AFTER a brief break from the action since their 4-1 defeat against Worcester City Reserves, a quick double-header of fixtures await Ledbury FC.
First Ian Merrick's team will host Hereford Pegasus development tomorrow night (Friday, March 7) before travelling away to play Gloucester City Reserves on Wednesday (March 12).
The two sides both appear strong opponents, sat seventh and eighth in the league - with ten and seven points on Ledbury respectively.
Speaking ahead of their match with Pegasus reserves, Merrick said: "They are a really good young side. Their management team are good as well. They’ve grown – last season they were probably lower in the table but they had some good performances.
"They gave us a couple of good games, it was closer than the score line suggested. I think in one game we were 2-1 down in the 92nd minute and we actually ended up winning that.
"They are growing, they’ve got better this season and had some good results. I think they beat Bromyard in the quarter final of the cup the other week at Bromyard.
"There are a lot of good young players at Pegasus and they have got a good conveyor belt – they are bringing players through and progressing nicely so I think this season is another building block for them."
Gloucester present a different prospect, with a lot of exchange students in their side.
"A lot of them are exchange students, a lot are American and they come over and play at the great facilities at Meadow Park in Gloucester," he said.
"They are a real Jekyll and Hyde team. You play them at Meadow Park and then you play them on grass and it is not quite the same because they can’t quite get their rhythm. If we play them at New Street, we don’t allow them to get their rhythm.
"What you might see from the two games against them is two reasonably different results."
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With nine games left in their season, Ledbury are inches away from being mathematically safe from the drop - it would take a miracle for the teams in the relegation spots to catch them now.
Their safety gives Merrick the chance to blood youth prospects for the remainder of the season, in order to ascertain who can suit up for the first team next year - where they will target promotion.
"Step seven in the Hereford league is a good standard and we can see the younger players who are physically ready," he said.
"We have got some really good under-18s – some lads who are technically ready but when it comes to grown men’s football they maybe haven’t quite filled out yet or grown into their bodies.
"It is a good opportunity to find the ones who are. There are always the ones who surprise you as well, ones you think might not be ready or are quite slight and then they take to it like a duck to water so it is a good opportunity for us as well."
Looking ahead to next season, Merrick is planning somewhat of a squad rehaul, after being disappointed with the level of commitment some of his players have showed this year.
His main requirement for his squad next season - whether they be incoming signings, youth players making the jump or current players that stay on - is commitment to the side.
"If you look at the very top end of football. From the very top to the very bottom, if you want to have a successful team it is about commitment, running hard for each other," he said.
"Pep Guardiola got people like Lionel Messi, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne running back towards their own goal. They are some of the very best players in world football and they’re willing to run.
"If you have got lads that are willing to do that then it gives you a chance in every game."
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