HEREFORD United head for a tough clash with Skrill Premier leaders Luton Town on Saturday.

But chairman David Keyte admits that the postponement of last weekend's home clash with Macclesfield - the only scheduled home fixture of the month - has racheted up the financial pressure at Edgar Street.

"Losing our one home fixture in February will certainly not improve our financial state," said Keyte.

"We continue to look for investors but the costs of running the club are between £2,500 and £3,000 per day and the bills keep coming in.

"We are due to pay the wages on the last Friday of the month and we will be adrift."

With United facing problems in the short-term, the only potential consolation is that the longer-term outlook is more promising.

"I signed the leases for the ground last Friday and they then went off for the council to sign early this week," said Keyte.

"We have been speaking with two potential developers and the general word is that things are picking up in the construction world.

"The hope is that the signing of the leases will attract further interest.

"When we were talking about projects last summer, we didn't have the leases completed and so developers don't hang around, they just move on to the next potential project; some of them are looking at six to eight possibilities a day."

Keyte also confirmed that the prospects for saving the Edgar Street youth set-up were not good.

"Nothing has yet come through about the youth team," he acknowledged.

"They have had a tremendous season and that makes the decision harder.

"But there are a number of Football League clubs who have given up their youth set-ups because the Elite Player Performance Plan, initiated by the Premier League, means that there is not enough money in it to be worthwhile.

"I wanted to set up a youth section because didn't like looking at the local press and seeing young lads pictured in the shirts of Cheltenham Town and the like and it has been a success.

"But the hard fact is that we have lost all forms of funding after relegation from the Football League."