Match reports 2024-25

Venue: North Street Date: 15-02-25 Alfreton Town 0 Harriers 2 Att: 613 (away fans: 150) Harriers promotion bid back on track Report: Harry211 Kidderminster Harriers ended their wintery winless spell with a professional win against Alfreton Town, providing green shoots of hope for their promotion hopes. A goal in either half from Reiss McNally and Amari-Morgan Smith made for a comfortable win, with the Derbyshire side not laying a glove on the visitors. McNally turned in the ball from a few yards out on thirty six minutes after Alfreton failed to clear a corner from Caleb Richards. Then with minutes to go Morgan-Smith fired a penalty high into the net after Reece Devine was fouled in the area. Phil Brown

Venue: Deva Stadium Date: 11-02-25 Chester FC 1 Harriers 1 Att: 2752 (away fans: 170) Harriers force a draw at table topping Chester Report: Kidderminster Shuttle The Harriers dug in deep to secure a National League North point at Chester FC courtesy of a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night. Phil Brown might well have feared the worst when, just as in Saturday’s defeat to Chorley FC, his side conceded early with a goal inside six minutes. His men showed great resolve at the Deva Stadium, however, and were level at half-time thanks to another goal from top scorer Ashley Hemmings. A tense second half failed to find a winner as Harriers pushed back against top-of-the-table Chester to secure a fully

Venue: Aggborough Date: 08-02-25 Harriers 1 Chorley FC 2 Att: 2392 (away fans: 130) The Harriers slump continues with another home defeat Report: Phil Lench The Harriers dismal run continued on this dismal day at Aggborough when they lost out 2-1 to a Chorley FC that came to us knowing that their style of play was something that we could never get our heads around. Every time we play them they persist with the same packed defence that clear their lines over the top of ours onto a front line waiting to pick the ball up and run. It works well for them and it worked for them today. Phil Brown thought that he had tham sussed with his team

FA Trophy 5th round Venue: Aggborough Date: 01-02-25 Harriers 1 Sutton Utd 0 Att: 2065 (away fans: 224) Harriers exit Trophy and the scrappiest goal ever did it Report: Phil Lench The Harriers exited the FA Trophy at this stage in yet another poor showing in front of goal. We had plenty of chances to go into a comfortable first half lead but our profligance in front of the target was our downfall yet again. Yesterday we bought in a rookie striker, Charlie Lutz, from Aston Villa but to bring him on from the bench with only ten minutes of the game left and already a goal down was not the best way to go about getting him on the
Venue: Marsh Lane Date: 25-01-25 Oxford City 1 Harriers 1 Att: 1059 (away fans: 350) Harriers slip back down the table and a bad injury into the bargain Report: Kidderminster Shuttle The Harriers slipped to third in the National League North table after a faltering 1-1 draw at Oxford City on Saturday. Having squandered their single point lead at the top with defeat to Darlington FC in midweek, the Reds lost further ground in the title race – and top spot – with a showing in Oxfordshire that saw them pegged back with a 91st minute equaliser. A further blow to the visitors came with the loss of defender Joe Foulkes to injury. The former Walsall youngster fell victim to

Venue: Aggborough Date: 21-01-25 Harriers 0 Darlington FC 1 Att: 2011 (away fans: 58) Lethargic Harriers fail at home again Report: Kidderminster Shuttle Cedric Main netted the only goal of the game during the second half to condemn Harriers to a defeat similar in many respects to the 1-0 reverse at the hands of struggling Rushall Olympic earlier this month. Though just a third defeat in 17 league matches, the set-back left a 2,000 Aggborough crowd frustrated as Phil Brown’s men spurned a big chance to extend their lead at the top of National League North to as much as four points. In the end, the deficit was reduced to just goal difference thanks to Chester’s late win at Spennymoor

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

Venue: Sports Stadium Date: 14-01-25 Scarborough Athletic 2 Harriers 3 Att: 1161 (away fans: 60) Harriers come back three times to win at Scarborough Report: Kidderminster Shuttle The Harriers returned to the top of National League North after edging a battle at Scarborough to take three points in a 3-2 win. The visitors from Worcestershire twice held the lead in Yorkshire before being pegged back by the hosts, Ashley Hemmings eventually settling the tie with the winning goal, his thirteenth of the season, in the second half. Following an enforced break from action after the postponement of the previous weekend’s National League North tie at Marine AFC, Harriers travelled to Scarborough making three changes to their starting line-up from the

