HEREFORD United have the chance to have a major say in the make-up of the League 2 play-off places when they meet Shrewsbury Town at Edgar Street on Saturday, kick-off 12 noon, writes RICHARD PRIME The Shropshire club had looked near certainties to clinch one of the four spots for post main-season action after an excellent recent run of form.

But with Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United gaining ground, Shrewsbury slipped to a 1-0 home defeat to relegation-threatened Wrexham on Tuesday evening and are now in desperate need of a win.

With a large following expected from Shrewsbury, the Blackfriars End will once again be given over entirely to fans from the Shropshire club, for whom the match is all-ticket.

Hereford fans who normally stand on the Blackfriars Terrace are again entitled to a free upgrade to the D Block of the Merton Stand.

Dean Beckwith has now completed a two match-ban following his sending-off at Walsall and will be favourite to take over from Phil Gulliver alongside Tamika Mkandawire at the heart of the Bulls defence.

Hereford will also have to make a change in attack as Steve Guinan has completed a three-month loan spell, which brought seven goals in 16 appearances, and returned to Cheltenham Town.

Boss Graham Turner may decide that this is the time to give Marcus Palmer a first league start but he has no shortage of options with Tim Sills, Stuart Fleetwood, Alan Connell and Andy Williams all in contention for places.

Turner will also be hoping that Simon Travis has recovered from an ankle injury which caused him to miss Hereford's defeat at Peterborough last Saturday.

United, who have the best disciplinary record in League 2, have admitted an FA charge that the club failed to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion' in the 1-0 defeat at Walsall.

Although no-one else was cautioned at the time, a posse of United players surrounded referee Gary Sutton after Beckwith's contentious sending-off.

The FA's decision on any punishment will be released shortly.

Shrewsbury hold the advantage in the four matches between the sides this season after a 2-1 win at Edgar Street in the Johnstone's Paints Trophy and a 3-0 success in the first league match between the sides. Hereford won the FA Cup first-round replay 2-0 after a goalless draw at Gay Meadow.