12-10-24. Kidderminster Harriers 0 Guiseley AFC 1. FA Cup 4th Qual Rd. Match report

A disgraceful second half shambles sees us exit the FA Cup

Report: Phil Lench

Well that was bad wasn’t it? BAD!, BAD!, BAD!

Following a shocking, substandard second half performance the Harriers went crashing out of the FA Cup and in doing so missed out on a near £10,000 payday that could have seen the club recruit a decent goalscorer that can take penalties because by God Ashley Hemmings certainly can’t.

His first half dance up, pirouette, hop, skip, jump, weak side footed rolled ball to the Guiseley AFC keeper was totally cringeworthy and we do not want to see that pathetic effort ever again. Phil Brown please take him off penalty duties immediately.

The ironic thing is that our first half showing was very good but without the all important end result. We must have had around ten chances to go into the break at least two goals to the good but profligacy in front of goal has been our failing all season and today was no different. We just couldn’t seem to get anything on target. Hemmings x 4, David Davis and Joe Foulkes all went close without really testing Joe Cracknell in the goal.

The penalty came about midway through the first half when Jack Lambert sent a cross over to the far side of the area and Lebrun Mbeka, in the act of falling over, fell onto the ball and swept it away with his hand. The referee pointed immediately to the spot and the rest is history.

Following that we upped our game but the scandal of missed chances continued and we went into the break holding the upper hand and all it needed was to start the second half on fire and we would surely go on to win the game and pull that plum tie out of the hat on Monday evening. 

HT: 0 – 0

The second half was shocking and inexcusable. Phil Brown could clearly see his game plan wasn’t working but to take off our entire midfield was criminal on his behalf. Off went Hemmings, Lambert and Zak Brown but the most bewildering was the only player trying to create anything – Maz Kouhyar. Guiseley must have thought their boat had just come in. They didn’t even have to raise their game.

A Joe Foulkes mistake allowed John Lufudu to stroll past him and play the ball back to the former Harriers loanee Will Longbottom who stroked the ball home with ease. That was their only shot on target in the entire game.

We went to pieces in the middle of the park, understandable considering we had no one in the middle of the park to create anything. Every ball that came our way was mis-kicked, fumbled, lost and given away. Do these player never practise ball control in training? Is it just all laughter and piggybacks?

After the game Phil Brown came out and held his hands up to the way he had set the team up but then also began to blame the players too. They’re all in for training tomorrow and for every day in the week too. Will it make any difference by the time we cross the country to Needham Market next Saturday? I’m beginning to doubt it. Has he lost the dressing room? I’m beginning to think so. 

FT: 0 – 1

Goal for Guiseley: Longbottom 84

The Harriers Online MotM is: Reiss McNally

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Dibble
Foulkes
Richards
Penny
McNally
Davis
Lambert			66
Z Brown			73
Morgan-Smith
Hemmings			58
Kouhyar			80
Subs:
Palmer
Devine
Cadogan			73
Thompson			80
Ibbitson			58
Obadeyi			66
Kandola
Guiseley AFC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Cracknell
O Brown
Ridehalgh
Ekpolo
Mbeka
Lawlor
Lufudu
Moke			68
Johnson			82
Ackroyd
Longbottom
Subs:
King
Westfall
Emmett			68
Bentley			82
Walters
Dickinson
Afuape
Referee:
Mr Luis Griffiths
Bootle