LOW-SCORING Hereford United will be aiming to improve their goals for record against York City at Edgar Street on Saturday.

The Bulls are currently eighth in the table - level on points with Billy McEwan's Minstermen - but their play-off challenge has been undermined by a disappointing sequence in front of goal.

Hereford have netted just 22 times in 18 league games, which is the lowest return from any club in the top 14 of the Conference table.

The Shropshire side have also only scored 13 of those goals in league fixtures at Edgar Street with only strugglers Altrincham, Crawley, Tamworth and Forest Green having hit the target on fewer occasions at home.

Graham Turner's men do, however, boast one of the Conference's meanest defences in front of their home fans with only Halifax and Stevenage conceding less than the Bulls' goals against column of six.

Despite their goal problems, Hereford still boast one of non-League football's finest young striking talents.

Former West Brom trainee Daniel Carey-Bertram, 21, has scored six times in 13 starts this season, taking his Hereford career tally to 17 in 30 starts.

Carey-Bertram, who has been playing as a right-winger in recent games, also joined Minstermen striker Andy Bishop on the scoresheet during the England National Game XI's victory in Belgium last month.

The Bulls will be hoping to bounce back after consecutive 2-0 home defeats against Exeter in the league and FA Cup opponents Stockport.

Prior to those setbacks, Hereford had lost just one of their previous 11 fixtures at Edgar Street, going down 2-0 to Grays Athletic in August.

Last season's 20-goal leading marksman Adam Stansfield is expected to make his first league appearance since the start of September for the home team after a hernia operation.

Stansfield was a 62nd-minute substitute against Stockport and is likely to replace youngster Andy Williams and partner former Gillingham and Bristol Rovers striker Guy Ipoua in the Bulls' attack.

Right-back Ryan Green is also hoping to recover from a knock to face City with Simon Travis on stand-by if he fails a fitness test.

Ex-West Brom and Grimsby midfielder Stacey Coldicott is still sidelined because of a back problem, while goalkeeper Wayne Brown has almost made a complete recovery following a broken wrist but is unlikely to replace former City trialist Craig Mawson between the sticks.

About tomorrow's clash, Turner, who accused his players of betraying their proud FA Cup tradition against Stockport, said: "York are one of the better Conference sides who are up there in the reckoning for the play-offs.

"It will be a good test of our football ability but more importantly our character."

Updated: 10:21 Friday, December 09, 2005