22-12-18 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 1 Curzon Ashton 1

Bradley’s last gasp goal saves the Harriers

Report: Harriershane

The Harriers welcomed Curzon Ashton to Aggborough in the final game before Christmas and in a game of relatively low quality, and few talking points, almost contrived to gift the visitors all three points before getting a last minute equaliser.

Manager Neil MacFarlane named an unchanged team with captain Jimmy O’Connor still missing through injury whilst Billy Daniels had recovered sufficiently to take his place on the bench.

What can I say about the start of the game? Not a lot in truth. Harriers, as we have grown accustomed to, dominated possession without creating any inroads as ‘The Nash’ were content to sit in and stand resolute for as long as they possibly could. Any balls forward from the visitors were comfortably dealt with by a confident Ryan Johnson with Sam Austin provided the main threat for Harriers down the left hand side, albeit limited in nature.

Somewhat out of nothing Ashley Chambers had the first chance of the game, latching on to a through ball, only to be denied by Cameron Mason who exploded off his line. This provided the hosts with a little bit of belief and we were a whisker away from taking the lead with half an hour played. Kane Richards motored behind the Curzon defence and laid the ball to his right to Dan Bradley, who hit a cross-cum-shot across goal, but a diving Chambers was just too short to connect.

As agonisingly close it was, it was also the best of a turgid first half.

HT: 0 – 0

Early in the second half Chambers was again presented with a chance. Threaded in by Bradley, the striker took a touch and bent an effort that looked to be heading top corner spectacularly from fifteen yards, sadly though his effort dropped just wide.

Out of nowhere, just before the hour mark, a rare Curzon foray forward almost yielded the ultimate reward as Ryan Brooke hit a venomous effort that stung the palms of Brandon Hall from point blank range on the angle. A fine stop indeed.

The Harriers continued to push without creating what could be described as a clear cut chance; Ed Williams, Fraser Horsfall and again Chambers all having half chances go begging. With fifteen minutes to go Curzon struck.

The referee awarded them a free kick on the angle, approximately twenty five yards out from goal, that was floated in delightfully and turned home by Danny Morton much to the delight of he Nash and their thirty loyal supporters.

Harriers continued pushing and continued to be wasteful; Russ Penn and Bradley both firing high and wide before the latter was guilty of a rush of blood when he mis-kicked an open goal from twelve yards out.

Substitute George Waring, on for Kane Richards, was also guilty of a miss when his downwards header was acrobatically kept out by Mason, having probably the game of his life (well, since the game at Curzon back in August anyway).

As the clock rolled into and past the final minute of the indicated six minutes of injury time the Harriers broke their visitors heart in a fashion befitting Scrooge’s belligerence in “A Christmas Carol”. Declan Weeks’ corner was originally knocked behind, before his second attempt found a crowd of Harriers, one of whom powered home a header. In the stands, we knew it was one of Waring, Horsfall or Bradley before we received confirmation that it was the former AFC Fylde man who had made amends for his glaring miss moments before.

Although glad for a point in the end one has to be disappointed by the lack of clear cut chances created and we have to consider it, again, two points dropped. However, were it not for the heroics time and time again of Cameron Mason Harriers could’ve gotten away with it. The twenty two year old is a fine young keeper who could well play higher.

In three days time, on Boxing Day, we play at struggling Hereford FC. If we’re hoping to get a result there then we certainly need to play a damned sight better than we did today.

FT: 1 – 1

Goal for Harriers: Bradley 96

Goal for Curzon: Morton 76

The Harriers Online MotM is: Ryan Johnson

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Vaughan
Austin
Penn			79
Horsfall
Johnson
Weeks
Richards			74
Chambers
Bradley
Williams
Subs:
Palmer
Waring			74
Daniels			79
Baxendale
Phillips
Curzon Ashton	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Mason
Morton
McJannett
Hunt
Shaw
Fawns			82
Guest
Rowney
Brooke			94
Crankshaw
Merrill			74
Subs:
Shenton			94
O’Leary
Khoury			82
McAtee			74
Wall
Referee:
Mr Scott Simpson
Stoke on Trent