National North – Play off eliminator
Match preview Vs Boston UtdDate: 12-05-22Venue: AggboroughKick off: 19:45hrs

11-05-22 - Preview - Play off eliminator - Kidderminster Harriers Vs Boston Utd

Preview: Phil Lench

The Harriers enter the start of the final phase of this long season tomorrow evening when we take our first step in the play off finals for the 2021/22 season.

Alex Penny
Alex Penny
Must be looking forward to the Boston game

Our reward for finishing fourth is that we get to play our first game at home so this eliminator game is against seventh placed Boston Utd and has to be won on the day if we hope, or Boston, to be playing at AFC Fylde on Sunday afternoon. Tonight York City will be entertaining Chorley FC in the first of the eliminators and the winner of that game will then be away at Brackley Town on Saturday.

If the Harriers hordes want to travel to Fylde then first we have to put paid to Bostons hopes.

In recent games we’ve been a little below par, with our performances, having lost spectacularly at Leamington FC and then seemingly drifting to a win at home to Darlington FC last Saturday. Now we have to step up a gear, or five, and really go for this big chance to get ourselves back into the National League Premier after losing our place there in 2016 (six years ago????. Thanks Colin).

We should be at full strength for the game with the only worry being Amari Morgan-Smith who has a toe injury picked up in the Guiseley AFC game two weeks ago. Ethan Freemantle replaced him against Leamington and Darlington but failed to convince many that he’d be a good enough choice to play if AMS fails to make it. Sadly we have no other choice in that position and will have to make do.

One player who will be looking forward to the game is our own Alex Penny. He used to play for Boston and will be eager to put one over his old team.

Boston finished their season with a draw at home to Gloucester City and a win at Farsley Celtic, nearly relegating them in the process until Guiseley lost to two late goals at Alfreton Town and relegating them instead.

The Pilgrims could be fielding a weakened side with Brad Nicholson (knee), Matt Tootle (calf), Tom Platt (ankle), Joe Leesley (knee) and Jordan Burrow (ankle) all missing in recent weeks. They should still be able to field a strong side though and will be hopeful of causing an upset.

They should also be bringing a healthy following too with three coaches already booked and over 300 tickets sold. Along with our 3000 + sold it’s going to be a noisy occasion and, hopefully, our fans will be the noisier ones by the end of the game.

Photo © KHFC


Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Palmer, Emery, Richards, Cameron, Foulkes, Panter, Penny, Bajrami, Lowe, Austin, Redmond, Lissimore, Montrose, Carrington, Martin, Freemantle, Bastable, Tolley, Hemmings, Bell, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James.

Boston Utd from:

Crook, Dewhurst, Duxberry, Ferguson, Garner, Nicholson, Seriki, Shiels, Tootle, J Wright Snr, Abbott, Armond, Byrne, Dimaio, Green, Leesley, Platt, Rollins, Sault, Shanks, Thanoj, Burrow, Elliott, Hanson, Massanka, Preston, Wright Jnr.

Referee: Mr Aaron Bannister. Wakefield


Shanes Opposition Stats Pack:

Away from home in the league: (P21, W8, D4, L9) Fylde 1-0, BPA 1-2, Leamington 2-0, Gateshead 3-1, Blyth 0-1, Chester 4-0, Southport 4-1, Kettering 2-3, Gloucester 0-0, Spennymoor 1-1, Hereford 2-1, Harriers 3-1, Guiseley 0-1, Alfreton 1-1, York 0-1, Darlington 2-1, Chorley 2-1, Curzon Ashton 0-4, Brackley 0-1, AFC Telford 1-1, Farsley Celtic 0-2.

Goals (all competitions): 27 – Elliott, 11 – Wright Jnr, 10 – F Preston, 6 – Shiels, 5 – Byrne, 5 – Leesley, 4 – Burrow, 2 – Abbott, 2 – Duxbury, 2 – Ferguson, 2 – Garner, 2 – Green, 2 – Hanson, 2 – J Preston (left club), 2 – Pollock (left club), 1 – Own goal.

The streaks (league only):

Games since last win: 0

Games since last away win: 0

Games since last draw: 1

Games since last away draw: 1

Games since last defeat: 3

Games since last away defeat: 4

Games since last clean sheet: 0

Games since last away clean sheet: 0

The Squad (appearances are starts + sub, includes both league and cups):

Goalkeepers: Marcus Dewhust (P32, conceded 42. Saved 1 from 4 penalties. On loan from Sheff Utd), Peter Crook (8, conceded 13. Saved 1 from 2 penalties. Returned from loan with Peterborough Sports).

Defence: Scott Duxbury (P33, 2 goals), Keenan Ferguson (P32, 2 goals), Scott Garner (P24, 2 goals), Kyron Gordon (P5. Returned to Sheff Utd), Brad Nicholson (P13), Femi Seriki (P10. On loan from Sheff Utd), Luke Shiels (P44, 6 goals), Matt Tootle (P29), Jake Wright Snr (P13).

