04-09-21 – Report – Guiseley AFC 0 Kidderminster Harriers 0

The Harriers are tamed by the Lions

Report: Harriershane

Harriers made the long trip to Nethermoor Park on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten start to the season to five games against a Guiseley AFC side who had suffered mixed fortunes over the Bank Holiday weekend – starting with a home win over Gloucester City before being downed at Gateshead on Monday with the same scoreline in both games; 2-1.

Joint managers Russ O’Neill and Marcus Bignot were without the services of Kaine Felix and Andy Kellett, whilst Harriers were without Ethan Freemantle due to a knee strain; Nyal Bell his replacement for his maiden Harriers start.

Inside two minutes Harriers were suffering scares when a long ball forward beat the backline only to be dealt with by a scampering Luke Simpson who had to head it away twice from the edge of his box after the ball had rebounded to him off one of his own team mates. Guiseley suffered a hair-raising moment of their own when a teasing Omari Sterling-James cross found the head of Ashley Hemmings, who glanced wide.

The hosts were the better side early on, putting Harriers firmly under the cosh, with Harriers indebted to Simpson once more when he punched an effort from the Rotherham Utd loanee Jacob Gratton off the line following a succession of corners.

The Harriers had to make do with half chances with Sam Austin firing straight at Jordan Amissah, on loan from Sheffield United. Approaching the half hour mark it was Gratton again who tested Simpson after meeting a cross before Lewis Hey shanked wide after a period of pinball.

All through the half there had been ‘unusual’ decisions from the referee and when Joe Foulkes went down and had to receive treatment the other players took the chance to have a refreshment break and during this time the referee, Dean Watson, sent the Guiseley assistant manager Paul Clayton off, presumably for something he had said.

With ten minutes until half time another home long ball forward saw Gratton in behind but again Simpson was alert to the danger to thwart the frontman.

It was a first half where Harriers were fortunate to head in level, with the hosts managing to stifle their attacking threat in no small part to the marshalling of Nyal Bell by Hamza Bencherif, Jake Hull and Lebrun Mbeka, who would drop in beside his centre halves on restarts and Regan Hutchinson keeping Sterling-James extremely quiet.

HT: 0 – 0

Within the first five minutes of the second half both sides traded headed efforts; Jordan Thewlis flicking wide before Bell connected with a trademark, pinpoint Austin cross but his header struck the post and bounced away with Amissah well beaten.

With fifty one minutes played the Harriers were reduced to ten men as Mark Carrington was handed his marching orders for a late tackle in the middle of the park. The referee was well positioned, and reached the correct call.

On the stretch, Carrington attempted to recover the ball after a questionable touch but was beaten to it by Hey, who was injured in the collision and was replaced by Bailey Thompson. Undoubtedly, Carrington is not that type of player but the tackle was late and high so there really was going to be only one outcome. Assuming a standard three match ban for serious foul play this would rule him out of the home game against Gateshead, the imminent FA Cup game and AFC Fylde away.

Immediately after the card the Harriers boss, Russ Penn, introduced Lewis Montrose for Bell to give them a full compliment in midfield once again.

In a nod to the old cliché that it’s harder to play against ten men the Harriers actually improved after the red card and carried more of a threat, enjoying a good spell that saw Nathan Cameron a target from corners before Amissah came to the hosts rescue after Sterling was played in behind and somehow getting a hand to the effort as he dived the wrong way. The rebound fell to Austin who could only sidefoot the rebound wide.

Guiseley’s first real chance since the red card came courtesy of Gratton again, this time seeking to turn provider after finding Mbeka who headed over.

With eighty three minutes played Austin managed to find himself free and bearing down on goal but was again denied by Amissah who closed down the angle well. Guiseley defended this chance very well, as Prince Ekpolo managed to delay Austin’s shot by a split second after sliding in. Ekpolo would then try his luck down the other end firing a long distance effort wide before Gratton fired another effort across the face of the goal as The Lions looked to notch a late winner that would have made those inside Nethermoor Park roar.

They very nearly got their wish with one of the last kicks of the game as Simpson failed to deal with a long ball after scampering out of his goal; Adam Haw nicking the ball past the Harriers man but just as he looked set to roll the ball into an empty net Joe Foulkes appeared out of absolutely nowhere to avert the danger and secure a hard earned point for the Harriers.

FT: 0 – 0

The Harriers Online MotM is: Geraldo Bajrami

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Latest table and stats here

Guiseley AFC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Amissah
Hull
Nicholson
Ekpolo
Bencherif
Mbeka
Hey			54
Cantrill
Gratton
Thewlis			78
Hutchinson
Subs:
Metcalfe
Thompson			54
Hollins
Day
Haw			78
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Richards
Foulkes
Cameron
Bajrami
Martin
Austin
Carrington
Bell			54
Hemmings
Sterling-James			86
Subs:
Emery
Penny
Lowe
Montrose			54
White			86
Referee:
Mr Dean Watson
Lancashire