17-08-19 – Report – Curzon Ashton 0 Kidderminster Harriers 1

The Harriers tear up the script to beat Curzon Ashton

Report: Harriershane

Curzon Ashton have never beaten Kidderminster Harriers. Following our own inauspicious start to the season, coupled with a strong start from The Nash, you would be forgiven for thinking that the home side would register their maiden victory. Thankfully for the Harriers and their band of around seventy travelling supporters, John Pemberton and the lads tore up that particular script and wrote one that resulted in a 1-0 win courtesy of Ashley Chambers.

For the playing staff, Saturday probably could not have come quickly enough following the announcement that Colin Gordon is in the process of selling up.

Arriving at the Tameside Stadium it was an unchanged side once again to take on our hosts who included goalkeeper Cameron Mason, former Guiseley full back Andy Halls and experienced former Football League midfielder Nicky Wroe. Immediately Harriers were on the offensive with Ed Williams shooting wide from range mere seconds into the game.

In the first ten minutes we saw consecutive corners which resulted in a Ryan Johnson header wide, whilst Richard Peniket saw an effort go wide from another move. Even Sam Austin was getting a sight at goal, his effort well blocked by Mason. The theme of the half was ever thus; Harriers creating openings to be thwarted by Mason.

With ten minutes played Chambers tried to beat the Curzon custodian with a curling low effort from twenty yards which was gathered comfortably. The one way traffic refused to relent, Mason denying Peniket from the edge of the area, Austin at the back post and Chambers from eighteen yards.

Probably the clearest chance of the half came within touching distance of half time. Liquid football from the Harriers saw Declan Weeks combine with Chambers and Ed Williams to feed in Correy Davidson who forced a one handed stop from Mason.

The Nash only had fleeting glimpses of the Harriers half and any ideas they had of breaching the Harriers backline were firmly and swiftly rebuffed.

HT: 0 – 0

The Harriers fans stood behind the goal migrated to the opposite side of the ground and continued to be treated to the lion’s share of the action. Rhys Williams scored against Bradford (Park Avenue) from a corner and almost repeated the trick here, setting himself up for a hook towards goal which was held by Mason.

Austin was getting a couple of sighters at goal and found himself in the clear after some short, sharp passing; sadly for the former Burton man his effort skidded embarrassingly well wide. Harriers could not be repelled for much longer and the deadlock was finally broken on the hour mark.

John Pemberton told us that he issued Ashley Chambers the number nine shirt as he wanted him to take responsibility for goalscoring – he is certainly doing that as he notched what would be the winner and his fourth of the season. It was more excellent football from the visitors, with crisp passing creating an opportunity. The killer ball was threaded through for Chambers to run onto and the striker psyched out Mason, drawing him out before dinking the ball to his right and into the goal.

The frontman netted a similar goal past Mason in the corresponding fixture last year, ironically.

It took until the sixty fifth minute for Curzon to fire a shot across the Harriers’ bows with Jack Banister cutting in from the left hand side and curling a shot wide of the far post. The hosts realised that time was running out and began to push forward with intent, with Harriers soaking up the pressure and content to resort to some game management, showing that the naivety of Tuesday night was a thing of the past, temporarily at least.

With eight minutes to play the Nash really should have equalised and were denied by a combination of great goalkeeping and desperate defending. A ball into the box was not cleared and fell to Sean Miller who stabbed goalwards through a sea of legs but with Cameron Gregory just about equal to it on the line before his defence cleared the ball to safety.

How refreshing it was, too, to see the players appreciate the fans post-match and look delighted with the performance and the win, highlighting the unity between the fans, players and management whilst the boardroom circus rumbles on.

Curzon’s unbeaten run is over, and Pemberton’s paper-thin squad roll on. Consider what he could do with a competitive budget?

FT: 0 – 1

Goal for Harriers: Chambers 58

The Harriers Online MotM is: Ashley Chambers

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Curzon Ashton	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Mason
Halls
Askew
Wroe			80
Ali
Thornley
Banister			74
Evans
Saunders
Miller
Sinclair			54
Subs:
Wall			54
Elstone			74
Shaw
Merrill
Davies			80
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Gregory
Austin
Davidson
R Williams
Moyo
Johnson
Weeks
Butterfield
Chambers
E Williams
Peniket			83
Subs:
Mountjoy
Prosser
Higginson
Scott
D Lowth			83
Referee:
Mr Paul Brown
Newcastle upon Tyne