06-01-24. Rochdale AFC 2 Kidderminster Harriers 0. Match report

Spineless Harriers lose again without a single shot on goal 

Report: Phil Lench

The headline above may not be strictly true because having watched the game on the National League TV channel we missed the first twenty five minutes of the game due to the picture breaking up, stuttering and blacking out. Not that we missed much having looked at the official sites X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) page then they seem to confirm that. They also confirmed that we didn’t get a ny others shots on goal for the remainder of the game either.

When the team lineup was announced nearly all fans were asking why we had adopted the non working single striker yet again, a formation we all know doesn’t work for us and is a totally negative formation. Yet later on in the second half we bought on Gold Omotayo alongside Amari Morgan-Smith and we still looked clueless.

We did seem to have the majority of the possession of the ball during the first half but Rochdale defended well and kept us out. A wide shot from Ashley Hemmings and another straight at the keeper – would that be classed as an on target shot? – was the full complement of our efforts though and it’s just not good enough to keep us in this division.

The most ‘spirit raising’ moment in the game for us was when Sam Robinson chased a ball down to the edge of the area and the ‘Dale keeper, Wolves loanee Louie Moulden, pushed the ball away but only back to Robinson and then turned in a sliding tackle to rob him of his second chance to score.

Rochdale didn’t have a single shot on goal either!

HT: 0 – 0

The second half both teams started equally again but without much in the way of chances for either side. The former Harriers loanee, Max Taylor, came close with a header but then they scored. Was it a fluke or was it a piece of genius skill?

With both teams milling around outside the Harriers area, and there looking to be no danger, Tyrese Sinclair flicked the ball into the air and over his shoulder, over Christian Dibble and into the Harriers goal. If you’re a Rochdale fan you’d have said, yes, it was genius but to me and you it was a bloody good fluke.

Our heads dropped and that was it, even when the subs began to come on some five minutes later. FIVE MINUTES??? come on Russ you’re taking the piss here. Omotayo came on for Caleb Richards but didn’t do much, later on our new man Owen Hesketh came on for our most creative player, Jack Lambert, but only did a little more and not enough to get us back into the game.

On seventy one minutes it was game gone and over and out for the Harriers. A static defence allowed Ryan East to slip the ball through to Taylor who then moved it forwards through the still static defence for Ian Henderson to slide home from close range. This time our heads didn’t drop and at least we tried but without actually achieving anything. Lambert fired wide while Hesketh fired even wider towards the corner flag.

At least we now have the Worcestershire Senior Cup game at Droitwich Spa FC to look forward to on Tuesday evening. Get a win there and Russ Penns job is safe for another day. 

FT: 2 – 0

Goals for Rochdale: Sinclair 59, Henderson 71

The Harriers Online MotM is: Alex Penny

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Rochdale AFC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Moulden
Gordon
John			70
East
Taylor
Ebanks-Landell
Sinclair			86
Keohane
Henderson			96
Gilmour
Armstrong
Subs:
Oduroh			86
Afuye
Ferguson			70
Edwards
Burgess			96
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Dibble
Robinson
Richards			64
Penny
Preston			81
McNally
Hobson
Byrne
Morgan-Smith
Hemmings
Lambert			75
Subs:
Pearce
Brown
Hesketh			75
Lissimore			81
Omotayo			64
Referee:
Mr Garreth Rhodes
Selby