12-08-22. Preview Vs Leamington FC

Preview: Phil Lench

The Reds got the new season underway with a hard earned win at Blyth Spartans last Saturday. The single goal win came thanks to an Ashley Hemmings early second half tap in but the game was probably more memorable for some fans due to the bricking of the supporters coach by a fine specimen of Geordie manhood.

Just minutes before the game Ethan Freemantle came off injured following a clash of heads that resulted in him limping off with a foot injury. Since then a Russ Penn video tells us that the foot injury was something to do with his head injury and he’s fit to play against Leamington FC tomorrow. Head? Foot? err Head???

So now we play our first game at home tomorrow against neighbours Leamington and hopefully we’ll put that shocking performance at their place in May to the backs of our minds. That game saw a wonder strike from former Harrier Callum Gittings but he’s no longer with them and is now running his career down at Stourbridge FC. Joe Clarke is the only recognised former Red with them now but they have just signed a former Harriers Academy player in defender Louis Hall following his recent departure from Newport County.

They thrashed Farsley Celtic 4-0 last week with a hat trick from striker Dan Turner that took them to the top of the table as the first day league leaders. We’ll need to keep him quiet then.  

On the injury front they still have Kelsey Mooney out of the reckoning following an ACL injury that he got against Farsley in March. Neither Theo Streete or Stephan Morley were in the playing squad against Farsley but there’s no hint that they’re injured or not.

We’ll still be without Alex Penny and Amari Morgan-Smith but they’re both back in training now so not too far away from featuring soon. As far as I know there are no other selection worries.

Now you may have noticed that it’s getting warm out there so don’t get expecting a fast paced game with players chasing every ball. Hopefully it’ll be nicely controlled slick passing working the ball into the back of the Leamington net on at least three occasions. Also take a hat to save boiling your head and plenty of fluids too. Then again the security will no doubt take the tops off the bottles or take the bottles off you. Tell them to do one.

Photo ©KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Palmer, Emery, Penny, Richards, Knight-Percival, Foulkes, Pearce, Margetson, Lowe, Bastable, Leak, Lissimore, Byrne, Brown, Owen-Evans, Rogers, Martin, Freemantle, Tolley, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, Ceesay.

Leamington FC from:

Hawkins, English, Lane, Mace, Hall, Meredith, Morley, Clarke, Streete, Cook, Edwards, Kelly-Evans, Maye, Prosser, Usher-Shipway, Walker, Taylor, Turner.

Referee: Mr Craig Scriven. Wells

Talk about the game here

Links to Leamington FC websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here