FA Cup 2nd qualifying round
Venue: Aggborough Date: 14-09-24 Harriers 2 Leek Town 1 Att: 1452 (away fans: 47)

14-09-24. Kidderminster Harriers 2 Leek Town 1. FA Cup 2nd Qual Rd. Match report

Harriers scrape through in the Cup

Report: Phil Lench

The Harriers just about scraped through into the next round of this seasons FA Cup thanks to a late, late winner from Amari Morgan-Smith. AMS had scored earlier in the game to draw us level after we had huffed and puffed to come back from Leek Towns opening goal in the first half and that was a relief when it went in but no more so than the winning goal when a replay back in Staffordshire looked very likely.

We had gone with a slightly changed line-up at the start of the game with first starts for Reece Devine and Jack Lambert (in for the red carded Ashley Hemmings) with a debut for new loan signing George Cooper. Sadly Coopers debut ended in tears early on when he suffered a bad shoulder injury twenty minutes in and Caleb Richards came on for him. It looks likely that his loan spell is over before it has begun.

Leek, a level below us, had a familiar face in their eleven with Olly Shenton coming back to the Aggborough turf after signing with his new side at the start of the season. On the bench was Brendon Daniels formerly with AFC Telford Utd.

A cagey start for both sides saw very little action apart from a weak shot from Zak Brown straight at Dino Visser – once with Hereford FC – but it didn’t really trouble him. That was followed with another chance for Zak that got pushed into the path of Tope Obadeyi but his returned shot was skied over the bar from inside the area.

A few minutes after that chance came the injury to the new boy. A collision in our area, following a Leek foray forward, left George on the ground. A few minutes of attention from the physio saw the end of his game as he walked off with his arm hanging limply by his side. Up until then he had been having a decent game following an unsure start. Caleb came on for him after spending twenty minutes on the bench and, for someone that hates not playing, that was too long for Caleb.

Leek had a shot at goal that Lucas Weir lifted over the bar but seconds later, up the other end, Jack Lamberts fierce shot slammed against the underside of the bar and rebounded out but Obadeyi sent the return well wide of goal. Jacks effort was probably our best chance so far and we began to liven up a little.

Joe Foulkes, an unlikely source, had a shot that went across the goal but got blocked away. He was having a good game up and down the flanks, so much so that Leek doubled up on him. Then came the goal.

Leek broke free and, following some action around the area, Alex Hurst must have spotted Christian Dibble slightly off his line and lobbed the ball over his head. It seemed that Dibble had forgotten where his crossbar was and made no effort to stop it going in.

We finished the half with another chance for Tope but his header was well over the bar and we went in for the break looking a bit shell shocked following a performance so far that lacked conviction. 

HT: 0 – 1

The second half was expected to be better but it failed to ignite and but for a shot from distance for AMS nothing really happened. That nothing saw an early change with a leaden footed Jack Lambert making way for the fleet of foot Maz Kouhyar. The difference was instantaneous.

Joe Foulkes saw another shot come cross fly across the goal without going in and then Zak Brown tried his luck once more but once more his shot had no real strength in it and it got deflected away for a fruitless corner. Reece Devine also tried his luck now that he was settling into the game. His shot was firmly struck but again Visser came to his sides rescue once more.

A ruck of substitutions took place with Maliq Cadogan making way for a slimmed down Kobe Hall while David Davis came on for Obadeyi.. The change worked because within minutes we had, at last, drawn level.

Hurst had seen a chance of doubling his tally go when his shot flashed across the face of Dibbles goal but then up the other end a free kick was taken by Luke Summerfield out to Devine and he crossed it back in for AMS to scramble home.

A further change took place with Seb Thompson coming on for Zak Brown. Five minutes later he saw his goal disallowed, possibly for a push, but no one seemed to see it happen, just the referee. It didn’t really matter because within a few seconds,and deeper into injury time we finally got the goal that saved us from an unwanted replay.

Joe Foulkes played a long ball forward over the top and, in a tussle with Oliver Harrison, Amari won the ball, advanced forward and sent the ball past the outrushing Visser and into the back of the net. The ref could have blown for a foul following the tussle but kept quiet and the goal was allowed thankfully.

We now go into the draw for the next round. Let’s just hope we don’t make the game such hard work next time round. 

FT: 1 – 1


Goals for Harriers: Morgan-Smith 77, 93

Goal for Leek Town: Hurst 41


The Harriers Online MotM is: Caleb Richards

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Harriers Goals Subs Time Cards
Dibble        
Foulkes        
Devine        
Cooper   22  
McNally        
Cadogan   69  
Brown   86  
Summerfield        
Morgan-Smith      
Lambert   54  
Obadeyi   69  
 
Subs:  
Bishop        
Richards   22  
Thompson   86  
Kouhyar   54  
Davis   69  
Hall   69  
Rubio        
 
Leek Town Goals Subs Time Cards
Visser        
Buckley        
Curl        
Edwards        
Harrison        
Weir        
Hurst      
Porter   82  
Okome   55  
Shenton   71  
Wooley        
 
Subs:  
McMahon        
Reeves        
Grice   55  
Daniels        
McGuiness   71  
Scully   82  
Robson        
 
Referee:  
Mr Matthew Jackson