01-12-23. Kidderminster Harriers Vs Ebbsfleet Utd. Match preview

Preview: Harry211

It’s a case of another week, another relegation six pointer for Kidderminster Harriers as they host Ebbsfleet United tomorrow.

The game follows the home side’s draw away against Oxford City last week, where they valiantly came back from 2-0 down to end all square – but Russ Penn and all at the Harriers will be regretting not going the extra mile to get a much-deserved winner. As Oxford’s keeper Jack Bycroft admitted to Kidderminster’s travelling support, they were “getting hammered” but clung on to deny the away side three points.

That resurgent performance was a world away from Harriers’ early season visit to Ebbsfleet, where they went 3-0 down at Stonebridge Road without putting up a fight. That day frontman Dominic Poleon ran riot as the gulf between the two sides seemed as wide as the mouth of the nearby Thames. He scored a first half brace, while his teammate Luke O’Neill managed to scramble in a goal to leave Harriers three goals behind at half time – a deficit they didn’t close in the following 45 minutes.

Since then Ebbsfleet have struggled, and last season’s Conference South winners find themselves in a similar relegation scrap to the Harriers – except they are only in the drop zone on goal difference. For them six goals are needed to get them to safety, for the Harriers it’s six points – and eight goals.

While the Harriers are still unconvincingly scratching around for a new striker, the visitors to Aggborough have recruited a top-rate winger, former Liverpool and England U-21 side Jordon Ibe. Announcing the signing in mid-October he said he was looking to get his career back on track. Instead of being a last-roll of the dice for a veteran player, he’s still only 27 – younger than many of Harriers’ top players. He, however, is still yet to make his league bow.

They will be coming into the game confident, having a shock 4-1 win away at Oldham Athletic last time out at Boundary Park. Meanwhile the Harriers are without a victory in eight, since their 1-0 win over Wealdstone FC.

For the home side, they are expected to keep a forward line of Amari Morgan-Smith and Ashley Hemmings after both got on the scoresheet against Oxford. Jack Lambert ran rings around Oxford and it’s hoped he’ll get among the goals.

Shane Byrne and Joe Leesley are thought to be close to a return to the side. In his pre-match interview Penn told BBC Hereford and Worcester’s Trevor Owens that the club are getting closer to signing a frontman…but the fans have heard it all before and he said it’s unlikely for them to come in before Saturday:

We’re going to have to take a gamble on a couple coming,” he said. “Yeah, [we’re in] advanced talks and clubs, but we have been for the last six weeks. One way or another it’s usually the player that turns it down. Are we looking too high or are we looking too good, but I’m still learning the level of players that want to come to this level. But hopefully there’s some good news, if not Saturday, for the next league game at Maidenhead.

Ebbsfleet look to have a full side for their visit apart from the former Harriers talisman Omari Sterling-James who hasn’t made an appearance for them since late October and now with the arrival of Ibe his days there must be numbered. Would we want him back?

Kidderminster will have Matt Preston and Sam Robinson available. They are still without Nat Knight-Percival in addition to the midfielders on the treatment table. All of the players are in training, Penn told Owens, with them likely to be in contention against Stourbridge in the FA Trophy, a week on Saturday. There’s hope that last week’s performance could mark the turning of a corner for the Harriers – we’ll find out just after 3pm whether that’s the case.

Referee: Mr Ryan Atkin. London

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