Venue: Aggborough Date: 17-02-24 Harriers 0 Dorking Wanderers 0 Att: 3745 (away fans: 168)

17-02-24. Kidderminster Harriers 0 Dorking Wanderers 0. Match report

Harriers struggle against a dogged Dorking

Report: Phil Lench

For the second game running the Harriers turned in another poor showing in their failure to beat relegation neighbours Dorking Wanderers. Following our FA Trophy exit at Peterborough Sports last Saturday it was to be hoped that was just a blip down to team selection but in this more important game where the three points would be crucial in our survival we fluffed our lines completely.

The team was different to the Trophy version and was back to what is our usual selection. On the bench was the new signing Regan Griffiths who would come on during the second half of the game.

Dorking came here looking to win the game too after finding themselves dropping alarmingly in recent weeks and a win for them would have put them up to mid-table while three points for us would have seen us move up to twenty first in the table which wouldn’t have been such a big jump but would have been enough to give us a platform to build on. As it was both sides fluffed their lines and ended up going nowhere in particular. In fact we dropped down a place while Dorking stayed where they were in nineteenth place.

The first half was a poor affair and the only moments of note came from the argumentative Dorking striker Jason Prior getting his comeuppance from the first half referee (yes, a different one came out for the second half) and getting booked along with two other team mates for bad tackles and back chatting the ref.

The other noteworthy moment was from the disappointing Sam Bellis when he sent a shot just wide and that was it. We looked tired and that could have been down the the flu bug in the camp last week. 

HT: 0 – 0

The second half we just didn’t turn up. Dorking seemed to have sussed out Jack Lambert and isolated him from the game along with realising that by pressing us continually we became ineffective. The worsening condition of the referee didn’t help and he had gone from being tough on the visitors in the first half to letting go everything they could think of to disrupt the game. Some of the shirt pulling and fouls that he allowed was nothing short of unbelievable.

There was an early change for us with Gold Omotayo coming on for Bellis but the difference was hard to detect from the stands. Soon after Griffiths came on for his debut and within minutes he’d had a slightly wayward shot from distance and had also played a lovely pass through to Ashley Hemmings that nothing came of.

In between Dorking had their only shot on goal when Josh Taylor struck from distance and Christian Dibble tipped over. We had a couple of genuine penalty calls when Hemmings was bought crashing down in the area – waved away – and even worse when Amari Morgan-Smith had his shirt almost taken from his back and pulled over in the area – also waved away – but apart from that we’d created nothing worthy of note.

With time running down the visiting keeper, Harrison Male, realised that he could get away with murder with Mr Wyatt and spent the last fifteen minutes of the game wasting time. At on stage the ref did go to have a word with him then seemed to forget all about it as Male continued with his cunning plan.

The game ended with nothing more to add and although it ended drawn and a point better off it, ultimately, felt like three points thrown away and big chance to move towards safety gone. We have a much tougher game at Aggborough on Tuesday with the visitors being promotion seeking Gateshead. Play like today and it will be three points gone.

FT: 0 – 0


The Harriers Online MotM is: Alex Penny

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


Harriers Goals Subs Time Cards
Dibble        
Penny        
Richards        
Byrne        
Pearce        
McNally        
Brown   65  
Bellis   58  
Morgan-Smith        
Hemmings      
Lambert   74  
 
Subs:  
Omotayo   58  
Harper-Bailey        
Griffiths   65  
Hesketh   74  
Oxlade-Chamberlain        
 
Dorking Wanderers Goals Subs Time Cards
Male        
Hollis      
BJ Taylor        
Pybus        
Craig        
McManus   46
J Taylor   84  
Carter        
Prior      
Blair        
Francomb        
 
Subs:  
Kennedy        
Cook   46  
Moore   84  
Gallagher        
Rutherford        
 
Referee:  
Mr Ben Wyatt
Manchester