09-10-21 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 0 Brackley Town 2

Harriers fail to beat a top three team again

Report: Phil Lench

We seem to freeze when we come up against a top three side this season and today was no different. First we came up against a Gateshead side that ruined our unbeaten record beating us 2-3 and then a few weeks later it was up to AFC Fylde where we lost out by the odd goal in three. Now today another top three side met up with us and again we came away without a point to our credit.

Thank God that our game at Curzon Ashton next week has been cancelled in for November. We might have lost that too to make four continuous defeats in a row.

Playing an unchanged side from the replay win at home to Ware FC on Tuesday evening the Harriers opted to change ends at the start of the game. Not always a choice that pleases the fans. It was Brackley that came out of the blocks the quickest and following a couple of forays forwards from both sides without getting near to the goal it was the visitors that took an early lead.

To say the goal, from Jordan Richards, was stunning would be an understatement. The ball was played into the area for Lee Ndlovu to get on the end of but it was played back out to the edge of the area where a first time volley from Richards saw the ball rocket into the top corner of Luke Simpsons net.

Up until then neither side had really threatened and the consensus was that once we had settled an equaliser wouldn’t be long coming. Sadly that wasn’t to be with our strikeforce of Ethan Freemantle and Amari Morgan-Smith coming up against a well drilled Brackley rearguard. Ethan looked the more likely to score with his non-stop running at Danny Lewis’ goal but a lot of the time he was by himself with AMS too far away to be of any use.

We had a shout for a penalty turned down when a Nathan Cameron effort struck a Brackley hand but the referee was having none of it and instead gave a corner. We came closer to scoring when a shot from Mark Carrington was tipped over the bar and then a close range header from Cameron was pushed around the upright by the former Harriers keeper.

The game then went quiet with neither side encroaching on goal much and it looked likely that we would be going in for the break a goal down but with all still to play for. Town had other ideas though and it came from poor defensive work from us.

With a minute to go until half time the ball was played into our area with no real threat but, for reasons known only to themselves Geraldo Bajrami and Caleb Richards couldn’t make up their minds which of them was going to clear the ball away and instead the ball was sent across our goal mouth to the waiting Twariq Yusuf to step forwards and steer the ball home for their second goal.

HT: 0 – 2

The second period started with a change of plan from the Brackley manager, Kevin Wilkin, who opted to go for six across the back as an insurance against a possible onslaught from the Harriers following a half time rollicking.

We huffed and puffed but couldn’t get through and spent the first three minutes of the half passing the ball side to side along the halfway line. We were getting no where fast so the ball was played back to Simpson but then a quick Ndlovu swooped in to collect the ball and head towards the goal. Thankfully his efforts came to nothing as we got back in time to stop his progress and the shot went wide.

We responded with a chance for Keziah Martin that went wide. He then tried again a minute later and again it missed the target.

It was time for a change so on came Omari Sterling-James for the disappointing AMS. Ashley Hemmings moved in alongside Freemantle as the new strikeforce but to be honest it looked no different than before. Brackley were still stringing out six along the back and still we couldn’t break through it. They had obviously now settled for what they had and the main aim for them was to stop us getting a goal back.

Nyal Bell came on for the just carded Martin but, to be honest, he achieved very little either and the lack of urgency in the side was showing. A lone, blocked, effort for a quiet Sammy Austin was the sum of our chances up until then.

The game fizzled out with a half chance for Sterling and that was it. Some idiots behind the goal thought it would be big to boo the team off but it wasn’t as if they had played badly. It was just the fact the Wilkin had got his team set up to get the upperhand early and then stifle us for the rest of the game.

A team hoping to gain promotion has to be able to win their home games and especially against teams that are in a similar situation and also going for promotion. Sadly we can’t seem to grasp that. 

FT: 0 – 2

Goals for Brackley: J Richards 8, Yusuf 44

The Harriers Online MotM is: Mark Carrington

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Penny
C Richards
Cameron
Bajrami
Carrington
Austin
Martin			77
Morgan-Smith			65
Freemantle
Hemmings
Subs:
K Lowe
Sterling-James			65
Bell			77
Lissimore
White
Brackley Town	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Lewis
Myles
Walker			93
Murombedzi
Lomas
Dean
M Lowe
J Richards
Ndlovu
York
Yusuf
Subs:
Mitford			93
Rolt
Prosser
Cullinane-Liburd
Armson
Referee:
Mr Dale Wootton
Cheltenham