17-04-22 – Preview – Kidderminster Harriers Vs Kettering Town

Preview: Phil Lench

We hope that you all enjoyed your Easter eggs, and also that comeback from 2-0 down at Chester FC on Good Friday, but now we have another big game at Aggborough tomorrow when we face a difficult opponent in Kettering Town.

Kettering have climbed the table a bit since we beat them at their place back in January and they now sit just outside the play-off places in eighth place having been as low as sixteenth at one stage. On Friday they beat Gloucester City 1-0 at Latimer Park.

In our game in January our only goal was scored by Amari Morgan-Smith and it was he who scored our first goal at Chester too when he intercepted a poor backpass to rob the keeper and slide the ball home.

Although it was brilliant to come from two goals down there was a real downside to the game when Cliff Moyo went to ground in pain during extra time. It appears that following his comeback from an Achilles injury a few weeks ago that he now has the same injury but in the other ankle meaning, possibly, another six months or more out of the game. He’s also out of contract in a few weeks time and it’s now looking very unlikely that he will be offered a new one. No doubt the fans, and the club, will all rally round to help him where needed.

On to the game tomorrow and we could have Geraldo Bajrami back in contention following his injury from a few weeks back and we could also have Sammy Austin back in the side after he got injured against Alfreton Town a couple of weeks ago. That one might not happen if he fails a fitness test.

Since our last meeting with The Poppies they’ve had a big clearout of playing staff. Manager Ian Culverhouse, who replaced Paul Cox just before the game in January, is slowly moulding the team into his own and nine players have left the club with around four coming in. Liam Daly is well known to us having spent a few days at Aggborough unsuccessfully a few seasons ago and another is Callum Stead who signed for them from Hitchen Town in February. In his five appearances so far he’s scored five times meaning that he’s the one to watch.

With us not getting any closer to that third place in the table time is beginning to run out if we want to grab it back from AFC Fylde. With Chester going to them tomorrow then there could be a shock result there (you have to live in hope) so a win against Kettering could be just what we need. 

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

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

Kettering Town from:

Jackson Smith, Davies, Brown, C Smith, Barratt, Johnson, Stohrer, Cooper, Daly, Sharpe, Kennedy, Empson, Jack Smith, Sheriff, Stead, Milovanovic, Crawford, Deacon, Herbert.

Referee: Mr Dean Watson. Lancashire

Talk about the game here

Links to Kettering Town websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here