THE next four weeks could make or break Hereford United's season.

Graham Turner's men have started the new Nationwide Conference campaign impressively and sat in third place prior to today's trip to Dagenham and Redbridge -- the club just one place below them in the table.

But today's game was the first of three on successive weekends against the sides immediately surrounding them in the Conference.

Next Sunday, second-placed Yeovil Town come to Edgar Street, with a trip to currently unbeaten leaders Rushden and Diamonds to follow the week after.

There is a trip to Kingstonian on Tuesday and a home clash with Dover Athletic to follow on October 21. If United can come through this period unscathed then they really will make the rest of the Conference sit up and take notice of genuine title contenders.

The month ends with the fourth qualify

ing round of the FA Cup, and United will fear nobody after knocking out two Nationwide League sides and pushing Premiership side Leicester City all the way in last season's campaign.

With only a handful of additions to last year's squad, United have already shown themselves to be much more resilient than before, as proved by a goals against tally of only six in 11 games -- none at all in the first six matches.

But despite the emergence of Kerry Giddings as a striker to be reckoned with, the Bulls need to find more goals from somewhere. Their tally of 15 is lower than their other top four rivals.

They also need to find much more of a killer instinct in front of their own fans. United have only won one of their six matches at Edgar Street -- drawing the other five. Those dropped points have seen them slip seven points adrift of Rushden and, come the end of the season, could be crucial in the run-in.