| Venue: Aggborough Date: 18-02-23 Harriers 0 Banbury Utd 2 Att: 2117 (away fans: 152) |
Time for Russ Penn to bite the bullet
Report: Phil Lench
Consensus amongst the Harriers support is beginning to see a strong drift towards the feeling that something has to change following todays abysmal 2-0 defeat at home to Banbury Utd. Yet again this so-called team of professionals failed big time and allowed a team of part timers to control the game without looking in any danger of loosing their three points.
That fan feeling is also beginning to doubt Russ Penns abilities as a manager and that he has lost the dressing room along with any faith in the high profile signings that he has made. We’ve already seen one clearout of bad wood and now he appears to be looking at another following veiled criticism of players in a video interview following the game.
In one nod to fan pressure he started Christian Dibble in goal today after repeatedly ignoring previous calls to drop Tom Palmer. Nathaniel Knight-Percival returned to the starting eleven while Alex Penny also returned from injury but this time going to the bench leaving Joe Foulkes at full back.
Basically we were all looking for an improvement on Tuesday evenings abysmal showing at home to Brackley Town but that never came. In previous games we’ve started the game at high speed and pressured the opposition defenders but today we had decided against that and the game got underway in first gear. It stayed that way throughout the remainder of the first half and for the majority of the second half too.
There is no urgency in this team. There is no wanting to play for the shirt. There is no rapport between the players and the fans anymore (remember last season?). There is no communication from the owner. There is no belief in his team anymore from Russ Penn.
We had attempts on goal but they were weak attempts and we really failed to test the Banbury keeper, Jack Harding. Passing between our players was poor and the likes of Ashley Hemmings found himself being ignored yet again while there was no creativity in midfield at all. You could see it coming but the first Banbury goal came from a poorly defended throw in that was sent into the area and poked home by Henry Landers.
We played on in first gear as if nothing had happened.
HT: 0 – 1
At the beginning of the second period on came Jack Bearne and Zak Brown for the under performing Ethan Freemantle and Tom Owen-Evans. TOE does show the odd spark or two but, sadly, Ethan is out of his depth here and needs to spend some time out on loan at another club. Mind you the same could be said for all the others too.
We stayed in first gear and it was the visitors who upped the heat on us. Thankfully Dibble was playing well on his debut and kept us in the game with a couple of good saves.
On the hour mark we finally came alive. Amari Morgan-Smith should have done better with a header over the bar and also a one on one with the keeper soon after when he gave Harding time to scoop the ball from his feet. Then they scored again.
Alex Babos broke from the middle of the park and was bought down on the edge of the area. Up stepped Jack Stevens, on the field just seven minutes earlier, to send the ball just millimetres inside the corner of post and crossbar. Dibble had no chance of getting it.
We went back to first gear.
Slavi Spasov, also on minutes earlier, should have made it three, then four, for his side but his first shot hit the base of the post and for his second chance Dibble forced him wide and he couldn’t get past him to shoot.
By this time the ground was half full following the mass exodus of Harriers fans in disgust and disappointment. At this rate, and if nothing changes soon, our next home game there’ll be no one there to walk out.
FT: 0 – 2
Goals for Banbury Utd: Landers 34, Stevens 79
The Harriers Online MotM is: Pass
Talk about the game here
Latest table and stats here
| Harriers | Goals | Subs | Time | Cards |
| Dibble | ||||
| Foulkes |  | |||
| McNally |  | 80 | ||
| Knight-Percival | ||||
| Morrison | ||||
| Byrne | ||||
| Owen-Evans |  | 46 | ||
| Lissimore | ||||
| Morgan-Smith | ||||
| Hemmings | ||||
| Freemantle |  | 46 | ||
| Subs: | ||||
| Palmer | ||||
| Penny | ||||
| Z Brown |  | 46 | ||
| Martin |  | 80 | ||
| Bearne |  | 46 | ||
| Banbury Utd | Goals | Subs | Time | Cards |
| Harding | ||||
| Johnson | ||||
| S Brown | ||||
| Radcliffe | ||||
| Langmead | ||||
| Babos | ||||
| Landers |  | |||
| Rasulo | | 72 | ||
| Gordon | | 72 | ||
| Reilly | ||||
| Acquaye | ||||
| Subs: | ||||
| Talbot | ||||
| Stevens | | | 72 | |
| Hickman | ||||
| Barugh | ||||
| Spasov | | 72 | ||
| Referee: | ||||
| Mr Ben Wyatt | ||||
| Manchester | ||||