13-07-24. Zak Brown gets the only goal at Droitwich

Droitwich Spa FC 0 Harriers 1

The Harriers played a bit closer to home today when they travelled the short distance to Droitwich for this, our second friendly of the season. Playing in all blue the Reds named a strong first half side although it seemed to be missing an out and out striker with Ashley Hemmings alongside Kobe Hall leading the line with Jaiden White – on the list as Trialist A – tucked in behind them.

In the middle of the park the centre half was Trialist B who was believed to have been David Davis and at the back was Trialist C who no one seemed to know of. ‘Davis’ looked ok but the amount of mistakes made by him in losing the ball showed up his rustiness having not played for over nine months. Trialist C was ok but seemed to have little ball control and overhit many of his crosses.

Most of the game was a bit of a non event with the strikers looking afraid to shoot and the only highlight coming late on when Kobe Hall hit the bar with a few minutes remaining of the half. The ball bounced down but didn’t cross the line and in the scramble to force the ball home the referee decided there had been a foul anyway.

Harriers 1st half team: Dibble, Foulkes, McNally, Trialist C,  Trialist B, Downing, Hemmings, Cadogan, Trialist A, S Hewett, Hall.

The second half saw a complete change of team for the Harriers although Tom Palmer had been named to play he didn’t actually appear until halfway through the half with Christian Dibble deputising for him until then.

Our back line was more recognisable with Caleb Richards and Alex Penny taking up position there and occasionally Samson Hewetts brother Natty taking over. Luke Summerfield was in the centre of defence while wandering around in behind the front line of a lone Amari Morgan-Smith was another trialist (D) thought to be Tope Obadeyi formerly of far too many clubs to mention.

This half was better but the problem of scoring still remained. Summerfield played the ball around to a better effect than Paul Downing had in the first half. This allowed us to look more attacking but again we didn’t take advantage.

The only goal came from some good work from a rejuvenated Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain who had been putting across inviting crosses all half from the bye-line but finding them spurned. It wasn’t until one was met by AMS and then dropping down to a waiting Zak Brown that the fans finally got the goal they had been waiting for when he fired home through a bunch of players to find the back of the net.

AMS found the top of the net late on but we had won the game by then. It had been a good run out and a chance for them to get some minutes in while we the fans could have a good look at the trialists of which most did ok but it was felt we could be getting better quality in.  

Harriers 2nd half team: Palmer, Palmer, Penny, Richards, Summerfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Brown, Thompson, Morgan-Smith, Trialist D, N Hewett.

Att: 508