11-03-23. Match report Vs Kings Lynn Town

We score and it could have been more

Report: Phil Lench

With such a poor home record, and being up against the team in second place in the league table, very few of those in attendance nursed much hope of a win for us.  A drop of near four hundred on our previous crowd against Boston Utd saw the Harriers beat the odds to draw against Bostons’ near neighbours Kings Lynn Town today. That same crowd also saw our first goal at Aggborough since we lost 2-1 at home to Brackley Town almost a month ago to the day.

It was Ashley Hemmings that saved us from further embarrassment today with his poachers goal early on in the game but sadly the joy didn’t last very long when Lynn equalised through a very soft penalty when Joe Foulkes collided with a Lynn player and both went to the floor. The out of his depth referee pointed to the spot to the amazement of everyone in the ground.

In another effort to change things round and get us back on the winning trail Russ Penn opted for Hemmings to lead the line with Ethan Freemantle tucked in just behind. It stunk of desperation but it actually worked with the Reds on the front foot from the start. Maybe with a better player supporting it would have looked more convincing.

There was no place for Alex Penny or Krystian Pearce with both out through injury although Nathaniel Knight-Percival did start even though he will be starting a four game suspension from the next game onward. Amari Morgan-Smith was on the bench for the second game running alongside Tom Palmer who made way for Christian Dibble. 

The game got underway at the expected high speed with a few mis-placed passes and plenty of shirt pulling from both sides although it was the visitors who were the more guilty of that offence. It didn’t take us long to open the scoring though when Caleb Richards crossed the ball into the area. The Lynn keeper Sam Blair got a hand to it but the ball made it’s way to Hemmings to fire the ball home through a ruck of players as he was falling to the ground.

We tried to add to the score but a quick breakaway saw the visitors head towards Dibbles goal. Foulkes and an opposition player both reached the ball at the same time and both go to the ground at the same time. For reasons known only to himself the ref deemed Joe to have committed the foul and pointed to the spot. Gold Omotayo stepped up and although Dibble dived the right way he couldn’t stop Omotayo drawing his side level.

It was Lynn that took control of the game after that and came close to scoring twice more. Our only chances came the way of Hemmings with a low shot that the keeper collected while Kai Lissimore sent a wild shot over the bar.

Almost on the stroke of half time we had the ball in the net again but a challenge on the keeper ruled that one out.

HT: 1 – 1

Kings Lynn were the first to make an impression in the second half when Josh Barrett fired a shot just past the post but Dibble had it covered all the way. Minutes later more pressure saw them almost get their second goal when Theo Widdrington fired in but at the last gasp Kyle Morrison was there to save face and clear the ball off the line just before Omotayo could get a touch, much to the relief of Harriers fans expecting the worst.

We responded with a chance for Foulkes but his effort went wide and then Hemmings sent a shot over the bar from a free kick but it was oh, so close. Hemmo went close again minutes later with another shot that went just over.

Both sides began to make changes to the line-up soon after and we bought on Tom Owen-Evans for Lissimore while soon after Amari Morgan-Smith came on for Ethan Freemantle. Both subs took a while to get into the game though.

With the game drawing to a close both sides went on the search for a winner. Josh Coulson went close with a header that was cleared off the line but it was the Harriers who came the closest though. We should really have earned all three points when AMS found himself one on one with Blair but took a little too long and fired the ball straight at him. The ball deflected away towards goal but a defender had rushed in the cover and cleared it off the line.

The draw, the goal and the much improved performance should inspire some confidence in the side and convince then that we’re better than they think. Just take this fighting spirit to Gloucester City next Saturday and it might even begin to convince the fans.

FT: 1 – 1

Goal for Harriers: Hemmings 9

Goal for Kings Lynn: Omotayo 17 (pen)

The Harriers Online MotM is: Kyle Morrison

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Dibble
Foulkes
Richards
Knight-Percival
Morrison
McNally
Brown
Lissimore			71
Freemantle			74
Hemmings			88
Byrne
Subs:
Palmer
Leak
Owen-Evans			71
Morgan-Smith			74
Bearne			88
Kings Lynn Town	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Blair
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Scott
Fleming
Crowther
Coulson
Clunan
Widdrington
Omotayo
Barratt			58
Hughes			57
Subs:
Dixon-Hodge
Jones
Ponticelli			58
Stephens
Cosgrave			57
Referee:
Mr Matthew Scholes
Telford