11-01-19 – Preview – Kidderminster Harriers Vs Boston Utd

Supporters heading for the home game against Boston Utd tomorrow will have their first chance to see if the removal of Neil MacFarlane as the manager will have made any difference to results and our style of play. Ever since his sacking on Monday the fans have been clamouring for an end to the tippy tappy style dished up in seasons past and an introduction of a more direct style – with a bit of tippy tappy mixed in. 

Problem is though that now Colin Gordon has more control over the team then that’s going to be unlikely. He will have James O’Connor and Russ Penn as sounding boards and they might hold sway over him but it’s doubtful.

The main worry is the growing injury list with O’Connor along with Ed Williams, Dan Bradley, George Waring, Billy Daniels all missing from the Spennymoor Town defeat with injuries while Ryan Johnson will be serving the second game of his three game ban. Hopefully we should see Bradley and Williams on their way back but if they’re not then it’s time questions were asked, and questions answered as to what is going on with these long term illnesses/injuries. This has shades of the Liam Truslove saga from last season about it.

In a bid to combat that growing list of injuries, and to give us a bit more width, the Harriers signed Nick Clayton-Phillips on loan from West Bromwich Albion earlier today. The nineteen year old winger has previously been out on loan to struggling Braintree Town. Kennedy Digie has also returned to us from his loan with York City.

In that defeat in a bitter cold North East on Tuesday we were unlucky to come back with nothing to show for our efforts. We played better than in previous weeks but the Moors still beat us with their more direct football, as did Darlington a few days previous. 

Our guests tomorrow, Boston, are having a middling season again after circling the play-off places in late Autumn. They’ve lost a few lately and have now dropped back down to mid table – which is where we are heading if we don’t pull our fingers out soon.

They have a former Harrier playing for them at the back in thirty seven year old Ben Davies. Fair play to him having stayed in the game this long after hitting the heights with Derby County and Sheffield Utd during his career.

Boston will be without Ben Middleton tomorrow after he broke a bone in his foot during November and he’ll be out for another six weeks. Other injuries are not known.

So will we be seeing an improvement tomorrow or will it be same old, same old? We’ll know at the end of ninety minutes tomorrow.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Hall, Palmer, Phillips, Horsfall, O’Connor, Penn, Vaughan, Heaton, Digie, Baxendale, Weeks, Stratford, Taylor-Randle, Butterfield, White, Higginson, Austin, Bradley, Chambers, Ironside, Richards, Williams, Waring, Clayton-Phillips.

Boston Utd from:

Malkowski, Parkin, Willis, Davies, Gibbens, Harris, Jackson, Qualter, Abbott, Chettle, Chisholm, Thanoj, Wafula, Walker, Wright, Allott, Margetts, Rollins, Slew.

Referee: Mr James Bell. Sheffield

Talk about the game here

Links to Boston Utd websites here

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