and Huddersfield after the hosts came out all guns blazing and put us under pressure for most of the first half-hour. Leeds will have to learn to weather the storm and not fall behind in the early stages, so hopefully we can start to control the game once the opposition has burned themselves out a little bit.

 Certainly Hereford need the points tonight, albeit for different reasons to ourselves, but I think we’re good enough to get through this game and take the three points. Leeds to win by one goal to nil.  

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