22-04-22 – Preview – Blyth Spartans Vs Kidderminster Harriers

Preview: Phil Lench

The Harriers make their longest trip of the season tomorrow when they travel up to Blyth Spartans for the penultimate away day of the season proper. We could face equally long trips if we draw either Gateshead or AFC Fylde at some stage of the play-offs but that is yet to come.

For now we go against a side that were propping the table up a few weeks ago but have now put some positive results together to climb up to the comparative safety of third from bottom. Now four points ahead of bottom side Guiseley AFC they’ll be looking for a further three points against us to make sure of their safety. We, on the otherhand, need the three points to keep in touch of Fylde who, following our dropping of four points over the Easter period, are now six points clear of us.

In the cold light of the day it looks like that six points is too large a gap to close considering that the only obvious game that they’ll drop points will be at Boston Utd tomorrow and their games against Kettering Town, York City and Leamington FC all winnable. We face, apart from Blyth, Guiseley, Leamington and Darlington FC and they are all winnable but we all know how hard it is for  us to find a win these days.

We need to put last weekend behind us, once again, and go all out for maximum points if we hope to move up to third place and tomorrow we’ll be doing it with a slightly changed line-up. Loan striker Matt Stenson was un-expectedly recalled by FC Halifax Town yesterday but we did bring in a new defender in Corey Panter. Stenson had one good game in five for us: against Southport, but didn’t really hit the target with us, literally as well as physically.

Panter has come in from Luton Town as probable cover for the central defenders as well as being cover for Caleb Richards seeing as he can also play at left back. With Cliff Moyo out again once more and Alex Penny carrying an injury we are a bit light defensively. If Panter does start at Blyth then it’s hard to see who will be making way for him.

Blyth have a few injury worries with Connor Thomson out after getting injured at Spennymoor Town on Monday while they’ll be having fitness tests on Rhys Evans, Karl Byrne, Jordan Hickey, Dan Maguire and Robbie Dale who all have slight injuries or returning from one. 

As said already we seem to be having a problem putting a run of results together lately and winning one, drawing one losing two is no way to get promoted. We need to find consistent wins over the remaining four games starting tomorrow. 

Photo © DFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Emery, Richards, Cameron, Foulkes, Panter, Penny, Bajrami, Lowe, Austin, Redmond, Lissimore, Montrose, Carrington, Martin, Freemantle, Bastable, Tolley, Hemmings, Bell, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James.

Blyth Spartans from:

Curran, Mitchell, Robson, Almond, Milburn, Lees, Byrne, Watson, Buddle, Liddle, Evans, Barlow, Deverdics, Painter, O’Donnell, Hickey, Reid, Cappello, Djalo, Clark, Thompson, McKeown, McNall, Dale, Maguire.

Referee: Mr John Mulligan. Carlisle

Shanes Opposition Stats Pack:

At home in the league: (P19, W7, D2, L10) Alfreton 2-0, Telford 2-0, Brackley 0-0, Darlington 2-2, Chorley 0-2, Boston 0-1, Leamington 0-2, Guiseley 1-0, Southport 1-2, Spennymoor 3-1, Gateshead 2-1, Gloucester 2-0, York 0-3, Kettering 1-2, Fylde 0-2, Chester 1-3, BPA 1-3, Hereford 1-4, Farsley 2-1.

Goals (all competitions): 13 – O’Donnell, 6 – Dale, 5 – McNall, 5 – Thomson, 2 – Reid,  1 – Maguire, 1 – Liddle, 1 – Lees, 1 – Djalo, 1 – Almond, 1 – Barlow, 1 – Cappello, 1 – Own goal.

The streaks (league only):

Games since last win: 1

Games since last home win: 0

Games since last draw: 2

Games since last home draw: 10

Games since last defeat: 0

Games since last home defeat: 1

Games since last clean sheet: 6

Games since last home clean sheet: 7

The Squad (appearances are starts + sub, includes both league and cups):

Goalkeepers: Alex Curran (P3, conceded 3 including a penalty), Alex Mitchell (P39, conceded 73. Saved 2 penalties)

Defence: Patrick Almond (P17, 1 goal. On loan from Sunderland), Nathan Buddle (P29) Rhys Evans (P19) Toby Lees (P41, 1 goal), Michael Liddle (P27, 1 goal), Josh Robson (P0. Dual registration with Newcastle Benfield), Jordan Watson (P24. On loan to Heaton Stannington).

Midfield: Danny Barlow (P7, 1 goal. Dual Registration with Whickham), Karl Byrne (P26), Robbie Dale (P36, 6 goals. Scored his only penalty), Nicky Deverdics (P40), Josh Gillies (P1), Jordan Hickey (P31), Daniel Marriott (P0. Dual Registration with Consett), JJ O’Donnell (P42, 13 goals. Scored 1 out of 2 penalties), Cameron Painter (P11. On loan to Billingham Town), Sean Reid (P31, 2 goals).

Attack: Angelo Cappello (P9, 1 goal. On loan from Sheffield United),  Jamie Clark (P3. On loan to Newcastle Benfield), Sado Djalo (P7, 1 goal), Dan Maguire (P32, 1 goal),  Corey McKeown (P25), Lewis McNall (P30, 5 goals), Connor Thomson (P35, 5 goals).

Josh Gillies picked up a serious injury in the first game of the season and has been out ever since. Dan Maguire picked up an injury at the start of the month at Boston and hasn’t featured since, whilst Lewis McNall and Connor Thompson came off with a knocks on Easter Monday in their 3-0 defeat up at Spennymoor Town.

Talk about the game here

Links to Blyth Spartans websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here