01-12-20 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 0 Kettering Town 2

Harriers fall to defeat against Kettering

Report: Harriershane

Looking to make it nine games unbeaten and potentially climb to the top of the National League North table, the Harriers welcomed Paul Cox’s Kettering Town side to Aggborough.

Home manager Russell Penn opted to make a solitary change from Saturday’s win against Curzon Ashton, handing Koby Arthur a start in the place of Omari Sterling-James. The Poppies gave a start to recent signing Kyle Perry, with the highly experienced target man tasked with leading the line and providing a focal point from which the likes of top scorer Connor Kennedy could work.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors with three minutes on the clock as an ambitious overhead kick from Michael Richens looped onto the roof of Luke Simpson’s net. To Kettering’s credit they were undoubtedly the superior team for the first quarter of the game, winning numerous throw-ins in the final third as they looked to create some chaos amongst the Harriers backline.

The first real sight of Adam Collins’ goal came with twenty minutes played following some intricate play between Amari Morgan-Smith and Ashley Hemmings; the former’s shot being blocked by a defender before the ball fell to Caleb Richards, who shot wide. The Norwich City loanee was finding himself in plenty of space on the left hand side and plenty of the play went through him as the Harriers began to try and assert themselves on the game.

With ten minutes until half time Richards again found himself as the main offensive threat, finding Hemmings with a quality delivery, but the Harriers winger couldn’t hit the target from close range. Attempting to atone for that miss he then teed up Sam Austin at the far post, but the in-form midfielder could only nod wide.

With the half drawing to a close Callum Powell looked to drive into the Harriers area and went down under the attention of Max Taylor, fortunately for the Manchester United loanee, the referee was not interested in the slightest.

HT: 0 – 0

The game threatened to ignite after just three minutes of the second half when Rhys Sharpe was clattered by Lewis Montrose but ultimately, following a lengthy conference between the two sides whilst Sharpe received medical attention, it was to be just a throw in for the visiting side despite the protestation of several Poppies players.

Ben Milnes shot wide once play got back underway before the Harriers backline dealt with a Callum Powell cross.

The game’s first goal followed not long after as the evergreen Perry managed to keep the ball alive and send a ball to the back post where the Poppies skipper Luke Graham was on hand to slide in from a tight angle. A poor goal to concede from a Harriers point of view, and with the onus now on the hosts to attack, Sterling-James was introduced in place of Taylor.

That move almost paid immediate dividends with every member of the Harriers front four taking aim at Collins’ goal; Hemmings seeing two shots blocked before Arthur saw one cleared off the line. The ball ricocheted back to Hemmings in the centre of the goal, ten yards out, where he struck a fierce half volley that was somehow kept out by Collin.

At this stage one began to get the feeling that Lady Luck may be smiling elsewhere tonight. As a contest the game was put out of reach with twenty minutes remaining when Harriers gave the ball away and were duly dispatched on the counter attack; Perry again the supplier, feeding Kennedy who weaved his way past the defence and slotted home for his fifth league goal of the season, and his third in four games.

Richens had an opportunity to make it three, heading over from a corner, before Sterling-James flashed an effort wide as time began to run out.

Huffing and puffing for the final ten minutes, which included six minutes of injury time, there was a handball shout and a free kick straight into the Kettering wall but ultimately Harriers could not create any clear cut chances.

With a ten day break mooted before their trip to Gateshead the Harriers will have plenty of time to analyse tonight’s defeat, so hopefully the break can revitalise the players ahead of what will be another very tough road trip.

FT: 0 – 2

Goals for Kettering: Graham 58, Kennedy 71

The Harriers Online MotM is: Lewis Montrose

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Moyo
Richards
Taylor			61
Lowe
Montrose			70
Austin
Maxwell			76
Morgan-Smith
Hemmings
Arthur
Subs:
Palmer
Sterling-James			61
Kellermann			70
Prosser			76
White
Kettering Town	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Collin
Stohrer
McGrath
Milnes
Fryatt
Graham
Powell
Kennedy
Perry
Richens
Sharpe			88
Subs:
Stephens
Sherriff
Scott			88
Williams
Pryce
Referee:
Mr Simeon Lucas
Blackburn