Midfield: Brad Abbott (P7, 2 goals), Finlay Armond (P1), Shane Byrne (P47, 5 goals including both penalties taken), Connor Dimaio (P14. Returned from loan with Curzon Ashton), Paul Green (P22, 2 goals), Tom Platt (P44) Fraser Preston (P37, 10 goals), Ben Sault (P2), Connor Shanks (P0. On loan from Huddersfield), Andi Thanoj (P5).

Attack: Jordan Burrow (P28, 4 goals), Danny Elliott (P48, 27 goals including 10 out of 11 penalties), James Hanson (P14, 2 goals. On loan from Farsley Celtic), Joe Leesley (P38, 5 goals. On loan from Harrogate Town), Ntumba Massanka (P11. On loan from South Shields), Jay Rollins (P2), Jake Wright Jnr (P25, 11 goals including 1 penalty).


Talk about the game here

Links to Boston Utd websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here


Previous games against Boston Utd
Played: 48Won: 18Drew: 9Lost: 21
DateH/AComp:ScoreGoalsAtt: (away)
22-02-2022HNational North3 – 1Hemmings, Austin, Morgan-Smith2823 (49)
18-12-2021AFA Trophy 3rd rd4 – 1White975 (48)
11-12-2021ANational North1 – 2Penny, Hemmings1345 (76)
25-01-2020ANational North2 – 0 1278 (79)
07-12-2019HNational North1 – 3Moyo1102 (86)
11-01-2019HNational North1 – 2Ironside1249 (54)
01-09-2018ANational North0 – 2Williams, Chambers1129 (72)
30-03-2018ANational North3 – 2Bradley, Waring1158 (101)
28-11-2017HFA Trophy 3rd qual rd replay2 – 0N’Gwatala, Ironside604 (14)
25-11-2017AFA Trophy 3rd qual rd2 – 2Brown, Ironside732 (58)
02-09-2017HNational North1 – 1Sonupè1463 (59)
14-04-2017HNational North1 – 0N’Gwatala2056 (107)
27-08-2016ANational North1 – 1OG1047 (97)
23-11-2005ALDV Trophy 2nd rd0 – 3Christie 2, Blackwood1131 (49)
23-04-2005ACoca Cola League 23 – 0 2053 (170)
06-11-2004HCoca Cola League 20 – 4 2208 (124)
08-05-2004HNationwide Division 32 – 0OG, Williams3047 
29-11-2003ANationwide Division 32 – 2Hinton, White2147 (97)
22-02-2003ANationwide Division 33 – 0 2485 
07-09-2002HNationwide Division 30 – 0 2222 
16-01-1993HVauxhall Conference0 – 2 954
29-08-1992AVauxhall Conference0 – 3Davies, Grainger, Forsyth1228
30-03-1992HVauxhall Conference1 – 3Davies1009
31-08-1991AVauxhall Conference1 – 2Whitehouse1319
30-03-1991AVauxhall Conference3 – 1Wilcox1276
22-09-1990HVauxhall Conference3 – 3Davies, Howell, Forsyth1033
03-03-1990HVauxhall Conference1 – 3Forsyth1119
07-10-1989AVauxhall Conference2 – 3Howell, Whitehouse, Forsyth1409
22-04-1989HVauxhall Conference0 – 2 1163
12-11-1988AVauxhall Conference0 – 2OG, Davies1658
02-02-1988HVauxhall Conference1 – 0Jones1029
22-08-1987AVauxhall Conference1 – 0 1560
22-04-1987HVauxhall Conference1 – 2Jones728
06-09-1986AVauxhall Conference2 – 1Casey1009
19-04-1986AAlliance Premier2 – 1Casey1316
21-12-1985HFA Trophy 1st rd5 – 2Casey 2, Davies, Tuohy, OG647
30-11-1985HAlliance Premier3 – 2Tuohy, OG, Casey562
26-01-1985AAlliance Premier2 – 3Powell, McGowan, Hollis1383
01-09-1984HAlliance Premier2 – 0Powell, Davies459
10-12-1983 AAlliance Premier2 – 3Davies, Roberts, Powell744
03-09-1983HAlliance Premier1 – 1Jones443
02-03-1968AWest Midlands League0 – 1Marshall 
18-11-1967HWest Midlands League1 – 1Henderson 
25-01-1967AWest Midlands League Cup1 – 2P Wassall, Gilbert 
19-09-1966HWest Midlands League0 – 1 2425
22-08-1966AWest Midlands League4 – 2P Wassall, Gilbert 
13-04-1959ASouthern League NW4 – 1Burns3580
28-02-1959HSouthern League NW1 – 1Staples