FA Trophy 4th round Venue: Aggborough Date: 04-01-25 Harriers 4 Slough Town 0 Att: 1854 (away fans: 222) Ash Hemmings hat trick sees the Harriers through Report: Phil Lench The Harriers cruised through to the fifth round of this seasons FA Trophy with an easy win against Slough Town. A hat trick for Ashley Hemmings was also the easiest one that he would ever score. With a much changed starting lineup we took to the field with five changes and Jim Kellermann making his full debut after signing with us until the end of the season. Also making his first start since returning from injury was Reece Devine while there was a rare start for young Seb Thompson. Slough came

Venue: Aggborough Date: 01-01-25 Harriers 0 Rushall Olympic 1 Att: 3402 (away fans: 77) The Harriers fail to turn up and defeat ensues Report: Phil Lench The Harriers got 2025 off to the worst start possible with this dreary home defeat to bottom club Rushall Olympic. On a day when we were expected to follow up our brilliant Boxing Day win at Hereford FC we, instead, turned in one of our poorest performances of the season missing a host of chances to score, negativity in midfield and a soft goal conceded late on. With an unchanged line-up from the Hereford game we started really well with some slick passing – possibly twenty five passes without a Rushall player getting near

Venue: Edgar Street Date: 26-12-24 Hereford FC 0 Harriers 3 Att: 4925 (away fans: 700) Can we blame the floodlights and the fog? Report: Phil Lench After all the faff from Hereford FC about the floodlight problems, then the dropping down of the fog, the one thing they didn’t account for was the possibility of them not turning up on the day. Don’t get it wrong the Harriers were nothing short of brilliant today but not to even try and compete against us on their big day was embarrassing. In front of a full house of almost five thousand fans in the Christmas spirit it was a bit murky out there but it was the Reds that started the game

Venue: Aggborough Date: 21-12-24 Harriers 2 Southport 0 Att: 2503 (away fans: 88) Harriers getting into the Christmas spirit Report: Phil Lench A good, solid, performance at home, from the Harriers, against a poor Southport side set us us up for the annual encounter with Hereford FC on Boxing Day. A goal in each half from Ashley Hemmings and Zak Brown gained us the points that took us slightly back up the table into third but it was Ash’s goal that will live long in the memory. Following a cagey opening, on another windy day, the game suddenly burst to life when, from a seemingly harmless position outside the area, Ash looked up, with the ball at his feet, and

Venue: Stainton Park Date: 14-12-24 Radcliffe FC 0 Harriers 4 Att: 926 (away fans: 120) Harriers smash four past Radcliffe Report: Phil Lench The Harriers returned home from Radcliffe FC with a 4-0 win to add to a 3-0 win at Aggborough earlier in the season. This was our first return game of the season and to seal that with a 7-0 aggregate win was something special. Sadly the game itself was not always special, just routine. The conditions were much improved on last weeks windy game at AFC Fylde although there were squalls of rain coming in off the West Pennine Moors at times. Strangely our first half play was better the previous week in worse conditions. We struggled

FA Trophy 3rd round Venue: Mill Farm Date: 07-12-24 AFC Fylde 2 Harriers 2 (0-3 pens) Att: 446 (away fans: 60) Harriers win(dy) game on penalties again Report: Phil Lench In shockingly bad conditions at AFC Fylde today the Harriers made their way through, after penalties, to the 4th round of the FA Trophy in what was almost a repeat of a rainy night on the marshes two seasons ago when that game, at the same stage, also ended with penalties and the one and only Nick Haughton skying his take over the bar. This time though the rest of his team mates also missed theirs and the three that the Harriers scored meant that the Reds went through to

Venue: Aggborough Date: 30-11-24 Harriers 1 Leamington FC 0 Att: 2257 (away fans: 107) Harriers win again but it still isn’t convincing Report: Phil Lench A dreary game was bought to life with a lovely second half goal from Joe Foulkes to seal the win, and the three points, from a spirited Leamington FC who will feel a little unlucky to have got something from the game. As for the remainder of the game, that we had been hoping for an improvement from the Kings Lynn debacle on Tuesday evening, it was turgid stuff with just a ten minute spell in the second half following the goal that we looked something like. Again though the lack of anything from our

Venue: The Walks Date: 26-11-24 Kings Lynn Town 4 Harriers 0 Att: 795 (away fans: 50) Harriers worst game so far this season Report: Phil Lench The Harriers turned in what was possibly their worst performance of the season so far at Kings Lynn this evening and I’m sure that it could also be their worst performance for many a year. Phil Browns lack of decent squad depth, due to injuries, and a naivety in his tactics proved our undoing as an equally poor Lynn put four goals past Christian Dibble and it could easily have been more. With Maz Kouhyar, Reece Devine, Ben Beresford and Tope Obadeyi injured, Zak Brown suspended and Jack Lambert out in the cold we

