17-09-22. FA Cup 2nd Qual Rd. Match report Vs Tamworth

Harriers pass potential banana skin test

Report: Dan Harper

The Harriers progressed to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup as they sneaked past a Tamworth side that were looking to upset the odds. At the end of the game the Harriers would be thanking Caleb Richards after his second half header was enough to separate the two sides.

Both sides started very slowly in the opening minutes and it took until the twenty second minute for the first effort for either side contesting this FA Cup contest. The Harriers were awarded a free kick which would see an Ashley Hemmings effort just curl off target following Harriers first notable chance.

The Harriers captain Shane Byrne went down injured in the twenty seventh minute which would be a big worry for the hosts in a half where they didn’t have much to be concerned about but after some treatment he was once again back up and was fine to carry on.

Another chance came on the thirty third minute mark when a left-sided corner was drifted in by the hosts and was met by Nathaniel Knight Percival only for it to sail over the top of Jas Singh’s crossbar and into the travelling Tamworth supporters.

The away side saw their first chance of the contest a minute later on the thirty fourth minute mark when a chipped cross was knocked on before Tyrone Deacon got his head on the end of it only for Tom Palmer to gather as it was straight down his throat.

The Harriers had their best chance of the half three minutes later when Ethan Freemantle turned and forced Singh into a low stop following a drive at goal. Yusifu Ceesay also saw an effort just past the post in the final minutes of the first half as both sides went in to half time goalless leaving Harriers now with over one hundred and thirty five minutes without a goal.

HT: 0 – 0

The Harriers came storming out of the blocks early on in the second half as they looked to open the scoring following what had been a passive performance in the first forty five but failed to test Singh in the Tamworth goal. It would be the away side who would have the first chance when a Liam Dolman shot was blasted high and wide of the mark.

Ashley Hemmings, for the home side, then had a number of chances including a fifty fourth minute effort which sailed over the bar and wayward and also a chance three minutes later when an effort from eighteen yards just sailed over the crossbar.

The Harriers made a double change on the hour mark which made an instant impact as Gabby Rogers who came on for Ceesay instantly put a peach of a ball into the box to meet Joe Foulkes head. Singh tipped it over for a corner. It would be Foulkes who would become supplier for the opener a minute later.

A searching ball found the head of Caleb Richards who nodded it superbly into the Tamworth net making that a rare goal for the highly rated left back.

The home side would not let up and more chances followed in the seventy third minute from captain Shane Byrne and shortly after a curling effort from Gabby Rogers on the edge of the area just curled past the far post.

As the game entered added time the Harriers had one final chance to seal the game when Hemmings controlled the ball excellently only to lash his shot at goal and blaze it over.

We survived however and will now go into the hat for the third qualifying round to be drawn at lunchtime on Tuesday. The Harriers return to league action next Saturday when they make the short trip to Kettering Town for the next instalment of National North action.

In terms of MOTM here I will award it to Keziah Martin as he always looked promising going forward and was a spark in what was a pretty poor game the majority of the time although Gabby Rogers, when he came on, was also was a standout with a second half performance that can be argued warrants a start.

FT: 1 – 0

Goal for Harriers: Richards 61

The Harriers Online MotM is: Keziah Martin

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Palmer
Foulkes
Richards
Knight-Percival
Pearce
Byrne
Martin
Brown			86
Freemantle			57
Hemmings
Ceesay			56
Subs:
Emery
Morgan-Smith			57
Leak
Margetson			86
Lissimore
Rogers			56
Hewett
Tamworth	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Singh
Curley
Cockerill-Mollett			79
Mussa
Collard
Dolman
Finn
Milne			63
Deacon
Clement			67
Fairlamb
Subs:
Fallows
Cater			79
Hurst			63
Jones			67
Hart
Howkins
George
Referee:
Mr Andrew Humphries
Daventry