04-03-23. Match report Vs Boston Utd

Big changes but actually same old, same old

Report: Phil Lench

We were promised ‘big changes’ by Russ Penn prior to todays game at home to struggling Boston Utd but the reality was that it was just more of the same.

The only visible changes were to the team warming up at the wrong end of the pitch and the inclusion of Alex Penny in a central three in place of the suspended Nathaniel Knight-Percival. We had a more purposeful style to our game, with less hoofing and more passing, but at the end that matters we still have no one capable of putting the ball into the net.

The supporters have been pleading all season for someone to bolster our frontline but it falls on deaf ears and we still continue with Amari Morgan-Smith as our lone striker home and away. The alternatives have not worked out with Ethan Freemantle no where near good enough in front of goal and the same applies to Joe McGlynn – now back at Burnley with a hip injury. That injury was picked up a good few weeks ago now and there’s still no sign of a replacement. The only other out and out striker is Kobe Hall who’s just a rookie that’s been thrown in at the deep end.

To be fair the game kicked off at quite a pace and kept that pace up throughout the game. End to end stuff it certainly was but without either of the goalkeepers being really troubled apart from a probing attempt from Ashley Hemmings the the former Harriers keeper, Cameron Gregory, dealt with easily. 

On the ten minute mark a clash between Krystian Pearce and Jake Wright saw the latter receiving lengthy treatment but then a few minutes later Wright retaliated on the far side of the pitch by charging into, and onto, Pearce leaving the Harriers defender also needing lengthy treatment. Wright was booked for the incident while a minute later Pearce was withdrawn following more treatment. As he left the pitch he lashed out at the physio for some reason and went down the tunnel kicking doors. We await the outcome.

Boston then had their first sighting of goal and it was quite a good effort from Will Atkinson matched by an equally good save from Tom Palmer as he flew across the goal to push the header out. Jack Bearne saw his deflected shot go the wrong side of the post although it wasn’t really strong enough to cause any trouble.

Five minutes later and Wright went off with the effects of his injury and was replaced by Zak Goodson. 

Hemmings had another chance to score following some great build up play from Caleb Richards and Shane Byrne but his shot was curving away from goal the minute it left his boot. 

HT: 0 – 0

The second period was far more proactive from us as we looked for ways to break down the solid Boston defence with more slicker passing. That was better but the small matter of finding someone available to put the ball into the net wasn’t. AMS was being well shackled and anyone else who found themselves available wasn’t sharp enough to do so.

At the other end we looked in danger of our falling for the usual faux pas when, from a short corner, Palmer cleared the ball but only as far the unaware Atkinson. The ball bounced off him and, luckily for us, went the correct side of the post much to Palmers relief.

In an effort to liven things up on came Zak Brown and Tom Owen-Evans for Jack Bearne and Ashley Hemmings. It seemed to work at first with more chances coming our way but again, even though the quality of the ball in was better, there was no one in the area to put the ball into the net.

Brown had a chance fly over the bar and with time running out he produced the best chance of the game when he fired the ball in from the edge of the area only for Gregory to turn in a beauty of a save to deny both him, and the Harriers, of a winning goal.

On Tuesday we go into Cheshire for another tough game against third placed Chester FC. They’ve been on a stunning run of form since the start of the year and beat Banbury Utd 4-2 today after taking a 3-0 lead. Losing that kind of lead can be something to encourage us except for the fact that we can’t score and haven’t done so in the last four games now. Something has to change somewhere, somehow.

FT: 0 – 0

The Harriers Online MotM is: Joe Foulkes

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Palmer
Foulkes
Richards
Penny			13
Pearce
Morrison
Byrne
Lissimore
Morgan-Smith
Hemmings			65
Bearne			65
Subs:
Owen-Evans			65
Brown			65
Freemantle
McNally			13
Hall
Boston Utd	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Gregory
Atkinson			74
Sephton
Platt
B Pollock
Shiels
Chadwick
McLintock			69
Mills
Wright			20
Nixon
Subs:
Mitford			74
Ferguson
Goodson			20
Munakandafa
Hasani			69
Referee:
Mr Liam Corbett
Birmingham