FA Trophy 2nd round Venue: Aggborough Date: 16-11-24 Harriers 2 Halesowen Town 1 Att: 3884 (away fans:1442) Leave it late why dontcha Harriers? Report: Phil Lench A rip roaring FA Trophy game in front of the kind of crowd reserved, normally, for Christmas and West Ham Utd saw the Harriers pull through late on against a Halesowen Town that looked like an outfit destined for better things under the tutelage of the former Harriers boss Russ Penn. Looking like nothing that Penn had us watching they were strong, direct and played on the front foot. In Jordan Ponticelli they had the striker that Penn couldn’t find and their number two Ben Cassidy looked far too good for the level they

Venue: Aggborough Date: 12-11-24 Harriers 4 South Shields 0 Att: 1920 (away fans: 30) At last we got what we expect from the Harriers Report: Phil Lench After a season, so far, of some iffey results interspersed with the odd good ‘un the Harriers gave the fans what they had been wanting all season: a rip roaring glut of goals. With everyone expecting yet another 0-0, or possibly even an exciting 1-0, it came as something of a welcome surprise to see us go on the attack from the start and stay there for the whole of the first half. It helped that South Shields were ‘not very good’ and you can only beat what’s in front of you but

Venue: Aggborough Date: 09-11-24 Harriers 1 Farsley Celtic 0 Att: 2166 (away fans: 13) A dour game but at least we won at home Report: Phil Lench A bit of a dour game against Farsley Celtic today at Aggborough saw the Reds gain their first home win in the league since the 4-0 victory over Oxford City way back on August 31st. That day we ran rampant but today was a different matter with a slow approach to the game that bought very little action to excite the fans in attendance. Yes, we did rule the first half possession wise and got a fair number of shots away but most of those shots were well wide of the mark. There

Venue: Tameside Stadium Date: 06-11-24 Curzon Ashton 0 Harriers 1 Att: 375 (away fans: 120) Harriers win on the road once again Report: Phil Lench Our form on the road continued at odds with our home form with a 1-0 win at Curzon Ashton. At home we can’t get a win for love or money but it’s a different matter on our travels with the Reds undefeated in our last five away games. Tonights game was a close affair but an early goal from Ashley Hemmings was enough to clinch the points against a side that had played, and lost 4-0, against League One high flyers Mansfield Town in the FA Cup in Sunday. With Joe Foulkes back in the

Venue: Aggborough Date: 02-11-24 Harriers 2 Buxton FC 2 Att: 2318 (away fans: 40) The long wait for another home win continues Report: Phil Lench Once again the Harriers failed at home in a story that is become all too familiar to the frustrated fan base that turn out week in week out to see their hero’s gift goals to an opposition that should have been crucified before half time. It’s now three months since our last league home win that came way, way back in August against Oxford City. With us on top and 1-0 up before the break it seemed only natural that on their return to the field of play that the Reds would crack on and

Venue: Lincoln Road Date: 26-10-24 Peterborough Sports 0 Harriers 1 Att: 348 (away fans: 120) Either side of the break is where the excitement happened Report: Phil Lench The Harriers managed to overcome a resilient Peterborough Sports with a goal very early in the second half from Amari Morgan-Smith to clinch our second away win in a week and AMS’s sixth goal of the season to make him the Harriers leading scorer. To be honest up until the goal it had been a game devoid of any skill or real excitement until the final minute of the first half. First a Maz Kouhyar shot had crashed against the bar and in the melee following tempers flared and the former Harrier

Venue: Aggborough Date: 22-10-24 Harriers 0 Marine AFC 0 Att: 1936 (away fans: 73) Harriers fail miserably at home yet again Report: Phil Lench Again, for what seems the umpteenth time this season, the Harriers failed to win at home and failed to score at home. The below 2000 attendance must be ringing alarm bells somewhere in the corridors of power where promotion was to be the aim this season. That’s now looking very unlikely as the fans trooped out of the stadium thinking that was more of a defeat than a point won. Marine AFC, second from bottom in the table and only four goals scored so far, should have been meat and drink to our full time professionals

