21-04-19 – Preview – Southport Vs Kidderminster Harriers

Following Fridays shocking home defeat to Leamington FC, when we were supposed to be going all out to win our three remaining games but failed at the first hurdle, we now know from AFC Telford Utd’s draw at Hereford FC yesterday that our task has been made nigh on impossible. We now need to win both our remaining games and Telford need to gain just one more point from theirs to end our hopes.

Directly above us Chester can afford to lose one of their games if Telford lose both theirs while Blyth Spartans could go up to sixth if they win both of their games and other results are favourable. As for us we can finish no lower than tenth place with our hosts tomorrow, Southport, seven points behind us.

All told this season has been a disgrace and I, personally, haven’t witnessed such a poor Harriers team in all my years of following them. Tenth place in this league would be the lowest we have ever been in living memory although I don’t know how we can compare our West Midlands League years to now. The fault for this can only be laid at the door of the boardroom and the sad thing is they have never owned up to their own responsibilities, shortcomings and faults. Maybe they’ll dispense with these airy-fairy ideas of an educational complex next season and get back to running a traditional football club.

So tomorrow it’s off to Sunny, Muddy Southport and if the weather stays at these temperatures no doubt some Harriers fans will opt to stay on the sea front instead of making their way to Haig Avenue to watch another three points down the drain.

Thankfully we’ll be without Harry Flowers after he walked out on the club after Fridays game when Mark Yates substituted him at the break for Russ Penn. Flowers opinion was that he thought he had been playing superbly and should have carried on whereas we know the truth is that he’s a liability and is also shit. In his place we should see the far, far better Josh Heaton regain his place although he should never have been dropped anyway.

On the injury front Brandon Hall is still a doubt to return in place of his understudy Tom Palmer while Declan Weeks, Billy Daniels, Liam Truslove and Nick Clayton-Phillips are all non-starters. It’s not known who is out for Southport.

So tomorrow is now just for pride. The pride of failing and finishing tenth is still a hard pill to swallow though.

STOP PRESS: The Harriers manager Mark Yates has left the club after being told that his services will not be required next season. James O’Connor and Russ Penn will take charge of the two remaining games. 

Teams:

Harriers from:

Hall, Palmer, Taylor, Horsfall, O’Connor, Penn, Johnson, Heaton, McAlinden, Weeks, Stratford, Taylor-Randle, Truslove, Butterfield, Higginson, Austin, Chambers, Daniels, Ironside, K Richards, Williams, White.

Southport from:

Hanford, Tibbetts, J Richards, Astles, Parry, Winnard, Ogle, Edwards, Platt, Lacy, Charles, Morgan, Green, Davies, Bauress, Homson-Smith, Wood, Sampson, Archer.

Referee: Mr Adam Williamson. Durham

Talk about the game here

Links to Southport websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here