Match report Vs York CityVenue: AggboroughDate: 13-03-18Att: 1244 (away fans: 91)

Harriers Online - 13-03-18 - Report - Harriers 2 York City 1

Dan Bradley repays the £75,000

Report: Phil Lench

At last the Harriers turned on the style to please the fans who had been crying out for a return to the attacking style of play that had been missing from our game for quite a while now. Last Saturday at Gainsborough Trinity we sank to one of the lowest levels seen in ages with far too much negative play and a shot shy forward line. Tonight though, against York City, we saw a Harriers that didn’t stand off players, pressurised them into making mistakes and spraying the ball around the field with a confidence that was a pleasure to watch.

To top it all off we had a brace of goals from Dan Bradley that, at last, showed him at his best and made him worth every penny of the £75,000 that we paid to AFC Fylde for him. Both of his goals were excellently taken with the first coming from a superb Lee Vaughan cross to the far post where Bradley was allowed to head home without a defender near him. His second was a combo between Manny Sonupè and Declan Weeks with the latter again in acres of space to slot the ball across Adam Bartlett and into the far side of the goal.

We started the game in whirlwind fashion that seemed to take City by surprise. They had a few problems coping with our passing but didn’t resort to fouling like some teams that come to Aggborough do. Our only real fault was the final ball into the area and some of our decision making when the goal came into view. A little more thought could have seen us going at least three goals in front in the first twenty minutes.

We did get the ball in the net midway through the half when Ryan Croasdale got on the end of a flicked on from Bradley but he was slightly offside and the goal was ruled out. Earlier Sonupè, weeks and James McQuilkin had all gone close from long range efforts but they failed to trouble Bartlett with any of them.

HT: 0 – 0

At half time City bought Adriano Moké on to tighten up their midfield and changed formation at the same time. We saw less of the ball but even though the balance of play was shifting Yorks way slightly they still failed to trouble the returning Brandon Hall in the reds goal. The well known danger man, Jon Parkin, wasn’t getting a look in against Fraser Horsfall who had him in his pocket all evening just as he has at the previous meetings of the two clubs this season.

We were relying on break aways and in the fifty sixth minute it paid dividends with our opening goal as we surged up field to leave the City defence back peddling. The ball was played out wide to Vaughan and, well, you know the rest.

The goal seemed to wake City up and they had their best spell of the game for the next ten minutes although they still didn’t look like getting anything past Hall. Parkin came the closest with a shot that was forced wide by some tight defending.

It was from another foray on our goal by City that our second goal, and Bradleys second, came about. Again City had been trying to get a sight of goal and again the ball broke free for Sonupè to carry forwards on goal. We were fully expecting him to go for goal himself but at last he actually thought about it and played the ball back to Weeks who then passed it along to the waiting Bradley to fire home.

It would have been good to see another goal – and maybe a hat trick – but we seemed content with what we had. The problem is that a relaxed attitude leads to complacency and that’s just what happened when, with five minutes of extra time added on from somewhere, slack defending allowed Sean Newton in with a clear sight on goal and into the back of the net.

The positive response following Saturday was just what John Eustace had asked of his young team and just what the fans wanted too. The win takes us back up to fifth place behind City with two games in hand over them. The points gap between the two sides and the three above is probably to great to bridge so it looks like we’re going to have to settle for a fourth or fifth place but that will only happen if we continue to play like we did this evening.

Starting at the dreaded Alfreton this coming Saturday.  

FT: 2 – 1


Goals for Harriers: Bradley 56, 71

Goal for York City: Newton 91


The Harriers Online MotM is: Dan Bradley

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Latest table and stats here


HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Hall    
Vaughan    
Taylor    
Croasdale    
Horsfall    
Pearson    
Weeks    
McQuilkin    
Ironside 94 
Bradley   
Sonupè 78 
 
Subs: 
Flatt    
A Brown 78 
Waring 94 
Austin    
T Smith    
 
York CityGoalsSubsTimeCards
Bartlett    
Parslow    
Ferguson    
Bencherif    
Newton   
C Brown    
Pattison    
Heslop 46 
Parkin    
Almond 51 
Connolly 62 
 
Subs: 
Simpson    
C Smith 51 
Kempster 62 
Moké 46 
Burn    
     
Referee: 
Mr Scott Simpson
Stoke on Trent