05-08-19 – Preview – AFC Telford Utd Vs Kidderminster Harriers

The Harriers got off to a steady, if unspectacular, start on Saturday with a 2-2 draw at home to a defensively minded Leamington FC side. A second half goal from Ashley Chambers was our response to a penalty awarded to the visitors late on in the first half. Ed Williams then went on to put us into the lead ten minutes later but it was all undone a few minutes from time when Kaiman Anderson was allowed to sneak in and draw his side level and go home with a share of the points.

It’s only the first game of the season though so there’s no need to panic just yet.

Tomorrow evening we face another local team in AFC Telford Utd at the Bucks Head. Last season we won there with a solitary goal from the on loan Nick Clayton-Phillips against a poor Telford side on a damp January afternoon. It was hoped that the three points would help us get back towards the play-offs but that never happened and we stayed in and around tenth place for the remainder of the season while Telford went on to finish above us but just missing out on a play-off place.

On Saturday they opened their season with a 2-1 defeat at newly promoted Kettering Town with the former Harriers striker? Daniel Nti scoring a late goal for his new club. Telford opened the scoring in the first half but the home side drew level soon after the break. They then played against ten men following a penalty awarded for a foul on Marcus Dinanga but Aaron Williams failed to convert the resulting spot kick leaving Nti to end their day on a downer.

With bragging rights at stake we need to win this game (we’ll accept a draw though) and get our season off to a decent start. There shouldn’t be any injuries following the game at the weekend and I’d expect John Pemberton to go with the same eleven once again. There were no really weak links either although the bench was a little on the defensive side.

Out of the new boys Rhys Williams and Cliff Moyo both shaded it for me. Alex Prosser had a quiet game while Cameron Gregory had very little to do apart from pick the ball out of the net twice. Correy Davidson looked steady while Richard Peniket, who came on as a sub, did little during his time on the pitch.

I’m hoping for all three points in this game but we’ll settle for one. As long as we don’t lose we’ll be happy.    

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Gregory, Palmer, Davidson, O’Connor, Higginson, Penn, Johnson, Moyo, R Williams, Prosser, Weeks, Stratford, Taylor-Randle, Scott, Butterfield, Austin, Chambers, E Williams, White, Peniket.

AFC Telford Utd from:

Addai, White, Morley, Deeney, McQuilkin, Sutton, Streete, Lait, A Walker, A Williams, Dinanga, Brown, Lilly, Barnes-Homer, Bramley, Knights, Cowans, Tharme, Royle, Downing, H Walker. 

Referee: Mr Sam Mulhall. Cheshire

Talk about the game here

Links to AFC Telford Utd websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here