01-02-22 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 3 Leamington FC 0

Harriers cruise to a 3-0 victory

Report: Phil Lench

In a game that was, at times, a little scrappy the Harriers cruised past the little threat that Leamington offered us to win this game 3-0. With one eye on the forthcoming FA Cup tie against West Ham Utd this coming Saturday it came as no surprise to see the Reds not going overboard in tackling and pressing.

We rested a couple of players from Saturdays home draw against Gloucester City with Geraldo Bajrami and Ashley Hemmings dropping to the bench in favour of the, returning from injury, Nathan Cameron, Lewis Montrose in place of Mark Carrington and the youngster Jaiden White in for Hemmings. Dan Preston moved into the position usually occupied by Bajrami and he did a fine job there.

On the bench came Kai Lissimore following his recall from Tamworth in place of Marcus Dinanga who had been called back by Altrincham and then promptly sent back out on loan to Dartford FC. He does come from Gravesend so it was probably something he wanted. He’s no loss.

It was the Brakes that started the stronger with a couple of chances to open the scoring, Dan Turner sent a shot wide and then a few minutes later the diminutive Devon Kelly-Evans saw his shot blocked near the line by Alex Penny. We seemed happy enough to let them have the ball but it wasn’t what the fans wanted to see and that’s what they got soon after when a White through ball found Omari Sterling-James and he gathered the ball at his feet but then hurried his shot a little and sent it wide. 

Another through ball from White found Amari Morgan-Smith this time and he passed it on to Sterling-James once more and OSJ sent it wide once more. The game then settled down into scrappiness with long balls being booted out of defence by both sides then booted back the other way. Not one for the purist and not the way we’ll be playing on Saturday, hopefully.

Somewhat against the run of play we took the lead and, again, it was a Sterling-James free kick. He had already wasted one five minutes earlier when he opted to drop it into the hands of the keeper, Jake Weaver, but this one was a little nearer goal. With everyone expecting a fiercely struck and dipping ball OSJ thought otherwise and just floated it over the wall and into the corner leaving Weaver rooted to the spot.

In the last seconds of the half it almost became two when White fired a shot in but it hit the keeper, spun into the air and got cleared off the line. 

HT: 1 – 0

We came out for the second period with much more purpose. Right from the off the ball was being played on the floor and we were much better for it. Within five minutes we came close to adding a second goal and it was that fresh faced kid again.

A neat bit of interplay between Sam Austin, Sterling-James and Caleb Richards saw the ball crossed in for Jaiden White again and his side foot shot was superbly saved by Jake Weaver. Not to worry though because a minute later we got that second goal.

A corner was floated over by OSJ with the usual battling for position going on on the touchline. The ball appeared to hit a red shirt but then, from the rebound, Nathan Cameron lunged forward to send it crashing home for his fourth goal of the season. 

For the visitors their keeper was having a great game, if a little fortuitous at times. Again the Harriers swarmed forwards and this time it was Morgan-Smith on the end of the ball and again Weaver reacted well to push the ball away.

Although the Harriers were now well on top Leamington still kept trying and they should have done better with a shot from Jack Lane that was well struck but also well wide. They had another chance soon after when, this time, it was Dan Turner sending the ball wide again.

Both sides made a host of personnel changes over the next ten minutes or so and the game suffered for it for a while. It became scrappy again and it looked to most that the Harriers were happy with what they had got and just knock the ball around instead.

It was a minute from the end of normal time that the game was well and truly over. Sub Ash Hemmings played Sterling-James in at the byeline but he doubled back and sent over a cross that was perfectly placed for the incoming White to plant his header beyond the grasp of the Brakes keeper to give him two goals in his only two starts this season. Many more like that and he’ll be starting more often.

That was it then. Another three points and getting ever closer to second place Brackley Town who dropped two points at Chester FC this evening and if it hadn’t been for their ninety second minute equaliser it could have been all three.

Now who was it we’re playing next???

FT: 3 – 0

Goals for Harriers: Sterling-James 39, Cameron 50, White 89

The Harriers Online MotM is: Jaiden White

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Penny
Richards
Cameron			87
Preston
Montrose
Austin
Redmond			72
Morgan-Smith			80
White
Sterling-James
Subs:
Lowe			87
Carrington
Hemmings			80
Bajrami			72
Lissimore
Leamington FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Weaver
Meredith
Morley
Barkers			79
Morrison
Lane
Parker			60
Walker
Turner
Edwards			84
Kelly-Evans
Subs:
Mooney			60
Wilding			84
Gittings			79
English
Mace
Referee:
Mr Kristian Silcock
Liverpool