15-02-22 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 3 Hereford FC 0

Harriers spoil Herefords hope of the double

Report: Phil Lench

Hereford FC came to Aggborough this evening looking to complete the league double over us but things didn’t quite go their way when they had a man sent off early on and then in an eight minute spell soon after the Harriers romped into a three goal lead and it was game over. We should have gone on to increase the goal tally in the second half but, disappointingly, seemed to be content with what we had.

There was just the one change to the side that beat AFC Telford Utd on Saturday and that was Lewis Montrose coming in for Mark Carrington with Carra dropping to the bench. There was still no sign of Ethan Freemantle or Keziah Martin so their return from injury seems to be taking longer than expected.

In front of a healthy following from both sides of nearly 4000 the game got underway and it was the Bulls that settled first passing the ball around nicely and matching the Harriers for effort. We seemed to be happy letting them having the ball without going over the top although we probably had the better of the opening chances to score with both Omari Sterling-James and Sammy Austin going close.

The first real incident of note came with a red card when a through ball gave Amari Morgan-Smith the chance to run onto it but, with Krystian Pearce struggling to keep up with him a coming together ended with both players on the floor and an early bath for the Hereford defender. It did seem to be six of one, half a dozen of the other but the referee thought otherwise and deemed it to be stopping a goalscoring opportunity for AMS so Pearce had to go.

Now down to ten men the Bulls replaced a forward, Keenan Patten, with a defender, Jamie Egan in an effort to minimise any fall out. It failed to work though as a few minutes later the Harriers had taken the lead.

We had been given a corner kick that was floated over into the area where it was half cleared away by the former Harriers full back, Jared Hodgkiss, but only as far as Sammy Austin who, cool as you like, lifted the ball into the top right corner of Brandon Halls woodwork for his eleventh goal of the season.

From that goal Ryan McClean, for Hereford, collected to ball on the half way line but defensively we were all over the place as he easily made his way into the area to feed Maziar Kouhyar the ball but the scoring chance was wasted as he sent the ball over the bar.

Minutes later we increased the lead through Morgan-Smith when Austin played him in to rifle the ball beyond the former Reds keeper and then four minutes later Alex Penny drifted down the wing with the ball and sent over a fine cross that AMS snapped up and snapped home for his eleventh goal of the season.

Hereford didn’t give up though and fair play to them but the were on a hiding to nothing with the Harriers superior in all departments. 

HT: 3 – 0

The second half was strange. Very strange. You would have expected the Harriers to come out with all guns blazing and rack up a load more goals to increase our already healthy goal difference but we just seemed happy passing the ball around amongst ourselves with the occasional foray forward to make it look as if we were making an effort.

Chances came the way of both Ashley Hemmings and Sterling-James but the visiting defenders had tightened up and were eager to keep the score down. Alex Penny was the only one to make a real effort in scoring as a couple of times he set off on lone runs into the box but the finishing didn’t quite match the effort.

The Harriers manager, Russ Penn, seemed happy to make a few substitutions of the match minutes type with both Jaiden White and Joe Foulkes coming on. Foulkes in particular took up a more advanced, wide role than we normally see him in and with his quick burst of speed it seemed to one he was happy with.

For a while Hereford sensed that with our lassaiz faire attitude they could possibly get a goal back at least as Miles Storey and Ryan McClean tried to break through but we were alert to the threat and tidied up nicely. We could have added a couple more goals late on when both AMS and Hemmings tried one on ones with Hall following mistakes from him – off his line and then losing control of the ball outside his area – but both times the referee penalised us in favour of the keeper when really it was Hall at fault.

So the game ended 3-0 and everyone, except Hereford, seemed happy with that and it’s now on to Saturday and at home to Alfreton Town and rumours going round that they could be in a mess off the pitch. The three points tonight put us just four behind Brackley Town and a game in hand with a trip over their coming soon. Now that will definitely be one we have to win.  

FT: 3 – 0

Goals for Harriers: Austin 27, Morgan-Smith 31, 35

The Harriers Online MotM is: Amari Morgan-Smith

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Penny
Richards
Cameron
Preston
Montrose
Austin
Bajrami			46
Morgan-Smith			78
Hemmings
Sterling-James			70
Subs:
Lowe
Carrington
Foulkes			78
White			70
Redmond			46
Hereford FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Hodgkiss
Revan
Vincent
Pearce
Kouhyar			84
McClean
Patten			26
Touray			46
Owen-Evans
Pollock
Subs:
Sondergaard
Storey			46
Gillela
Pinchard			84
Egan			26
Referee:
Mr Ruebyn Ricardo
Leicestershire