Venue: Bloomfields Date: 19-10-24 Needham Market 0 Harriers 3 Att: 462 (away fans: 100) Harriers get their first away win since the opening day Report: Phil Lench The Harriers cruised to their first away win, at Needham Market, since the opening day of the season way back on August 10th when we came away from Darlington FC with a 2-1 win. A first double goal tally from any player so far saw Ashley Hemmings gain that accolade. It was a just reward for him after his poor performance against Guiseley AFC in the FA Cup last Saturday that saw the Reds go crashing out following a multitude of missed chances by him, including a poorly taken penalty kick. A performance

FA Cup 4th qualifying round Venue: Aggborough Date: 12-10-24 Harriers 0 Guiseley AFC 1 Att: 2299 (away fans: 126) A disgraceful second half shambles sees us exit the FA Cup Report: Phil Lench Well that was bad wasn’t it? BAD!, BAD!, BAD! Following a shocking, substandard second half performance the Harriers went crashing out of the FA Cup and in doing so missed out on a near £10,000 payday that could have seen the club recruit a decent goalscorer that can take penalties because by God Ashley Hemmings certainly can’t. His first half dance up, pirouette, hop, skip, jump, weak side footed rolled ball to the Guiseley AFC keeper was totally cringeworthy and we do not want to see that

Venue: The Brewery Field Date: 05-10-24 Spennymoor Town 1 Harriers 1 Att: 1253 (away fans: 100) Harriers fail to win on the road once again Report: Phil Lench The Harriers have now failed to win a League game away from home since the opening day win at Darlington FC. Our only previous away draw came in the FA Cup at Buxton FC and this one at Spennymoor Town today makes it just three points on the road for a club that have aspirations to gain promotion back to the National League at the first attempt. If things don’t begin to improve we might even find ourselves out of contention of the play-offs too! We know that we have some crucial

FA Cup 3rd qualifying round replay Venue: Aggborough Date: 01-10-24 Harriers 2 Buxton FC 0 Att: 1123 (away fans: 74) Harriers win the battle but come out scarred Report: Tonythescout Goals from Jack Lambert and Amari Morgan-Smith set up a fourth round qualifier FA Cup clash with Guiseley AFC for Phil Browns Harriers at the expense of Buxton in a tempestuous game under the lights at Aggborough. Changes were made again as Joe Foulkes, Luke Summerfield, Caleb Richards, Amari Morgan-Smith and Tope Obadeyi came into the starting eleven. There was no place for Maz Kouhyar in the squad although Ashley Hemmings was included following his omission from Saturdays squad at Buxton. Harriers had the first chance of the game on two

FA Cup 3rd qualifying round Venue: Silverlands Date: 28-09-24 Buxton FC 1 Harriers 1 Att: 806 (away fans: 150) Harriers taken to a replay at Buxton Report: Phil Lench The Harriers made hard work of earning a replay in this FA Cup 3rd qualifying round game at Buxton FC this afternoon, Starting with a much changed side, that included new signing Kam Kandola getting his debut, we struggled to make a breakthrough on their plastic pitch and at times looked wary of it and also seemed unable to cope with the fast surface. It took a well taken goal from another newish signing, Harry Ibbitson, to equalise their opening goal from Kieran Burton a few minutes earlier. It wasn’t until

Venue: Aggborough Date: 21-09-24 Harriers 0 Alfreton Town 1 Att: 2380 (away fans: 47) Harriers taste a first home defeat of the season Report: Phil Lench The Harriers fell to their first home defeat of the season and you damn well knew it would be Alfreton Town didn’t you? In a game that, at times, was frustrating to watch we spurned a handful of chances to open the scoring in both halves of the game and that was mainly down to Ashley Hemmings possibly trying a little too hard and not composing himself first. In the first half he broke clear and, one on one with George Willis, he opted to fire straight at him rather than round him to

FA Cup 2nd qualifying round Venue: Aggborough Date: 14-09-24 Harriers 2 Leek Town 1 Att: 1452 (away fans: 47) Harriers scrape through in the Cup Report: Phil Lench The Harriers just about scraped through into the next round of this seasons FA Cup thanks to a late, late winner from Amari Morgan-Smith. AMS had scored earlier in the game to draw us level after we had huffed and puffed to come back from Leek Towns opening goal in the first half and that was a relief when it went in but no more so than the winning goal when a replay back in Staffordshire looked very likely. We had gone with a slightly changed line-up at the start of the

