Harriers bring Bradford back to Aggborough for a replay

On a blustery and showery late October afternoon, for the first time in a number of seasons, Kidderminster Harriers paid a visit to Cemetery Road, Bradford for their first cup game of the 2013/14 season.

Harriers were still beset with a number of injuries.  Chey Dunkley was still out with his knee problem, although having discussed it with him prior to the game he explained that he taken a good part in the training session on the preceding Thursday.  Mickey Demetriou was also still absent with his broken wrist and surprisingly there was no sign of Michael Gash.  On the bench for the first time for a number of games was Jamie Tolley.

The conditions were clearly going to be very testing.  A squally wind blowing down the pitch, frequent heavy showers and a surface reflecting the 'Park' element in the Bradford team's name were not going to help the quality of the football.  Long grass with a number of large divots was clearly evident even before the game started.

Harriers began the brighter of the two sides - taking advantage of the strong wind before either team could properly get used to the conditions.  After four minutes Lee Vaughan shot wide when in a good position and a couple of minutes later skipper Kyle Storer blazed over.

After about ten minutes of play however, Bradford came back into the game strongly.  A curling low effort from the home side's Nick Boshell edged wide and the hosts then followed that up with a number of successive corner kicks.

On seventeen minutes, probably the best chance of the game to that point fell to Bradford's Paul Walker who shot low and hard at the Carpetmen's goal, but Danny Lewis saved well.

Then after twenty six minutes the home side struck.  A break down the left flank saw Alex Davidson unmarked on the edge of the Harriers' area as he calmly curled a chip past a helpless Danny Lewis and into the corner of the net.  Davidson was probably given too much time and space by Josh Gowling who stood back off him instead of marking him tighter and closing him down.  It wasn't really the ex Lincoln man's day - not the conditions he had been used to when playing in the football league.

Going one down seemed to reinvigorate the men from Aggborough.  On twenty nine minutes Amari Morgan-Smith had a shot blocked and a few moments later Kyle Storer blasted another shot over the bar.  Throughout the game Storer was trying to emulate his screamer from the previous week's match against Lincoln City.

Then the equalising goal came.  A great in-swinging corner from Joe Lolley, bent to take advantage of the wind, did exactly as intended and Jack Byrne met it with a firm header to bring Harriers level.  Byrne was left unmarked by the Avenue defence and took full advantage.

As half time beckoned the game became more end to end and all square at half time was probably a fair reflection

Nathan Blissett was replaced at half time by Anthony Malbon though it wasn't clear whether this was due to a recurrence of Blisset's recent injury or of particular tactical significance.

Nonetheless, it was the home side who settled well at the start of the second half and made the most of their new found Beaufort advantage.  On sixty minutes a fine angled drive by goal scorer Davidson was parried wide by Lewis.  Meanwhile, up the other end good chances fell to Byrne and Morgan-Smith.

In the sixty fifth minute Steve Burr and Gary Whild decided on another attacking change.

Callum Gittings, just having got back from picking up his girlfriend from Heathrow airport, came on in place of a hard working Lee Fowler.  That change brought some more life to the Harriers when moving forward and Joe Lolley then embarked on a number of his mesmerising runs, flummoxing the Bradford defence.

Each time, unfortunately for the left footed hit-man however, he beat the back line but shot powerfully over the bar or wide of the target.  The presumption was that, as the game wore on, the part timers might tire but in fact that did not transpire.  Instead, the hosts seemed to take the view that the home fixture was going to be their best chance to get through to the next round of the competition and so they gave it all they had.

Two dangerous free kicks were given away on the edge of their own penalty area by Lee Vaughan and skipper Storer respectively.  Luckily for the Worcestershire outfit, both came to nothing but on each occasion the Harriers player picked up a yellow card for their troubles.

In the dying seconds the visitors were also forced to scramble the ball of their own goal line.  Fortunately though, Daniel Lewis was stout and fearless in very difficult conditions in keeping the hosts at bay.

The second half in particular was played in classic cup tie fashion.  End to end in difficult circumstances.

All in all a one all draw was probably a fair result and so it's back to Aggborough in just two day's time to try to end the stalemate, the winner facing Hemel Hempstead or Sutton United at home.

 Goal for Bradford PA: Davidson 26
 Goal for Harriers: Byrne 35

REFEREE:

Mr B Toner Manchester