Venue: Aggborough Date: 02-11-24 Harriers 2 Buxton FC 2 Att: 2318 (away fans: 40)

02-11-24. Kidderminster Harriers 2 Buxton FC 2. Match report

The long wait for another home win continues

Report: Phil Lench

Once again the Harriers failed at home in a story that is become all too familiar to the frustrated fan base that turn out week in week out to see their hero’s gift goals to an opposition that should have been crucified before half time. It’s now three months since our last league home win that came way, way back in August against Oxford City.

With us on top and 1-0 up before the break it seemed only natural that on their return to the field of play that the Reds would crack on and finish Buxton FC off. Instead defensive frailties that, in both cases, saw two defenders fail to put a foot in and allow Connor Kirby a simple equaliser and then after we went 2-1 up a cross was allowed to be played over the area for substitute Diego De Girolama to fire an angled shot beyond Christian Dibble and earn a point from a game that should have seen them dead and buried.

With Joe Foulkes un-available due to suspension it was Maliq Cadogan that took his place. A risky move and one that didn’t pay off although he cannot really be faulted for the goals when he had experienced defenders around him to help out.

A nervous start from both sides gave the game a scrappy first ten minutes but we eventually settled down and began to play some decent football, but without a cutting edge. Ashley Hemmings came the closest to grabbing an opener but his shot was wide of Truly Scrumptious’s (Sorry, True Grant) goal. A few minutes later and it was the opener. 

A confusing ten seconds left the fans wondering what was going on as the ball pinged around the Buxton area but someone, didn’t know who, had put the ball in the net even though it looked to have gone behind the goal. Turns out it was Maz Kouhyar who had seen it home with a close range tap in.

Instead of pressing on we opted to play it safe again and play cross field passes, too many of them, and then boot the ball forward to an offside Amari Morgan-Smith. Will we ever learn?

Almost near half-time a chance came the way of Hemmings again but, again, his header went wide of the target just before Josh Popoolas’ shout for a penalty was all in vain. The final move of the forty five could have seen a second goal to give us a cushion but David Davis’ powerful shot from outside the area was flipped over the crossbar by yours Truly. 

HT: 1 – 0

The second half started with Diego De Girolama coming on for the injured Ethan Fitzhugh.

We didn’t come out although we were there on the pitch. Pass it round. Pass It back. Pass it round. Get nowhere. It was that bad. Just what had been said in the dressing room?

Sixty four minutes in and their first goal arrived on a plate. The ball was lost in the middle of the park and the Buxton lad strode forwards with the ball to be met by the ‘terrifying’ sight of Davis and Cadogan backing off without making any attempt to stop the man with the ball. He went to the far side of the area and played the ball across to the far side without any of the others putting a foot in as Connor Kirby stroked the ball home.

Luckily a penalty minutes later saved face a little when AMS was bought down, clumsily, in the area by Ethan Mann who got booked for the error of his ways. Expecting Hemmings to take the spotkick it was a relief to see him hand the ball to Amari with memories of his recent miss clearly in his mind. It was in our minds too don’t worry. 

Amari didn’t perform any silly dance up or a pointless pirouette. He just smashed it in al la Harry Kane and that’s just what we wanted to see.

A goal to the good and now we were going to press forwards and finish them off. Take the game by the scruff of the neck and bang more goals in. Instead Phil Brown took our dangerman Kouhyar off and bought Tope Obadeyi on. We didn’t see much of him though.

Ten minutes from the end and Buxton got the point they came for when more defensive errors when they were given acres of space to take the ball to the byeline and play it over the area for Girolama to smash the ball home beyond an unsighted Christian Dibble.

We then sent on Jack Lambert and we didn’t see much of him either. The game drifted to a close and left us still without that long awaited, never to come, second home win.

Curzon Ashton on Wednesday evening due to them being in FA Cup action tomorrow. At least we’re better away from home.

FT: 2 – 2


Goals for Harriers: Kouhyar 36, Morgan-Smith 68 (pen)

Goals for Buxton: Kirby 64, De Girolama 82 


The Harriers Online MotM is: Maz Kouhyar

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


Harriers Goals Subs Time Cards
Dibble        
Cadogan   89  
Richards        
Kandola        
McNally        
Davis        
Devine        
Brown      
Morgan-Smith      
Hemmings        
Kouhyar 81  
 
Subs:  
Palmer        
Lambert   89  
Thompson        
Obadeyi   81  
Rubio        
 
Buxton FC Goals Subs Time Cards
Grant        
Sault      
Burton        
Leigh   58  
Fitzhugh   46  
Mann      
Coleman        
Kirby      
Delap        
Popoola        
Williams        
 
Subs:  
De Girolama 46  
Elliott   58  
Tomlinson        
White        
Rose        
 
Referee:  
Mr Steven Swan
Truro