Match report Vs Curzon Ashton Venue: Tameside Stadium Date: 14-12-21 Att: 220 (away fans: 100)

14-12-21 - Report - Curzon Ashton 1 Kidderminster Harriers 1

Cameron saves the Harriers blushes

Report: Phil Lench

Nathan Cameron saved the Harriers blushes at Curzon Ashton this evening when he scored a last gasp equaliser to keep our long un-beaten run intact for a little longer. With time running out, and a goal down, it was looking increasingly likely that the Reds would be falling to their first defeat since losing at home to Brackley Town way back to the start of October.

We kicked off the game with just the one change from the team that beat Boston Utd on Saturday with Keziah Martin replacing Elliot Bonds who went to the bench in what could be seen as giving one a bit of game time and the other a bit of a rest. With just that tactical tweak we should have been expecting a storming start for us and that’s what we got with a couple of chances falling our way in the opening minutes.

Ashley Hemmings fired goalwards and the ball was deflected away for a corner. From that set piece the ball was delivered into the area towards both Cameron and Amari Morgan-Smith to force home with neither of them succeeding and instead the Nash were awarded a free kick.

After that it turned into, more or less, one way traffic towards Luke Simpsons goal. Scott Wilson, Adam Thomas and Craig Hobson all had chances to open the scoring but met up with a keeper in good form. We finally got a chance of our own when Geraldo Bajrami got on the end of a free kick but his header had no power and was dealt with easily by Chris Renshaw in between the sticks for Curzon.

The hosts had one more chance to score just before the break through Alex Curran but it went narrowly wide of the mark to the sighs of relief from the hundred or so Harriers fans there. The forty five finished with a long distance strike from Hemmings that was comfortably dealt with.

It was obvious that we weren’t at our best and probably lucky to go into the break all square. Words were no doubt needed.

HT: 0 – 0

If there were some home truths dished out over the power drinks and the Rich Tea biscuits then they must have fallen on deaf ears. Within two minutes of the re-start the Harriers were a goal down.

Curzon won a free kick that was sent into the area where a defender, Marcus Poscha, was lurking to fling himself at the ball and then into the net. Not really what we expected. That was followed up by another chance for the home side when Hobson took a punt at goal from close range but thanks to a great save from Simpson the tally wasn’t added to.

It was obvious that an early change would be needed so we had two. On came Keith Lowe and Elliot Bonds for Bajrami and Mark Carrington in what looked to be more of a tactical switch rather than one forced by injury.

The game drifted into a midfield battle – some would say a yawn fest – for a while and it wasn’t until well past the seventieth minute that we had our first chance of the half when Lowe met a Hemmings cross but his header was easily held by Renshaw.

With time running out a final fling of the dice was thrown and on came Ethan Freemantle for Morgan-Smith. Before he had time to settle Poscha tried his luck again with a re-run of his earlier goal but this time Simpson was wise to him and gathered the ball off the line.

At long last we started to turn up the heat and began to look as if we intended to get something from this game. Lowe sent in another header that went just wide and then Hemmings crossed the ball for Keziah Martin to turn home and that was also sent just wide. Cameron put a header in to be saved by the keeper while Sammy Austin, having a quiet game again., fired at the man and the man saved.

With five minutes of added it looked to be now or never for the Reds and then just two minutes into that five Nathan Cameron struck. Or did he?

The ball was played into the area and a mass of bodies flying in ended up with the ball in the back of the net. Whether it was Camerons head or a foot or his arse. Anyones’ arse, we don’t care. We had saved face and got a last gasp equaliser.

Shane was at the game and here’s his thoughts:

Performance poor, tired, jaded. Curzon on top throughout, numerous flashes across goal. Couple of penalty shouts. Seemed to be managing the game well. Keith was probably our best outfielder when he came on…

We started playing with 5 minutes to go, Renshaw made a good fingertip save and another good strong save from Sammy. The goal was bizarre. Hemmo free kick, Cameron header. Keepers made another cracking save, they’ve stopped it on the line. There’s two defenders behind the keeper, they’re all within about 2 yards of the line. The one defenders gone to clear it falling over, it’s looked like it’s hit one of them and trickled over. Hope they’ve got a good angle of it, because you need the video to do it justice. 

Probably have to go with Luke for MOTM, made a handful of saves to keep us in it really.

FT: 1 – 1


Goal for Curzon Ashton: Poscha 47

Goal for Harriers: Cameron 92



The Harriers Online MotM is: Luke Simpson

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


Curzon AshtonGoalsSubsTimeCards
Renshaw    
Waters 81 
Poscha   
Thomas   
Curran    
McKay 56 
Wilson    
Lussey 75 
Hobson    
Mahon   
Barton    
 
Subs: 
Gladwin    
Dunn 56 
Merrill 75 
Rain 81 
 
HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Simpson    
Penny    
Richards    
Cameron   
Bajrami 55 
Carrington 55 
Austin    
Martin    
Morgan-Smith 74 
Hemmings    
Sterling-James   
 
Subs: 
Lowe 55 
White    
Bonds 55 
Freemantle 74 
Montrose    
 
Referee: 
Mr Thomas Kirk
Manchester