HEREFORD United striker Rob Elmes is again leading the goalscoring charts at Edgar Street, writes Andy Holmes.

After finishing level with Paul Fewings on 15 in all competitions last year, the popular part-timer has gone one better already this season with 16 to his credit, despite finding that this term has been tougher.

"Last year I was an unknown quantity to a lot of teams but they've done their homework on me this season," he said.

"It's been hard at times, but I'm up with last season's total. I'm judged ultimately on the goals I score and I've had a fair return. It's not an outstanding total but I'd have settled for it at the start of the season."

Once again Elmes has combined his football with his full-time teaching job, but the prospect of turning his career at Edgar Street into his only profession is unlikely.

"Football's more of a hobby, whereas I'm aiming to get a promotion in teaching, even though I'm now playing sport at a higher standard.

"I still enjoy it and as long as that continues I'll carry it on."

The prospect of that promotion shouldn't effect his career at Edgar Street as he hopes to switch schools within the Midlands, continuing to fly the flag along with the likes of Jimmy Quiggin and John Snape as part-timers often out-performing their professional colleagues.

"We've always been part-timers and because of that we look forward to games with perhaps a bit more enthusiasm than the full timers who train all week."

United's league season has been inconsistent and Elmes is hoping that it won't completely fizzle out.

"It's looks like it might at the moment and that's not what we want. We'd like to finish as high as we can and we never go out to deliberately do badly but sometimes it happens for one reason or another. We're judged on our league season, that's our bread and butter and we need to finish on a high."