Harriers fall to controversial penalty

The Harriers went down to late goals at Nuneaton today with the final goal coming in the dying seconds of a game that was heading for a one, one draw.  With Nuneaton launching a late assault on our goal, in search of a winner, the lamentable referee handed them the chance with a dubious penalty awarded against Kyle Storer for a handball that he could never avoid after it was smashed straight at him with no option of avoidance.

James Armson finally put the ball home at the second attempt after Danny Lewis parried away his initial effort but only straight at Mickey Demetriou from whom it ricocheted back to Armson to tap the ball home

Five minutes earlier Lewis Moult had put the home side back on level terms following an opening goal by the Harriers five minutes into the game.  That goal came from Anthony Malbon to open his scoring account for the season.

When that goal went in, a lift over the home keeper James Belshaw, it looked as if the Harriers would kick on to an emphatic victory but we hadn't taken into account a questionable ninety minutes from an experienced referee that should really have been above some histrionics from Nuneaton players attempts to get our players booked.

Chey Dunkley was booked after the ball hit him on the chest and referee Swabey judged it to be handball and then a few minutes later Mickey Demetriou followed him into the book when he won a ball cleanly but the Nuneaton man dived and made a meal of it.  For the remainder of the game Mickey was walking on coals trying to avoid another card.

Eventually, after twenty minutes of Harriers domination, the home side slowly got back into the game and it was only goal line clearances from Storer and Lee Vaughan that kept Nuneaton at bay.

In the second half the Harriers seemed to lose all inspiration and the midfield was crying out for a leader.  In the first half we had been playing the ball on the floor but for some unknown reason once Nuneaton started to pressure us we started to hoof it over the top.  That tactic continued into the second period and the logic of it defeats me.

Dior Angus, out wide in the Marvin Johnson berth, was utterly lost and couldn't find a way to beat his man, an experienced defender up against a rookie.  He should have been subbed at the break for Marvin but instead we got the lack lustre James Dance because he once played for Nuneaton so seemed to get chosen for that reason alone.

Lee Fowler also came on to give us a bit of craft in midfield but he was getting bypassed just as much as Jackman was.  The only substitute that looked capable of changing the game was Joe Lolley once again but he was up against a defender that had been briefed well and, even though Joe could have had three chances to score,he was well shadowed and didn't really get a chance to show his skills.

Just after Moult scored the comeback goal from his side when he lashed a low shot from twenty yards out into the back of the Harriers net and then, with three minutes of injury time on the board, came the controversial winning goal.

The ball came across, hit Storer, no one appealed but the referee pointed to the spot.  In utter disbelief the Harriers fans at the far end to the incident watched nervously, then cheered and then finally in disbelief once more as somehow the ball appeared to be well saved by Danny Lewis.  And then it wasn't.

Luton at home in a few days time and again they were poor at home to Cambridge today.  The ideal chance for us to actually get back to playing proper football and not this hoofball we're seeing far too much of lately.

 Goals for Nuneaton: Moult 83, Armson 90
 Goal for Harriers: Malbon 5

REFEREE:

Mr L Swabey Plymouth