02-01-21 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 1 Hereford FC 1

Penalties sort out the New Year derby

Report: Harriershane

The Harriers renewed acquaintances with Hereford FC a week after Boxing Day, having being unable to entertain AFC Telford Utd in midweek as 2020 fired one last negative bolt across the bow of Harriers fans. Never have so many been so peeved at the sight of snow. But I digress…

Harriers were buoyed by the loan signing on Friday of Bromsgrove Sporting hotshot Jason Cowley, who joined no doubt in some part due to Amari Morgan-Smith’s four game ban that kicked in today. He would have to wait for his debut though as Ethan Freemantle was given the starting berth up front, whilst Omari Sterling-James made way for Alex Prosser to create a midfield three.

For the Bulls, it was a case of “Bulls…” as Lenell John-Lewis made what can only be described as a miraculous recovery from a “hamstring tear” to lead the line once more. Mind games, indeed.

Perhaps feeling the benefits of the week break the Harriers started much the brighter of the two sides with Freemantle causing some early issues for the visiting backline, forcing Brandon Hall into a save after being slipped in smartly by Ashley Hemmings. The resulting corner also found Freemantle but he could only guide his header off target on this occasion.

With eleven minutes played the former Walsall trainee was in the thick of it once more when Yan Klukowski upended him just inside the penalty area. Up stepped Ashley Hemmings, who dispatched the penalty cooly, sending Hall the wrong way in the process.

For a period after the goal the game settled down a little but it was still the Harriers who looked more threatening, especially on the counter.

With twenty minutes played it was almost two as Sam Austin claimed possession in midfield and set Hemmings free. The winger saw his curling effort palmed away by Hall but unfortunately for Harriers their former goalkeeper got enough on it to guide it past the arriving Freemantle, who is still searching for his first senior competitive goal.

As we passed the midway point of the half Prosser was the latest to test his luck, firing just over from Freemantle’s lay off. A fantastic piece of invention from Hemmings with twelve minutes left to play in the half resulted in him beating two men with a sublime dummy, but his curling effort was once again off target.

HT: 1 – 0

Whatever Josh Gowling and Steve Burr, both formerly of this parish, said at half time must have worked as they immediately grabbed the ‘Bull by the horns’ and seized control of the game with the Harriers camped in their own half for the first fifteen minutes of the half.

For all of their possession Hereford never unduly tested Luke Simpson in the Harriers goal, justification perhaps, for Chris Camwell shooting from fully thirty-five yards in hope more than expectation in the game at Edgar St. Lenell John-Lewis was a thorn in the Harriers side again, as he was at Edgar Street, turning wide a free kick that had been drilled in from the byline.

As the hour mark ticked by Harriers had a rare foray forward thanks to the endeavour of Alex Prosser, who emerged from a three on one situation with the ball. The former Aston Villa trainee spread the play wide to Hemmings but the move broke down and the visitors managed to clear.

James McQuilkin, another scorer of a goal on Boxing Day, was swiftly released but his cutback across goal was claimed by Luke Simpson.

Having already been awarded one penalty the Harriers had a shout for a second when Hemmings went down under a Brandon Hall touch but it would have been a little soft if it had been given. Unmoved, the referee awarded a corner from which Lewis Montrose saw his twenty yard drive blocked.

With sixty six minutes played came a lifeline for the visitors. Montrose was alleged to have been too forceful in his aerial dual with John-Lewis, who predictably brushed himself off to send Simpson the wrong way and level the scores.

With twenty minutes to go Russ Penn opted to throw on Cowley and Omari Sterling-James in an attempt to win the game. However the increased attacking impetus never manifested itself, as Hereford again looked the most likely to grab all three points.

Having said that the quality of chances for either team left a lot to be desired as the game meandered out to a draw leaving the visitors four points from six in the festive derbies.

On to York City at Aggborough on Tuesday evening and with both Chester FC and AFC Fylde creeping up on the rails, with twenty four points for all three clubs now, we need to make sure of maximum points if we don’t want to drop down from second in the table to fifth.

FT: 1 – 1

Goal for Harriers: Hemmings 13 (pen)

Goal for Hereford: John-Lewis 67 (pen)

The Harriers Online MotM is: Ethan Freemantle

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Penny
Richards
Moyo
Lowe
Montrose
Austin
Maxwell
Freemantle			70
Hemmings			79
Prosser			70
Subs:
Palmer
Sterling-James			70
Cowley			70
Martin			79
Arthur
Hereford FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Hodgkiss
Haines
Lloyd
Klukowski			45
Grimes
Camwell
McQuilkin
John-Lewis
Owen-Evans
Finn
Subs:
White
Forsyth
Coke			45
Dylan Jones
Mooney
Referee:
Mr Michael Crusham
Wigan