09-04-22 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 6 Southport 0

The Harriers hit the ‘Port’ for six

Report: Harriershane

All of the conversation coming into this game was about two teams in poor form and the need to stand up to another physical side after Tuesday night’s defeat at home to Alfreton Town. Four changes were made to the Harriers line-up from that night with Russ Penn changing to a 4-4-2 formation, meaning Matty Stenson got his maiden start in a Harriers shirt. Cliff Moyo also made a welcome return to the substitutes bench.

The first chance actually went to the visitors with Niall Watson sending a low shot goalwards that was comfortable for Luke Simpson. The opening exchanges were breathless as the Harriers came back with Omari Sterling-James and Joe Foulkes before Alex Penny, playing at centre back, blocked a Dylan Vassallo effort.

Harriers then began to take control of the game but by playing slightly more direct than we are perhaps used to, with Stenson in particular a threat. It was the loanee from FC Halifax Town who created the game’s opening goal after embarking on a driving run out wide before fizzing the ball across the goalmouth where Ashley Hemmings was waiting at the back post to tap in and end his mini goal drought.

Stenson nearly made it two instantly, volleying an effort over after Sterling-James had shown great enterprise getting to the line and again getting a cross in. Talking of Sterling’s enterprise, Harriers doubled their lead on the half hour mark thanks to it as Hemmings ball forward was perfect for the pacy winger to chase down. With Cameron Mason onrushing, OSJ dinked the ball over the former Curzon Ashton keeper to get his first goal since the start of February.

The half ended with a Southport chance; Tyler Walton trying his luck but Nathan Cameron was there to block and send Harriers into the break two goals to the good.

HT: 2 – 0

The second half started in a scrappier manner than the first with both teams not really able to make the other work but when it finally settled down it was the Harriers who had seized the initiative; Mason saving well from an Amari Morgan-Smith snapshot.

We then had a significant delay as the already booked Douglas Tharme found himself in the centre of a storm that saw Morgan-Smith booked then a minute later the booking was withdrawn. It has been alleged that there was something unsavoury said which riled the Harriers players in earshot which perhaps explains the referee’s reaction in dishing out numerous lectures before having a discussion with both management teams.

Tharme departed the pitch immediately, having been taken off by Liam Watson and not sent off by the match referee. Which makes you wonder what all the fuss about respect is all for?

They say actions speak louder than words and immediately after the delay the Harriers made it 3-0. Again, it was Stenson involved with the frontman touching the ball back for Hemmings to lash a shot from range into the back of the net with Mason having no chance. Given the events that had just transpired you could tell by the Harriers celebrations that they had enjoyed that moment.

With twenty minutes to go Stenson departed the pitch with two assists to his name and was replaced by Ethan Freemantle. More on him later.

The fourth goal for Harriers was perhaps a fortuitous one. A Joe Foulkes cross was turned goalwards by the striker and it looked to have been claimed by Mason but Morgan-Smith and Freemantle both had stabs at the ball which evidently crossed the line at some point. The goal was awarded to Morgan-Smith but from my vantage point in the East Stand it appeared that the ball was kicked out of his hands. This was disputed by the North Stand friend I spoke to who claimed Mason had let the ball slip from his grasp. No matter, for the goal was given and the fourth had been scored.

It was the striker’s last action as he was replaced by the returning Cliff Moyo who enjoyed a warm welcome back onto the Aggborough turf for the first time since his pre season injury. The fifth goal came from Freemantle, who pressed Mason and got his rewards when the goalkeeper’s clearance cannoned off him and trickled goalwards. Ethan chased it down and slid the ball in to the open goal in front of the jubilant North Stand.

You’d have been forgiven for thinking the goals had finished but no, there was still time for a fairytale story. A free kick was swung in from wide and there was a header squeezed in at the near post by a Harriers player. That man? Cliff Moyo. Ten years to the day since “The Nick Wright Hat-Trick” and that pile-on, we saw another as every Harriers player on the pitch piled onto the likeable defender who earned a standing ovation for his goal. The stuff dreams were made of, indeed. Moyo later said that “it was brilliant, I really enjoyed it.” So did we Cliff, so did we…

FT: 6 – 0

Goals for Harriers: Hemmings 16, 67, Sterling-James 29, Morgan-Smith 77, Freemantle 86, Moyo 95

The Harriers Online MotM is: Matt Stenson

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Foulkes
Richards
Penny
Cameron
Montrose
Martin
Stenson			71
Morgan-Smith			81
Hemmings
Sterling-James			85
Subs:
Lowe
Freemantle			71
Carrington
White			85
Moyo			81
Southport	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Mason
Oliver
J Doyle			27
C Doyle
Anson
Tharme			71
Watson
Bainbridge
Archer
Vassallo
Walton
Subs:
McMillan
Benjamin			71
Woods
Newell
Hmami			27
Referee:
Mr Aaron Bannister
Wakefield