Match report Vs Kings Lynn TownVenue: The WalksDate: 01-02-20Att: 1678 (away fans: 90)

01-02-20 - Report - Kings Lynn Town 0 Kidderminster Harriers 2

Harriers end the Linnets unbeaten home record

Report: Phil Lench

In something of a shock the Harriers put paid to Kings Lynn Towns enviable home record, of thirty four home league games without a defeat, when two first half goals from Alex Prosser and Ashley Chambers bought them back to earth with an almighty big bang. You could hear the cheers from second placed York City as their team closed the gap on the league leaders down to one point.

On a windy, but sunny, day on the North Norfolk coast the Reds lined up with just one change to the side that lost at Boston Utd, just over the other side of the Wash, last Saturday. Returning to the line-up was Rhys Williams following his three match ban with Oliver Shenton dropping to the bench. Cliff Moyo moved into the vacated number two slot to operate as an overlapping wingback.

A nervous start to the game from both sides saw an opening fifteen minutes littered with mistakes but the Harriers nerves were settled the first when a corner taken by Ashley Hemmings was only half cleared by a jittery Lynn defence to the edge of the area for Alex Prosser to return back past Alex Street. With interest. It was an unexpected lead to take but I’m sure we can live with that.

Sam Austin, who had been given some rough treatment so far, saw a chance skim the bar minutes before the home side lay claim to a penalty. Chris Henderson had collected the ball on the edge of the area and as he turned to cross the ball in the ball hit the arm of the onrushing Moyo without him able to avoid it. The Lynn players swarmed around the referee but he was having none of it and waved their claims away.

A few minutes later, and with Austin again lying on the ground, after yet another bad tackle, we grabbed the crucial second goal. The referee hadn’t stopped play for Sam and gave us the advantage to go on. Ashley Hemmings surged down the right and slipped the ball into the path of Ashley Chambers to drill a super shot into the far corner of the Kings Lynn net.

For the final five minutes of the half the home side tried to regain some kind of control but we were defending for our lives and no one was going to get past.

HT: 0 – 2

It was obvious that change would come and so it proved with a double substitution by their manager, Ian Culverhouse, at the start of the second half. On came Dayle Southwell and Ryan Hawkins in place of Henderson and Nathan Fox. From the whistle they attacked the Harriers goal relentlessly and somehow we stood strong, Will Mannion showing his pedigree with save after save after save including from the supposedly lethal Adam Marriott when his strike, their first of the game, was tipped over the bar.

In desperation Culverhouse used up all the cards in his pocket by throwing on another striker, Sonny Carey just a further ten minutes into the half. We still stood strong.

The plan now was to defend for our lives and ensure that we kept the three precious points that we had worked hard to gain but also try to hit them on the break. That meant keeping Austin Samuels up on the halfway line to look for a quick break. The problem with that was he kept straying over it and ending up offside far too many times.

Ed Williams was introduced to replace Hemmings who had taken a slight knock and so Samuels tendency to stray out of bounds was lessened but still there. It was soon after that Lynn seemingly decided that defending wasn’t for them and left so much space at the back we could have racked up a further three goals but our finishing was wasteful as Chambers, Prosser and Nabi, on for Samuels, spurned the chances given.

Nabi himself only lasted a short while as he went off with a slight knock fifteen minutes after his arrival. Ollie Shenton replaced him for the final few minutes, plus the five minutes of injury time. Kings Lynn tried to use that extra five minutes for their advantage but there was no getting past our defence today. Thankfully.

Will Mannion pushed another shot from Marriott away for a corner but if it had gone in then it would have only been a scant consolation for the table toppers. We held on for the win.

And what a win it was! 

FT: 0 – 2


Goals for Harriers: Prosser 15, Chambers 38


The Harriers Online MotM is: Will Mannion

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Latest table and stats here


Kings Lynn TownGoalsSubsTimeCards
Street    
Jones    
Fox 46 
Jarvis 55 
Smith    
McCauley   
Power    
Richards    
Gash    
Marriott    
Henderson 46
 
Subs: 
Carey 55 
Kelly    
Hawkins 46 
Southwell 46 
Payne    
 
HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Mannion    
Moyo   
Austin    
R Williams    
Johnson    
Lowe    
Prosser   
Butterfield    
Chambers   
Hemmings 66 
Samuels 72 
 
Subs: 
Palmer    
Shenton 87 
Nabi  72 / 87 
E Williams 66 
Davidson    
     
Referee: 
Mr Steven Hughes
Sussex