14-01-22 – Preview – Darlington FC Vs Kidderminster Harriers

Preview: Phil Lench

The buoyant Harriers are on the road again tomorrow and it’s the first of the long trips North when they rock up at Darlington FC. They would have been going to Spennymoor Town in three weeks time but that’s made way for the West Ham FA Cup game. We still have that to be re-arranged and then we’ll also get a trip to Gateshead at the start of March around the same time too. There’s then a bit of a break until we go to Blyth Spartans in April.

So first up we have a really tough ask at Darlington. They’re having a middling kind of season with the odd win slotted in between the odd draw mingled with the odd defeat. That explains why they’re in tenth place in both the league and current form tables. Last time out they turned up something of a shock when they beat our opponents from Tuesday evening, Farsley Celtic, 0-6 at Farsley with a first half hat trick from Jack Lambert.

On Tuesday we found Farsley to be a different ‘bouilloire de poisson’ with them tightening up defensively and determined to keep the score line down. As it was we put two past them thanks to Mark Carrington and Ethan Freemantle after they had taken a surprise lead in the fourth minute of the game. We also welcomed Joe Foulkes back for his first start since getting injured at Ware FC back in October. Also getting his first outing was Marcus Dinanga who came on for the final ten minutes of the game.

On the injury list we still have Cliff Moyo but he might make an appearance on the bench any day soon and now Nathan Cameron might be out following the injury he picked up during the first half on Tuesday. He didn’t return after half time so that lends credence to his not being available.

Darlington will be without leading scorer Luke Charman after he was handed a four game ban for a sending off at Spennymoor Town on Boxing Day. He was said to have elbowed Jamie Curtis but the red card appeal was turned down. He also had another red card offence earlier in the season taken into account hence the four match ban. Andrew Nelson is out awaiting knee surgery while Louis Laing has been out since last season with a cruciate ligament injury.

Danny Rose and Jake Lawlor are back with their respective clubs (Grimsby Town and Hartlepool Utd) following the end of their loans while Junior Mondal is on loan at Marske and Joey Hope is on loan at Northallerton.

Darlington seem to be a very weakened side with all these bans and players either going out on loan or returning to their parent clubs. This could be a good day to get three more points on board and hopefully close that gap between us and AFC Fylde that little bit more.

STOP THE PRESSES: Devonte Redmond has joined on loan from Wrexham AFC until the end of the season.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Emery, Richards, Cameron, Foulkes, Penny, Bajrami, Lowe, Austin, Montrose, Redmond, Carrington, Martin, Freemantle, Bastable, Tolley, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James, Dinanga.

Darlington FC from:

T Taylor, Beeden, Cooper, Ellis, Griffiths, Hedley, Smith, Storey, B Taylor, Armstrong, Hatfield, Omar, Purver, Wheatley, Beauchamp, Cassidy, Dos Santos, Lambert, O’Neill, Rivers.

Referee: Mr Richard Aspinall. Blackpool

Shanes Opposition Stats Pack:

At home in the league: (Darlington: P10 W4 D2 L4) Alfreton 2-3, BPA 1-2, York 1-2, Telford 3-0, Hereford 1-0, Leamington 1-1, Guiseley 5-1, Fylde 1-0, Gateshead 1-3, Spennymoor 1-1. (Harriers away: P9 W4 D4 L1).

Goals (all competitions): Charman – 13 Lambert, Hatfield – 5 Cassidy – 4 Dos Santos, Cooper – 3 Rivers, Purver, O’Neill, Nelson, Mondal – 1, OG – 1.

Luke Charman was suspended for four games after his Boxing Day scuffle with James Curtis at Spennymoor. He’s served one so far. Perversely it probably helps Darlo… who are now paying for someone who’s suspended, or it that just me? Of course, once it expires, they’ll have their work cut out to replace him. He’s scored in the last 5 games he’s played before the ban.

Their Farsley game was the first time another Darlo player had scored since the 2-2 draw away to Gloucester City on 20th Nov; Alex Purver and Own Goal on the scoresheet that day.

Their most recent home defeat: 28th Dec at to Gateshead. 1-3. They have only put together back to back wins twice – 2nd Oct and 9th Oct: Telford (3-0) & Hereford (1-0) followed by 30th Oct and 6th Nov to Guiseley (5-1) and Kettering (1-3).

Tyrone O’Neill has just returned on loan, again. It’s his third time there after a spell in 2019, then again in 2020/21.

The Squad (appearances are starts + sub, includes both league and cups):

Goalkeepers: Lucas Martin (P0 – out on loan to Pickering Town), Tommy Taylor (P24, saved 2 out of 3 penalties).

Defence: Lexus Beeden (P2), Jake Cooper (P14, 3 goals, 1 Red card. Was on loan from Rotherham), Danny Ellis (P11), Kallum Griffiths (P20), Ben Hedley (P17), Joey Hope (P1, on loan at North Allerton), Louis Laing (P0. Cruciate injury from last season. Pre season they said they’re keeping him around to help him), Jake Lawlor (P9, was on loan from Hartlepool), George Smith (P12), Alex Storey (P16), Brandon Taylor (P3, returned from loan at South Shields on New Years day).

Midfield: Will Hatfield (P21, 5 goals, 3 out of 3 penalties), Jack Lambert (P16, 5 goals), Kevin Dos Santos (P20, 3 goals), Alex Purver (P20, 1 goal), Danny Rose (P10, was on loan from Grimsby), Joe Wheatley (P15).

Attack: James Beauchamp (P1, dual Reg with Guisborough Town), Jake Cassidy (P21, 4 goals), Luke Charman (P19, 13 Goals, 2 Red cards), Junior Mondal (P13, 1 goal. On loan at Marske Utd), Andrew Nelson (P8, 1 goal), Tyrone O’Neill (P1, 1 goal, on loan from Scunthorpe), Jarrett Rivers (P22, 1 goal).

Talk about the game here

Links to Darlington FC websites here

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