FA Cup 3rd qualifying round replay
Venue: Aggborough Date: 01-10-24 Harriers 2 Buxton FC 0 Att: 1123 (away fans: 74)

01-10-24. Kidderminster Harriers 2 Buxton FC 0. FA Cup 3rd Qual Rd Replay. Match report

Harriers win the battle but come out scarred 

Report: Tonythescout

Goals from Jack Lambert and Amari Morgan-Smith set up a fourth round qualifier FA Cup clash with Guiseley AFC for Phil Browns Harriers at the expense of Buxton in a tempestuous game under the lights at Aggborough.

Changes were made again as Joe Foulkes, Luke Summerfield, Caleb Richards, Amari Morgan-Smith and Tope Obadeyi came into the starting eleven. There was no place for Maz Kouhyar in the squad although Ashley Hemmings was included following his omission from Saturdays squad at Buxton.

Harriers had the first chance of the game on two minutes as Jack Lambert found Obadeyi on the left hand side of the area, his effort saved well by True Grant in the Buxton goal. The visitors should have found themselves ahead on four minutes as Ben Andreucci got past Reiss McNally and found himself with Christian Dibble only to beat but the Harriers stopper produced a fine save to keep the scores level.

Serious concerns were raised around Aggborough for midfield general Luke Summerfield on six minutes when he was on the end of a reckless challenge from Callum Leigh inside the Buxton half. The referee called a foul then somehow decided to only book the Buxton defender to the disbelief of the home crowd.

Summerfield was stretchered off and taken to hospital in an ambulance and our thoughts and best wishes go out to him. Zac Brown came on to replace the ex FC Halifax Town man.

The game spiced up a bit with tackles going in though Harriers carved out a chance on sixteen minutes with on loan Bradford City striker Harry Ibbotson heading Joe Foulkes cross at Grant. Harriers had keeper Dibble to thank again as Andreucci found himself through after an error by a shaky Alex Penny only for Dibble to deny the Buxton forward with another fine stop.

The hosts then found themselves ahead on twenty eight minutes when Morgan-Smith was played through, his effort was well saved by Grant but the loose ball fell to Jack Lambert who made no mistake in firing Harriers ahead for his first goal of the season.

Harriers then started to dominate and should have found themselves further ahead on thirty five minutes when Morgan-Smith was played in by Lambert but was denied by a fine stop from Grant. The Buxton keeper was again called into action as Obadeyi let fly from thirty yards out but Grant was equal to it.

Joe Foulkes went off temporarily due to an injury on forty minutes but the Harriers didn’t shuffle the pack to have someone cover the right back position. Buxton almost immediately took advantage as Keiran Burton ran on to a ball over the top, beating Dibble just outside the area but his effort rolled just wide of the left hand post. Harriers had the last chance of the half as Odbeyi headed Jack Lamberts cross wide.

HT: 1 – 0

The second half saw Harriers come out with one change, Alex Penny taken off in a straight swap at centre half for Kam Kandola making his home debut after signing last week. Two minutes in Harriers doubled their advantage as Morgan-Smith ran onto Harry Ibbotson’s fine flick on to finish powerfully past the stranded Grant.

Handbags broke out in the Harriers half between most of the players on the field on fifty minutes and, as the referee was trying to restore order, the Buxton centre half Finn Delap decided to stick Ibbotson, minding his own business doing keepy-uppys on the half way line, on the deck.

No punishment was given, probably as the linesman had his eyes on the shenanigans involving the other players. Harriers again showed they weren’t going to be either bullied or intimidated and kept their discipline.

The following fifteen minutes or so was played to Harriers pace. Buxton did have a half chance when DJ Pedro had a header comfortably saved by Dibble before the impressive Jack Lambert fired over a free kick after Delap had fouled Morgan Smith twenty yards out on seventy five minutes.

Eighty minutes in saw a minutes round of applause for our former matchday announcer Roger Harris, AKA Captain Crazy, who sadly passed away last week. RIP Captain.

The Harriers came close twice again late on, Joe Foulkes curling a twenty five yard effort just wide of Grants left hand post, while Obadeyi again found himself with a chance, through on goal only to see his effort well smothered by Grant.

The win was much needed as it was only thee Harriers 2nd in the last seven games and their first clean sheet since the 4-0 drubbing of Oxford City back in August.

Man of the match was Jack Lambert who was in amongst the action and topped off his best display of the season with a goal. The North East native looked more like himself which is only going to be positive for Harriers. A good win in a testy affair, shadowed by the injury to Luke Summerfield.

FT: 2 – 0


Goals for Harriers: Lambert 29, Morgan-Smith 47


The Harriers Online MotM is: Jack Lambert

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


Harriers Goals Subs Time Cards
Dibble         
Foulkes      
Richards        
Penny   46  
McNally        
Davis      
Lambert      
Summerfield   12  
Morgan-Smith      
Ibbitson   61  
Obadeyi        
 
Subs:  
Palmer        
Devine        
Hemmings   61  
Cadogan        
Brown   12  
Thompson        
Kandola   46  
 
Buxton FC Goals Subs Time Cards
Grant        
Sault   83  
Delap        
Leigh   76
Burton      
Mann        
Stobbs        
Kirby   90  
Andreucci   69  
Finney   42  
Pedro        
 
Subs:  
De Girolama   69  
Elliot   76  
Cooper        
Fitzhugh   42  
Tomlinson   90  
Ravenhill        
Popoola   83  
 
Referee:  
Mr Oliver Noonan
Manchester