23-08-19 – Preview – Kidderminster Harriers Vs Chester FC

For the third time of asking the Harriers will be wanting to collect all three points at home to Chester FC tomorrow. So far an opening day draw against Leamington FC and then a defeat under the Aggborough floodlights against Gloucester City are the sum of our home campaign so far and it’s far from being impressive for a team hoping to gain promotion this season.

Tomorrow our task will be made even harder with Chester going into the game unbeaten this season and with both their away games (Boston Utd & Kettering Town) ending as 1-1 draws. In previous meetings between us and them at Aggborough we’ve always found their defence a little suspect but during the close season that was toughened up with a raft of defensive signings including former Harrier Joel Taylor.

Taylor was let go by us after not being offered a new contract after two seasons. His thoughts on the situation was given to the Chester Chronicle yesterday:

I’d done well under the different managers we’d had but the same chairman was still there. I was invited back for pre-season training, but seeing as how I’d played for Kidderminster for two years it felt like I was going to go in like a trialist, like they didn’t know enough about me already! I felt like I merited another deal but that’s just football and you move on.

I kind of got the feeling before the end of the season that I wasn’t going to get offered something permanent so I started to see where I might be able to play my football this season. The gaffers (Johnson and Morley) spoke to me and said that I was someone who they’d been looking to get for some time so we made it happen.

We have replaced Joel with a fine defender in Correy Davidson and, for a bonus, one that can score goals too so maybe we were right to let him go all along.

Along with Taylor, Chester also have two other former Reds within their ranks. Akwasi Asante joined them last season and in the games that he’s played, when not injured, he’s scored goals including last minute penalties in their last two games. George Waring is the other former player and he’s doing well there too having been on the score sheet more times than he ever did with us.

Last weekend a fine win away at Curzon Ashton gave us three points to keep us in the middle of the league table. Another goal for Ashley Chambers, his fourth this season, gave us the win but he does need someone else to join in with the scoring duties. At Curzon the only other one to come close was the aforementioned Davidson. Ed Williams seems to be going through a barren spell at the moment with only his goal against Leamington to show for his efforts so far.

He’s trying hard and runs non-stop but the final touch seems to be deserting him at the moment but it’s bound to return one day. Hopefully tomorrow will be that day.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Gregory, Palmer, Davidson, O’Connor, Higginson, Penn, Johnson, Moyo, D Lowth, R Williams, Prosser, Weeks, Stratford, Taylor-Randle, Scott, Butterfield, Austin, Chambers, E Williams, White, Peniket.

Chester FC from:

Griffiths, Grand, Livesey, Taylor, K Roberts, Thomson, Morgan, Jones, Burton, Jackson, Mahon, G Roberts, Stopforth, Waters, Asante, Hughes, Marsh-Hughes, Murray, Waring, Dudley, Elliott.

Referee: Mr Andrew Sykes. Lytham St Annes

Talk about the game here

Links to Chester FC websites here

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