06-09-19 – Preview – Blyth Spartans Vs Kidderminster Harriers

The Harriers go into, what should be, an easy looking game at Blyth Spartans tomorrow but following recent games at home where we have failed to turn up we can only hope that our away form will carry us through this.

Blyth are currently rooted firmly to the bottom of the table with a solitary point after nine games. On Wednesday evening they lost out 2-1 away at Darlington. On Tuesday we lost out 3-1 at home to Brackley Town so, basically, both results were as bad as each other.

Following their game at Darlington the Blyth assistant boss, Paul Stephenson had this to say:

“We’re massively disappointed. I thought it was a fantastic opportunity for us and I do even more now having seen the opponents but you can’t knock them, they found a way to win the game……….I can’t express more how much we are hurting. We have got react now and we have got to show a bit of fight because at the moment, that is the one thing we have got to have.

The minimum we have got to have is fight. We need to fight for the badge. I expect a reaction on Saturday at home to Kidderminster.  Only they can change it, we try our best to prepare them well in training but ultimately when you step on the pitch, you have to go and perform and stick to the gameplan. 

…….instead we shoot ourselves in the foot.

The Harriers boss John Pemberton was more scathing in his post match interview:

“I thought we were poor tonight. We have our three best players missing, and tonight showed where we are as a team and as a football club.

The frailties are there and tonight is was men against boys… half the team are finding it a little too much.

It’s hard you want everybody to show a bit more, but the players that let us down today have been here a while, they’re the experienced ones…I’m having to move my captain all around the pitch because we’re not strong enough.

Give me eleven of  Cliff Moyo, he’s unbelievable in his attitude and commitment. He could go and play anywhere.

Unfortunately, I haven’t got enough of him; I haven’t got enough men and that’s the problem.

I’m not defending that, and I’ve told them that in the dressing room because what that was at times was embarrassing.

I’m not accepting it.

We’ll still be without two of the missing players with Rhys Williams and Milan Butterfield away on international duty but we might, hopefully, have Declan Weeks back from injury.

On paper we should win the game but with both clubs in turmoil it could go either way. I just hope we have enough in our locker to continue our good away form and come home with a win.

Teams:

Harriers from:

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

Blyth Spartans from:

Foden, Harker, Hutchinson, Callaghan, Devitt, Evans, Robson, Nearny, Wrightson, Ritson, Horner, Mullen, Spooner, Roberts, Mason, Hawkins, Mouanda, Orrell, Dale, Pearson, Butler, Sweet, Fenwick. 

Referee: Mr Daniel Locker. Liverpool

Talk about the game here

Links to Blyth Spartans websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here