Match report Vs Gateshead Venue: International Stadium Date: 05-03-22 Att: 1247 (away fans: 261)

05-03-22 - Report - Gateshead 4 Kidderminster Harriers 0

Harriers get a Hiding at the Heed

Report: Phil Lench

The Harriers came up against a team in top form today when the league leaders Gateshead put four goals past Luke Simpson with no reply. The sad thing is that we never even looked like replying to that and came away without a real shot on target and a continuation of our mediocre record against the teams above and around us at the time.  Home defeats to Gateshead and Brackley Town were interspersed with defeat at AFC Fylde in a run of three league games in a row back in the early Autumn.

Next week we face Fylde at home and that’s worrying. If we had the real ambition to gain promotion via first place then those are the games that need to be won.

With yet another good turnout of Harriers fans in their convertible stand – it was sunny so the roof came off – the game got underway with a first hint of promise when Omari Sterling-James broke free of his marker in the third minute but scuffed the shot with his left foot and sent it rolling towards the corner flag. That was about as good as it got.

Gateshead had got us sussed and used their widemen well putting our fullbacks, Alex Penny and Caleb Richards, under constant pressure throughout the game. On the far side to where we were sat Cedwyn Scott was giving Alex a torrid time and whipping the crosses into the area from the byeline.

It was from one of those crosses low into the area from Lewis Storey that created the first goal of the rout in the twentieth minute. The ball came in from out wide and Macauley Langstaff was in the right place to finish the move off sliding in to prod the ball past Simpson.

We had a couple of chances to get back into the game through Nathan Cameron with a header over the bar and then Sterling-James firing in a shot from well outside of the area but it had no pace on it and was meat and drink for the Heed keeper Filip Marschall.

The second goal wasn’t quite as slick as Geraldo Bajrami tried to shepherd the Gateshead winger out towards the corner flag but slipped at the crucial moment and Scott pushed the ball around him, bypassed around four defenders to send another low ball into the area. It was kicked away, as he fell, by Simpson but only as far as Greg Olley who fired the ball back in only for it to get tangled in Simpsons legs again and roll under them and over the line to give his side a comfortable lead and to leave the Harriers following silent.

They had a chance to make it three a minute before the break when an Olley free kick was sent into the box but Owen Bailey headed narrowly over.

HT: 2 – 0

The second half started off with the promise of something better to come although there was one worrying aspect of it. We had been crying out for a more creative presence in midfield with Lewis Montrose and Mark Carrington both more defensive minded and too similar in style. On came the hoped for creator in Keziah Martin but it was for Nathan Cameron and not one of the other two mentioned.

Had Nathan picked up an injury or was it more of a strange tactical decision? 

It was still Gateshead making all the running though and it wasn’t long before the killer third goal arrived. Again Penny was left for dead as Langstaff surged past him and headed into the area. The shot at an angle across Simpson squeezed into the far side of the goal and it was game over for the Reds.

A fourth should have came a few minutes later when Scott also beat his marker to head towards the goal but his shot was careless and high over the bar. That fourth wasn’t long coming.

In a repeat of the third goal it was Taylor Charters this time who took the mickey out of us in the same area of the pitch as Langstaffs second. From the same angle he too fired across Simpson and again it nestled just inside of the far post for game, set and match.

They should have had a fifth soon after when Scott fired just over the bar and if he didn’t score we seemed only to pleased to help when a backpass from Montrose near the halfway line almost caught Simpson out before he managed to back pedal and push it to one side.

The final ten minutes passed without further incident and we looked well beaten. We were and that’s what is so annoying because when the time came for us to fight we failed.

Get well soon Matt Preston. We need you along with a midfield playmaker if want to achieve our dream.

FT: 4 – 0


Goals for Gateshead: Langstaff 20, 55, Olley 38, Charters 67



The Harriers Online MotM is: Geraldo Bajrami

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Latest table and stats here


GatesheadGoalsSubsTimeCards
Marschall    
Magnay    
Tinkler    
Storey    
Charters   
Bailey    
Langstaff77 
Ward 64 
Scott    
Olley  
Campbell    
 
Subs: 
Nicholson    
Hunter 64 
Greenfield    
Jacob    
Malley 77 
 
HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Simpson    
Penny    
Richards    
Cameron 46 
Bajrami    
Montrose 65 
Austin 72 
Carrington    
Morgan-Smith    
Hemmings    
Sterling-James    
 
Subs: 
Lowe 72 
Martin 46 
White    
Freemantle 65 
Redmond    
 
Referee: 
Mr James Westgate
Durham