Venue: Aggborough Date: 18-01-25 Harriers 2 Warrington Town 0 Att: 2610 (away fans: 104)

18-01-25. Kidderminster Harriers 2 Warrington Town 0. Match report

Harriers confirm the top spot with this routine win

Report: Phil Lench

Reiss McNally scored his first goal of the season and Maz Kouhyar his third goal in three games running to cement our place at the top of the table. Both goals came in a second half that was an improvement on the first when we seemed to lack conviction and commitment in front of goal with Amari Morgan-Smith looking way off the pace and crosses getting overhit. Add in a goalkeeper for the visitors, Dan Atherton in inspired, if a little time wasteful, form then we should really have already been two up at the break in the first place.

The game got underway with a warning. Christian Dibble making a fine save from Josh Amis in the very first minute and they continued to look for a way through for the first fifteen minutes. That came to an end when we finally woke up and began to play.

The problem was the good work being done by the likes of Joe Foulkes, Reece Devine and Ryley Reynolds was coming to nothing when the ball entered the area with our front one, at home?, guilty of being off the pace with weak shots and headers going straight into the arms of Atherton.

We did get the ball into the net midway through the half when AMS was flagged offside even though the ball to him was deflected off a Warrington defender. Par for the course at this level the referee failed to overrule the linesman.

The half came to a close when Reynolds side footed an effort wide of the upright. He too could have done a little better although it would probably have been an easy save for the keeper.

HT: 0 – 0

The second half was all the better for the rest, recuperation and rollicking in the dressing room. We came out with more intent and the first noticeable was the shackling of the Michael Gash lookalike (if it was just his girth) Amis. The second difference was the more probing play from Devine and Ashley Hemmings who must have been a victim of the dressing down.

The first real excitement of the game came ten minutes in when an almighty scramble in front of their goal from Paul Downings initial shot in was pounced on and fumbled by the keeper, then put back in by someone, pushed back out by someone then pushed back to the line by someone before being pounced on by someone. Oh, that was the keeper!.

Our opening goal from McNally came five minutes later when a freekick was given out on the touchline. Caleb Richards took it and floated it towards the far post where it was headed home across the goal by McNally. That’s his one for each season he’s been here then. 

Five minutes later the lead was doubled and in fine style too. Dibble rolled the ball out to Caleb who then played it forwards to Kouhyar. He then put it through for Reece Devine to run onto before he then put the ball into the area where it was headed away by a defender but only as far as Zak Brown. He put it across to the waiting Hemmings who was then waiting for the Joe overlap that came straight away. He laid it back for the now arriving Maz who buried the ball where it belongs.

We took our foot off the gas for a while without really relinquishing our grip on the game. A couple of training ground efforts from Zak and Ash didn’t really trouble the keeper. Our best chance came to Ryley who saw his first shot saved but pushed back to him so he could have a second bite of the cherry. This time a defender on the line scooped the ball away up the park. Maz had a chance to double his tally but Atherton saved his shot well.

Then we had a yellow card followed by a red for the Warrington wide man Matt McDonald. He had just been booked for dissent but a minute later went and tripped McNally on the touchline. The ref was a bit petty really and flashed a second yellow followed by the red for an offence that didn’t really warrant a red card.We made a load of substitutions following that – too many to list here – but it was basically a wholesale frontline re-jig.

And that was it.

Tuesday evening we have a chance to confirm our top spot place further when Darlington come to us in a re-arranged game. Jack Lambert, on loan to them, won’t be allowed to play against his parent club so that’s a shame.

FT: 2 – 0


Goals for Harriers: McNally 55, Kouhyar 60


The Harriers Online MotM is: Reece Devine

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


Harriers Goals Subs Time Cards
Dibble        
Foulkes        
Richards        
Devine        
Downing        
McNally      
Brown        
Reynolds   85  
Morgan-Smith   86  
Hemmings   86  
Kouhyar 91  
 
Subs:  
Palmer        
Thompson   86  
Obadeyi   86  
Davis   85  
Hall   91  
 
Warrington Town Goals Subs Time Cards
Atherton        
Bennett        
Clarke        
Douglas        
Dixon   67  
Harris      
Hont        
Amaral        
Amis        
McDonald      
Rodwell-Grant   67
 
Subs:  
O’Neil        
Maieco   67  
Morris   67  
Southern        
 
Referee:  
Mr Harry Jones
Belper