Venue: Victory Park Date: 07-09-24 Chorley FC 2 Harriers 1 Att: 1549 (away fans: 150) Harriers fail on their travels once again Report: Phil Lench Three weekend away games and we’ve lost every single one of them and, to be honest, I just can’t see how we’ve managed that. In all three games at Warrington Town, Scunthorpe Utd and now Chorley FC we’ve played well enough to win them all but sadly that’s just not happened. Is the reason because we’re a soft touch or is it because we’re not a physical side? Or is it because we simply seem to be a first half team away from home. Again today we started off playing some superb football and in

Venue: Aggborough Date: 03-09-24 Harriers 1 Chester FC 1 Att: 2554 (away fans: 370) Ash Hemmings sent off in Chester draw Report: Phil Lench The Harriers dropped their first home points of the season against Chester FC tonight in yet another great game. A game too good for this level and that’s down to the experience and nous that Phil Brown brings to the team. With two central defenders – Paul Downing and Alex Penny – out injured he had to quickly restructure the team to compensate. He went with just the one recogniseable option in Reiss McNally and dropped the use of wingers to involve defenders Caleb Richards and Joe Foulkes in that role instead. It worked because Chester

Venue: Glanford Park Date: 30-08-24 Scunthorpe Utd 2 Harriers 0 Att: 4967 (away fans: 239) A game of high quality Report: Phil Lench The Harriers came away from Scunthorpe Utd this evening with a second defeat of the season when they went down 2-0 at Glanford Park. In a game of end to end action it was truly a game of high quality for both sets of fans and those of a neutral stance. In fact it was a game well above non-league standard and many in League Two as well. After a fairly even first half, the Iron broke clear of the injury-hit visitors in the second period and sealed their win thanks to two goals by the hour

Venue: Aggborough Date: 26-08-24 Harriers 4 Oxford City 0 Att: 2546 (away fans: 42) Harriers are back to winning ways Report: Phil Lench The Harriers quickly got back to winning ways against Oxford City following the defeat away at Warrington Town two days ago. And what a way to do so too. Taking a 3-0 lead into the break was what all the fans wanted to see after such a good start to the season and that’s just what we got. A second goal running for Ben Beresford was the start, a third goal for Maz Kouhyar on the stroke of halftime was sandwiched by Ashley Hemmings third goal of the season. The best was saved for the second half

Venue: Cantilever Park Date: 24-08-24 Warrington Town 2 Harriers 1 Att: 1107 (away fans: 250) Harriers fall to the first defeat of the season at Warrington Town The Harriers fell to their first defeat of the season at Warrington Town today after going into the lead after five minutes. A first goal for Ben Beresford, from a corner, opened the scoring for us but following that we failed to push on and allowed the hosts too much space on the ball until the inevitable happened just before the break when they drew level through Matthew McDonald. A second goal for Town was added midway through the second half and we still failed to raise our game until it was almost

Venue: Aggborough Date: 20-08-24 Harriers 1 Brackley Town 0 Att: 2382 (away fans: 70) Harriers dominant but still only get a single goal Report: Phil Lench This was the first time that we had locked horns with Brackley Town since that memorable sunny day in May 2023 that saw the Harriers make their return to the National League. It was thanks to Ashley Hemmings goals that day and, again, last night it was thanks to our number ten that we were victorious once again. The only drawbacks are that we are no longer in the National League and also that it was our only goal of the game. Games against Brackley have never been of the high scoring variety but

Venue: Aggborough Date: 17-08-24 Harriers 3 Radcliffe FC 0 Att: 2504 (away fans: 56) The floodgates opened as Harriers run riot Report: Phil Lench A five minute spell of scoring put paid the leagues new boys, Radcliffe FC’s, hopes as the floodgates opened following Zak Browns first goal of the season, then two minutes later Max Kouhyars’ second goal of the campaign to be finished off by Ashley Hemmings with his first goal of the season. We were hoping for more but the team seemed satisfied with that and controlled the remainder of the game with just a brief response late on that forced Christian Dibble into action for the first time in the game. In our first home game

Venue: Blackwell Meadows Date: 10-08-24 Darlington FC 1 Harriers 2 Att: 1817 (away fans: 150) Harriers get their first aMAZing win of the season Report: Phil Lench The Harriers got their season off to a great start with three well earned points at Darlington FC thanks to a match winning performance from the amazing ‘MAZ’ Kouhyar. His cross for Amari Morgan-Smiths opening goal was class in itself and then followed up with a just as classy goal of his own towards the end of the game sealed the points for the Reds. The Quakers responded late on with a well taken Will Hatfield freekick to inspire them to a mini rally but it was all too late for them. On