13-02-23. Match preview Vs Brackley Town

Preview: Phil Lench

The Harriers meet up with a formidable foe tomorrow evening when Brackley Town come to Aggborough and we’ll be hopeful of a positive result against a side that we rarely get anything from. In the twelve games played between the two sides we’ve won three of them and they’ve won the other nine. Never had a draw yet.

In the corresponding game at St James Park in August we turned in what was possibly one of the worst games we have ever witnessed: report here 

At the time they were being managed by Kevin Wilkin but he left the club soon after to manage strugglers AFC Telford Utd (they’re still struggling btw) and the former Birmingham City and Wolves striker Roger Johnson took over the reins. They didn’t miss a beat and carried on putting results together while we didn’t. It’s only in recent weeks that we’ve begun to improve but will it be enough to beat the Saints?

On Saturday, while Brackley were sharing the points at home to Chorley FC, we were up at Spennymoor Town getting our first ever win there. A stunning goal from Amari Morgan-Smith set us on the way and a goal from Reiss McNally towards the end of the first half sealed the win for us. The win kept us in eighth place in the table but it closed the gap on the play-off places oh so slightly.

We saw a return to the side for Joe Foulkes following his injury at Curzon Ashton a few weeks ago. At first it was hoped, by the fans, that he wasn’t being forced back too soon due to Alex Pennys injury but he coped really well and had a great game. Alex will still be out for a while even though his knee injury isn’t as bad as was first feared while Nathaniel Knight-Percival missed the game due to a tweaked hamstring but it’s doubtful he’ll be risked so soon.

Caleb Richards is still out for a little longer with his ankle injury while it’s believed that our third choice keeper, Jamie Emery, has gone out on loan to Boldmere St Michaels but there’s still nothing to confirm that from either club yet.

If we can bring our away form back to Aggborough we could be in with a chance of at least one point. We thought that was going to happen when we beat Blyth Spartans a couple of weeks back but then we came back down to earth with a bang losing to Scarborough Athletic a week later.

We don’t want that happening again.

Teams:

Harriers from:

Palmer, Dibble, Emery, Penny, C Richards, Morrison, Knight-Percival, Foulkes, Leak, McNally, Pearce, Byrne, Brown, Lissimore, Owen-Evans, Hall, Martin, McGlynn, Freemantle, Bearne, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith.

Brackley Town from:

Lewis, Worby, Calder, Dean, Carline, Flanagan, Cullinane-Liburd, Jones, Armson, Massey, Putz, Walker, Yusuf, Bates, Matwasa, J Richards, Woods, Lopes, Murombedzi, Smart, York, Amantchi, Yussuf, Rooney, Stead. 

Referee: Mr Sam Read. Swindon

Talk about the game here

Links to Brackley Town websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here