| Date: 12-07-22 Harriers go on the raid |
Report by Phil Lench:
Two Harriers teams in each half came away with an easy 5-0 win at Worcester Raiders this evening, our first friendly before the coming season. Played at Sixways, the home of Worcester Warriors rugby club, in front of a healthy following from both side it was the Harriers first half team that looked the more dangerous.
With three trialists on show it was Trialist B that looked to be the most useful. A player very much in the mould of the recently departed Sammy Austin, both in build and technique. It’s been rumoured that he is Jack Holmes formerly of Burton Albion and more recently Halesowen Town and on this evenings showing is one that the club should seriously looking at signing.
Trialist A seemed pretty good too and again he had a look of a former Harriers about him but this time Geraldo Bajrami. His distribution was quality and he seemed very calm going about his job.
Now onto the number nine, trialist C. I was about to call a taxi for him and then he pops up to score a nice goal lobbing the ball over the keeper into the corner of the net. Apart from that he did very little though and doesn’t appear to be what we’re looking for.
In the dying minutes of the half one of our new signings, Zak Brown, picked up a return pass in front of goal and quickly slid the ball beyond the keeper. Of the other new faces on show this half then Shane Byrne and Krystian Pearce looked classy.
As for the Raiders they rarely threatened our goal up until the last few minutes when they tested Tom Palmer for the first time but he saved well.
HT: 0 – 2
The second half was all change for us but not for the Raiders as they carried on with their first half line up. This time we had two trialists on show, D and E but neither really stood out, while Raiders seemed to have moved a few players around and looked a better unit this half.
It was they who forced the first corner of the game but did nothing with it and Jamie Emery made a good save to keep their score at zero. a minute later and we were three goals to the good when D flighted the ball over from wide and Ethan Freemantle steered a beautiful header into the net.
Ethan had another part to play in the fourth goal soon after when another header down hit a Raiders player and the referee deeming it had hit his arm/hand. I wasn’t convinced but Nathan Lowe stepped up to fire the penalty home.
The fifth and final goal was Ethans again when Joe Foulkes played the ball through for him to run onto and place beyond the reach of the keeper. This time of the new players Tom Owen-Evans was busy without over stretching himself, Lowe was solid while Tom Leak got on with the job in midfield before moving to left back for the last ten minutes of the game.
It was a good runout for the Reds and a nice evening out for the fans eager to see the new players. They wouldn’t have been disappointed.
FT: 0 – 5
Harriers 1st half: Palmer, Lissimore, Richards, Byrne, Pearce, Trialist A, Trialist B, Martin, Trialist C, Hemmings, Brown.
Harriers 2nd half: Emery, Foulkes, Trialist D, Trialist E, Bastable, Leak, Owen-Evans, Lowe, Freemantle, Tolley, Ceesay.
Subs: Harland, Hewett.