17-09-21 – Preview – FA Cup 2nd Qual Rd – Sporting Khalsa Vs Kidderminster Harriers

Preview: Harriershane

The Harriers take a break from league action this Saturday, travelling to Willenhall to take on Step 4 side Sporting Khalsa in a FA Cup 2nd round qualifying game.

Saturday’s defeat against Gateshead was the first reverse for Russ Penn’s men this season and despite a low-key first half performance they could consider themselves unfortunate not to have come away with a share of the spoils. Goals from Joe Foulkes, a first ever for him, and Ashley Hemmings saw Harriers play their part in the 3-2 defeat. Referee Peter Shacklady also played his part persistently letting the visiting side waste time at their leisure thus stunting any momentum Harriers were seeking to create.

Onto Saturday’s opposition then and a first time meeting between the two sides. Formed in 1991, Sporting Khalsa briefly entered the semi-professional pyramid in the mid 1990s before returning to it from 2004-05 where they won the Step 7 West Midlands Regional League Division 2. They now find themselves in the Northern Premier League Midlands at Step 4 – the same level as Halesowen Town and Stamford, who of course knocked us out of the FA Trophy last season.

To achieve the honour of facing the Harriers Khalsa have so far swept aside Coventry Sphinx, Market Drayton Town and Step 3 side Gainsborough Trinity all at home and are currently on a four game unbeaten run in all competitions; their last defeat coming at the hands of Halesowen Town over the Bank Holiday Weekend, going down 3-2.

A glance at the league table sees them sat in eighth place with only one draw from their eight games and eighteen goals scored whilst defensively they have conceded seventeen. Given Harriers’ start to the season our forward quartet should draw plenty of confidence from this statistic.

That isn’t to say that Khalsa aren’t dangerous in their own right however. Former Bristol Rovers midfielder Jake Gosling has found a new lease of life in Willenhall since joining in 2019, whilst it will be a first reunion between Harriers and former striker Gurjit Singh who had a spell with us during the ill-fated Gary Whild era.

In terms of team news the Harriers were without Nathan Cameron and Ethan Freemantle at the weekend with news of their recoveries, or lack thereof, not forthcoming at the time of press. Other than that, apart from the long term Cliff Moyo and the suspended Mark Carrington, Russ Penn should have a full compliment to choose from.

Squad news out of Khalsa is a little thin on the ground but we do know that midfielder Liam Armstrong has missed the last few games with an injury. Manager Ian Rowe should have his key players available, namely inspirational captain and centre half Tesfa Robinson, goalkeeper Sam Arnold, the aforementioned Gosling and winger James McGrady.

We have to be confident of exerting our superiority on Saturday on the way to avoiding a third consecutive FA Cup exit at this stage. Khalsa don’t have much experience at this stage of the competition, only getting past it once in 2015 when they reached the fourth Qualifying Round before losing 3-1 at home to the National League North side FC United of Manchester in front of their record crowd of just over 2500.

If by any chance we don’t get a result at the first time of asking then there will be a replay at Aggborough this coming Tuesday evening.

Just a couple more notes:

Khalsa is a Punjabi word for a sect of Sikh warriors. With the club originally being formed for that community then the description was seen as being apt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalsa

Also if you plan to go to the game via the M6 motorway be aware that the northbound direction at Halesowen has been closed all week for roadworks and you’ll be diverted into Halesowen and up Mucklow Hill into Quinton. You then have to head back towards Kidderminster to join the motorway. These works are supposed to end today but make sure first. The other option is to go via Wolverhampton and turn right at the ringroad. Good luck with that.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Emery, Richards, N Cameron, Penny, Bajrami, Foulkes, Lowe, Austin, Montrose, Lissimore, Bell, Martin, Freemantle, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James.

Sporting Khalsa from:

Arnold, Williams, Franco, Okojic, Adam, Robinson, Ferrier, Armstrong, Howkins, Whittaker, McKenzie, Singh, McGrady, Jones, Meggoe, Birch, Martinez, Sangha, Kinch, Gosling, Woodhouse, White, Worsey, Perks,  Pryce, A Cameron, Fulloway, Sesay, Bhandal, Miles.

Referee: Mr Dale Baines. Liverpool

Talk about the game here

Links to Sporting Khalsa websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here