FA Cup 1st round
Match preview Vs Grimsby Town Venue: Aggborough Date: 06-11-21 Kick off: 15:00hrs

05-11-21 - Preview - FA Cup 1st Rd - Kidderminster Harriers Vs Grimsby Town

Preview: Phil Lench

The Harriers have reached the heady heights of the FA Cup 1st round for the first time since God knows when and to celebrate the occasion we have an home game against second placed National Premier Grimsby Town to look forward to. When we were drawn out of the hat – at home!!! what went right there then? – a few weeks ago they were at the top but two defeats on the trot have seen them drop down a place to make way for the mighty Boreham Wood. How that must hurt.

Keith Lowe
Keith Lowe
Would he be the one to replace Bajrami?

Those defeats came away at Wealdstone FC (another minnow) and then at home to fellow big club Notts County. Fair play to the Mariners though on reaching so high with the amount of injuries in the team. In July they signed veteran midfielder Joel Grant hoping that his experience would help them but he’s yet to kick a ball in anger. The same goes for Sean Scannell signed from Blackpool last season and hasn’t played a single game this.

They have also got injuries to star strikers John McAtee (knee) and Ryan Taylor (hamstring) along with Ryan Sears and Max Wright both having minor injuries to contend with.

We, on the other hand, should have no new injuries with only Lewis Montrose missing lately. Cliff Moyo and Joe Foulkes are a long way off returning just yet. We’ll be without Geraldo Bajrami though following his red card at Chorley FC the other night.

The big question everyone is asking is who will replace Bajrami. Keith Lowe looks to be the obvious candidate but he wouldn’t last ninety minutes and there’s some that believe he wouldn’t last forty five minutes either.

A more workable answer would be for Alex Penny to move into the middle of defence and Mark Carrington to take up the right back role. Keziah Martin should then return to replace Carrington in midfield. It’ll be Lowe though.

This game should give us a good idea of our strengths regarding our ability to play at a higher level. We know that we have the makings of a good team and it wasn’t all that long ago that we were playing Grimsby on a regular basis and we could do again one day soon.

Many fans still talk about that FA Cup game up at Blundell Park when Marvin Johnson ran clear to score . Could that kind of result happen again?

If we get through this to the next round we might get the chance of facing a more glamourous club than Grimsby. Check out ITV4 after the Dagenham and Redbridge FC v Salford City game on Monday at around 9:45pm.

Photo © KHFC


Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Emery, Richards, Cameron, Penny, Lowe, Austin, Montrose, Lissimore, Bonds, Carrington, Bell, Martin, Clayton-Phillips, Freemantle, Tolley, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James.

Grimsby Town from:

McKeown, Battersby, Crocombe, Crookes, Waterfall, Revan, Sears, Pearson, Longe-King, Efete, Goundry, Bapaga, Coke, Scannell, Clifton, Wright, Grant, Hunt, Spokes, Khouri, Fox, Towler, Esteves-Sousa, John-Lewis, Adlard, Essel, McAtee, Taylor.

Referee: Mr Garreth Rhodes. Selby


Talk about the game here

Links to Grimsby Town websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here


Previous games against Grimsby Town
Played: 15Won: 5Drew: 4Lost: 6
DateH/AComp:ScoreGoalsAtt: (away)
28-11-2015ANational Premier1 – 0 3894 (77)
08-08-2015HNational Premier2 – 2Styche, Verma3459 (1689)
22-11-2014ANational Premier0 – 2Johnson, Byrne3446 (70)
20-09-2014HNational Premier0 – 1 2093 (393)
05-04-2014HSkrill Premier0 – 1 2176 (447)
19-12-2013ASkrill Premier3 – 1Gash3086 (51)
09-03-2013ABlue Square Premier1 – 3Malbon 2, Gash4629 (252)
20-10-2012AFA Cup 4th qual rd2 – 4Malbon, Dunkley, Vaughan, Johnson2092 (81)
15-09-2012HBlue Square Premier0 – 0 1811 (375)
31-03-2012ABlue Square Premier1 – 2Malbon, Rowe3194 (78)
27-09-2011HBlue Square Premier1 – 1Wright1807 (133)
09-04-2011ABlue Square Premier3 – 3Blair 32402 (128)
10-10-2010HBlue Square Premier3 – 2McPhee, Blair 21587 (319)
30-04-2005HCoca Cola League 21 – 4Birch2390 (120)
20-11-2004ACoca Cola League 22 – 1Matias3605 (93)