23-03-18 – Preview – Harriers Vs Salford City

The Harriers face one of their toughest tests of the run in tomorrow when we take on league leaders Salford City at Aggborough. We have a bit of vengeance to distribute with City having soundly beaten us 3-0 on both of our visits to Moor Lane. The most recent was towards the start of this season when we became easy pickings for City’s Jack Redshaw as he rattled in all three goals for his club after he had come on at half time.

We had no answer to them and our defence was in disarray time and time again as they cut through us like butter. One of the chief architects of that was our former striker Mani Dieseruvwe as he laid on the first two of Redshaws goals.

Obviously we have improved since then and have risen from thirteenth in the table up to our present day fifth. The team that played hasn’t changed much since that day with only Liam Daly, Junior Joachim and Tyrone Williams no longer with us while Kennedy Digie has just come back from being out on loan since October. What we have improved on is the way we play as a team now and not the strangers of August. 

We strengthened our ranks yesterday, kind of, with the return of goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan to the club for a third time. He’s here to give Brandon Hall some competition but will probably serve only as back up. He replaces the on loan Jonathon (Flapp) Flatt who has now returned to Wolves where no doubt he’ll be released at the end of the season because no way will he be good enough in the Premier League.

We’ll still have James O’Connor out injured no doubt while Elton N’Gwatala and Liam Truslove should both be fit once more.

City have spent most of the season at the top of the table but have faltered in recent weeks to see their big points gap reduced steadily by Harrogate Town. In the past two months they have been swapping places regularly but much of that can be put down to the poor weather that all clubs have been experiencing.

To bolster their chances of automatic promotion, by finishing top, they have bought in three new players in recent weeks with Nathan Arnold and Tim Erlandsson from Lincoln City and Nottingham Forest, respectively, coming in. Goalkeeper Erlandsson has arrived as cover for the regular keeper Max Crocombe while he plays in current friendlies for his country, New Zealand.

Last Tuesday City almost came a cropper at relegated North Ferriby after earning just one point at a side that had only drawn four games at home and no wins. They had Ibou Touray sent off in the first half but then went into the lead nine minutes later. Ferriby defended as if relegation was looming and held on throughout the second half until three minutes from the end they scored a well deserved equaliser.

Their management duo, Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley, were scathing after the game and lambasted the teams lax attitude so we’re going to have to be ready for a back lash from them and just be stronger. Play as we did against York City a week or so ago and we should get through this. Play like we did at Gainsborough and prepare for the worst. 

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Hall, N Vaughan, Palmer, Taylor, Horsfall, O’Connor, Digie, L Vaughan, Pearson, Croasdale, Truslove, Weeks, Austin, Bradley, A Brown, Sonupè, McQuilkin, N’Gwatala, Ironside, Waring.

Salford City from:

Aghayere, Crocombe, Erlandsson, Askew, Hogan, Livesey, Piergianni, Nottingham, Touray, Allan, Burton, Haughton, Mafuta, Maynard, Shelton, Walker, Beesley, Dieseruvwe, Dudley, Phenix, Redshaw, Arnold.

Talk about the game here and phone the Harriers Hotline on 01905 577 777 after the game too.

Links to Salford City websites here

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