Match report Vs Hereford FCVenue: AggboroughDate: 01-01-19Att: 2745 (away fans: 911)

01-01-19 - Report - Kidderminster Harriers 2 Hereford FC 1

The Harriers take revenge in the sweetest way

Report: Harriershane

The Harriers battled and scrapped their way to a well earned victory against Hereford FC in todays return fixture from the Boxing Day derby.

Recalled to the starting lineup was former the Walsall man Jimmy O’Connor, as manager Neil MacFarlane opted to revert back to the five man defence he preferred earlier in the season. Also handed a start, his first since his return, was George Waring, flanked by Kane Richards and Ashley Chambers in what appeared to be a 5-2-2-1 formation. Academy prospect Jaiden White once again made the bench and he was joined by U23’s midfielder Milan Butterfield, with Dan Bradley ruled out with a hip problem.

The Harriers started the brighter of the two sides with full backs Sam Austin and Lee Vaughan both putting balls in that just evaded George Waring. With a quarter of an hour played the Hereford keeper Matt Yates cleared the ball only as far as Declan Weeks, who attempted to lob the stranded keeper from forty five yards, but he recovered well to collect with ease.

A scramble in the Harriers area saw multiple stabs at the ball by Tom Owen-Evans and Mike Symons without success. Vaughan came across and challenged and the ball was picked up by Brandon Hall. As Vaughan’s challenge resembled an uncontested block tackle the referee, Steven Copeland, gave the visitors an indirect free kick on the edge of the six yard box. From this the deadlock was broken with James Roberts firing home the lay off into the top corner.

Fully 19.3 seconds later it was level pegging once more. Ashley Chambers was released down the left hand side and the striker headed to the byline before having his low cross deflected into the path of Kane Richards, who was adjudged to have bundled the ball over the line under pressure from Danny Greenslade. 

With the protestations and feeling of injustice regarding the lesser spotted indirect free kick, one could not have asked for a better response.

Normal service then resumed as Harriers remained in the ascendancy with Richards, Chambers, Fraser Horsfall and O’Connor all having chances of varying difficulty before the next flashpoint of the game.

A Hereford attack saw the ball switched to the left hand side on halfway, with the intended target being Owen-Evans. Sensing an opportunity to return the ball from whence it came, Ryan Johnson came and attacked the ball with the side of his boot. He did, however, misjudge the flight of the ball and thus his challenge was mistimed, catching Owen-Evans high. Referee Copeland was straight over with his red card, reducing Harriers to ten men and forcing them to revert to a back four.

For what it’s worth, whilst the tackle was mistimed, a yellow may well have sufficed – Johnson had eyes only for the ball, however had it been reversed, I’m sure all of a Harriers persuasion would have been baying for blood.

The ‘victim’ was highly fortunate not to follow his ‘assaulter’ down the tunnel after he appeared to push Sam Austin and then aim a kick at him following Austin’s shielding of the ball out of play. Incredibly conveniently, the linesman failed to spot it under his nose.

HT: 1 – 1

The second half began with probably one of the finest goals to have been seen at Aggborough this decade. Take a bow, Declan Weeks.

A free kick was flighted in which Waring did well to firstly head down, then control, putting in a cross that was headed out to where Weeks was positioned. Primed, he set himself up and unleashed a picture perfect volley that beat Matt Yates, although in fairness it would have beaten anyone. A finer goal you will not have seen today. Sadly, it probably won’t get the viewing it so dearly deserves.

The moment of magic had the desired effect on those of a Harriers persuasion in the ground as the ten men continued to outplay and outclass their eleven man opposition. With the last twenty minutes of the game approaching the visitors began to finally establish a foothold in the game and put Harriers under heavy pressure.

Firstly, a succession of corners ended with Josh Gowling firing over, whilst Roberts, Greenslade and Jordan Cullinane-Liburd all having efforts. However, Hereford’s pressure consisted of balls into the box which did not manifest themselves into dangerous opportunities.

Testament to the defensive display from Harriers is that Hall did not have a save to make, although the keeper’s command of his area and taking of the balls into the box was excellent.

Today was a derby day comeback win for Harriers, putting behind them the disappointment of Boxing Day and Saturday at Stockport County with a performance reminiscent of years past; full of grit, desire and battling qualities that all of us as fans have been demanding since our time in this league.

Let’s hope that we truly have re-started as we mean to go on.

FT: 2 – 1


Goals for Harriers: Richards 19, Weeks 46

Goal for Hereford FC: Roberts 18


The Harriers Online MotM is: Declan Weeks

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Hall    
Vaughan   
Austin    
O’Connor    
Horsfall    
Johnson   
Weeks   
Penn    
Waring    
Chambers 86 
K Richards   
 
Subs: 
Taylor    
Butterfield    
Baxendale    
Phillips 86 
White    
 
Hereford FCGoalsSubsTimeCards
Yates    
Thomas    
Greenslade   
Dinsley 56 
Cullinane-Liburd    
Gowling    
Lloyd 71 
Owen-Evans    
Finn 56 
Roberts   
Symons    
 
Subs: 
Horsell    
E Richards 56 
O’Sullivan 56 
Wharton 71 
Smith    
     
Referee: 
Mr Steven Copeland
The Wirral