Match report Vs Gloucester CityVenue: AggboroughDate: 10-08-19Att: 1434 (away fans: 115)

13-08-19 - Report - Kidderminster Harriers 2 Gloucester City 3

Harriers give away a two goal lead

Report: Harriershane

Gloucester City came to Aggborough, fell behind, dusted themselves down and taught Harriers a lesson in game management whilst manager John Pemberton did not make any substitutions. Be it out of necessity or choice is yet to be seen, but you cannot escape the feeling that it was a statement towards Colin Gordons policy of forcing academy players into the team or stuff it.

Correy Davidson managed to recover from his dead leg picked up at Bradford (Park Avenue), allowing Pemberton to name an unchanged side. For Gloucester, Zack Kotwica was handed a starting berth as was well travelled striker Marlon Jackson. The opening ten minutes were shared but Harriers showed their intent, employing a high pressing game and forcing their visitors into mistakes on the ball.

Eleven minutes had been played when the home side took the lead and a quality goal it was to. A long ball forward was charged down by Davidson who crossed in on the half volley, just about keeping the ball in play. Ashley Chambers was the beneficiary and volleyed home with aplomb. The Harriers tails were up and they continued to employ the high intensity gameplan that had yielded success and the lead was doubled soon after.

Picking the ball up in midfield Harriers looked to break with Richard Peniket combining with Ed Williams, who laid the ball off to Declan Weeks who then let fly from twenty five yards, beating Zach Jeacock with the aid of the post. At this point it is fair to say that Harriers were cruising and the game looked to be dead and buried.

Indeed, it took the visitors half an hour to register a strike on goal with Joe Parker blazing over the bar. Marlon Jackson then shook the bar before The Tigers pulled a goal back on the break. A lightening fast counter attack caught Davidson out of position with Jackson playing in Parker who finished coolly.

It was now Gloucester’s turn to have their tails up and Harriers soft underbelly was exposed as they allowed their visitors to tie the game shortly after. Jackson again was at the forefront, along with Parker. Under pressure from Rhys Williams, Parker received a fizzed ball into feet and knocked it round the Liverpool loanee, who tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick and failed. Parker was alive to it and squared to Jackson who made no mistake. One does despair over the lost art of defending.

HT: 2 – 2

Out for the second half early, no doubt accompanied by a flea in their ears, Harriers looked to retake the lead as Milan Butterfield had the first opportunity of the half; Jeacock equal to his drive. Weeks also bent a free kick over the bar and Ed Williams shot wide as the home side came forward, but without the confidence and vigour of the first twenty minutes.

City gained a penalty out of nothing after sixty five minutes, which saw Cliff Moyo booked. What happened is unclear. A ball was lofted forward and appeared to be going out of play. Moyo and Josh Thomas were racing towards it when what appeared to be an innocuous tangle of legs occurred.

The referee and linesman did not see it as such and were in agreement that the Harriers skipper had transgressed. The penalty was duly converted by Joe Hanks to complete the comeback.

Searching for an equaliser, Harriers huffed and puffed but never really tested Jeacock with Chambers and Peniket seeing efforts go wide. With ten minutes to go a golden chance presented itself when Chambers won a penalty. After a delay thanks to futile, defensive protestations, Chambers stepped up to take the penalty but put it at a nice height to Jeacock’s right, who completed the save.

The same man also saw his last minute volley saved by a thrusted leg to cap off a frustrating night. All three of their goals were avoidable, the product of naivety and inexperience. With the manager refusing to make a change, Colin Gordon must surely realise that you cannot compete with nine senior players plus a pair of loanees.

Onto Curzon Ashton with the same squad then…

FT: 2 – 3


Goals for Harriers: Chambers 11, Weeks 14

Goals for Gloucester City: Parker 32, Jackson, 33, Hanks 65 (p)


The Harriers Online MotM is: Ashley Chambers

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Latest table and stats here


HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Gregory    
Austin    
Davidson    
R Williams    
Moyo   
Johnson    
Weeks   
Butterfield    
Chambers   
E Williams    
Peniket    
 
Subs: 
Mountjoy    
Prosser    
Higginson    
Scott    
D Lowth    
 
Gloucester CityGoalsSubsTimeCards
Jeacock    
Smith 89
Harper    
Hamilton    
Avery    
Knowles    
Parker   
Thomas 83 
Jackson60 
Hanks   
Kotwica    
 
Subs: 
King    
Richards 89 
Hainault 60 
Spruce 83 
     
     
Referee: 
Mr Jon Kenny
Cheshire