| Match report Vs Darlington FCVenue: AggboroughDate: 18-08-18Att: 1522 (away fans: 194) |
Five star Harriers demolish Darlington
Report: Harriershane
Harriers bounced back from last week’s disappointing 3-3 draw against Ashton United, with Ed Williams and Joel Taylor the only changes made to the team; Sam Austin and the suspended Dan Bradley missing out. Former Harriers “favourite” Reece Styche skippered the visitors alongside Simon Ainge who form what could be considered,pound for pound, the most feared frontline in National League North.
It was the Harriers who flew out of the blocks in the first half imposing themselves almost at will on the visiting side, who were indebted to Jonny Maddison for an early save from a Declan Weeks effort from range. The little midfield maestro was involved in the first real flashpoint of the game when he was on the receiving end of a horror challenge by Joe Wheatley with the referee Barry Lamb immediately producing the red card much to the Quakers’ disgust.
If Harriers were in control before the red card they certainly were after it. Visiting manager Tommy Wright was forced into two changes in the first half, one as a result of the sending off and another for tactical reasons, although defender Dominic Collins was not best pleased about it!
On the half hour mark, the deadlock was broken. Fraser Horsfall was dragged down from a corner and Mr Lamb pointed straight to the spot amidst the protests. The responsibility to take the spot kick lay at the feet of Joe Ironside who duly converted confidently.
A few minutes later the striker doubled his, and Harriers’ tally for the day, this time nodding in a Joel Taylor cross just moments after seeing an effort cleared off the line. Weeks was controlling the game in midfield, with the much maligned Ryan Johnson having his best game for Harriers yet, looking imperious.
HT: 2 – 0
Darlington came out early for the second half and it was they who opened the scoring eight minutes into the second half. Simon Ainge was credited to having got the final touch from a scramble in the box following a corner as the ball snuck over the line. Lee Vaughan had cleared it and amongst the confusion it was left to the referee to give the goal, which he did.
This gave the visitors the confidence and impetus to go on and seek an equaliser, however a superb curling effort from Ashley Chambers almost ended their hopes of a comeback. The excellent Weeks had a couple of efforts from range that flew just over the bar before Ed Williams opened his Harriers account in style, driving at the back line whilst holding off Styche before burying an effort into the bottom corner from outside the box.
Hopefully a sign of things to come when the former Gloucester City player gets a start. The superb Joel Taylor was withdrawn with twenty minutes to go and immediately after Jordan Nicholson finished well following good work from Styche and it was game back on.
Ashley Chambers wasted a half chance straight from kick off hooking wide off an Ironside knockdown before Harriers made it four. Weeks again was heavily involved delivering a peach of a free kick onto the head of Fraser Horsfall who nodded home gleefully.
Despite some misguided yells of “forward!” by some the Harriers knocked the ball about to kill the game in the final ten minutes before the presentation of the proverbial cherry on the cake.
Lee Vaughan saw his cross dropped by goalkeeper Maddison but it was recovered by Weeks with his back to goal. The Welsh wizard created a yard of space and rejected a lay off to James Baxendale, instead producing a moment of magic; a delightful dink over Maddison and two Darlington defenders to get his second goal in a Harriers shirt and top what was arguably his best ever performance in a Harriers shirt.
FT: 5 – 2
Goals for Harriers: Ironside 30 (pen), 38, Williams 63, Horsfall 73, Weeks 92
Goals for Darlington: Ainge 53, Nicholson 69
The Harriers Online MotM is: Declan Weeks
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Latest table and stats here
| Harriers | Goals | Subs | Time | Cards |
| Hall | ||||
| Vaughan | ||||
| Taylor |  | 68 | ||
| O’Connor | ||||
| Horsfall |  | |||
| Johnson | ||||
| Weeks | | |||
| Daniels |  | 68 | ||
| Ironside |  | |||
| Chambers |  | 76 | ||
| Williams | |  | ||
| Subs: | ||||
| Richards |  | 76 | ||
| Truslove | ||||
| Baxendale |  | 76 | ||
| Austin |  | 68 | ||
| Digie | ||||
| Darlington FC | Goals | Subs | Time | Cards |
| Maddison | ||||
| Trotman | ||||
| Galbraith | ||||
| Elliott | ||||
| Burn | ||||
| Collins | | 40 | ||
| Henshall | | 19 | ||
| Wheatley |  | |||
| Styche | ||||
| Ainge | | | 63 | |
| Thompson | ||||
| Subs: | ||||
| O’Hanlon | | 40 | ||
| Nicholson | | | 63 | |
| Hughes | | 19 | ||
| Saunders | ||||
| Syers | ||||
| Referee: | ||||
| Mr Barry Lamb | ||||
| Manchester | ||||