24-02-23. Match preview Vs Darlington FC

Preview: Phil Lench

It’s not getting any better is it? Three defeats in a row now and the confidence is visibly draining from both the players and the fans. On the field we’ve scored just three goals in the last five games and those came away from home. The fans on social media are beginning to rise up against Russ Penn with the majority of them wanting him gone but that might be too expensive an option.

It would be better for both parties if he, and chairman Richard Lane, began to realise that this team is still not good enough and that the main problem is in the striking department where we are abysmally weak. Amari Morgan-Smith is still being expected to lead the non-existent line by himself and the only out and out striker bought in to really help him has been a failure and has now gone back to his parent club injured. Sadly the youngster Joe McGlynn is not the answer.

The answer has to be a time served striker such, for example, as Ed Williams who has just announced his intention to come home from America where he was playing with Rochester New York FC. The right age (27) and the right amount of experience needed to play alongside a big man. Because that’s what we’re missing right now.

The one thing that we have in our favour for the trip to Darlington FC tomorrow is that it’s away from home where, until Tuesday evening at Chorley FC, we’ve looked strong and unbeatable. That shows in our current away form record where over the last ten away games we sit in fourth place. Better than the rock bottom place for our home form. Luckily for us Darlo are not much better at home sitting in sixteenth place.

In that game at Chorley we lost to a set piece goal yet again when we failed to defend a throw in. Add in the dismissal of Nathaniel Knight-Percival for a second yellow card and it wasn’t a good night out. At least NKP will be able to play tomorrow but will miss the home game against Boston Utd in a weeks time.

On Tuesday Darlington were drawing at home to Buxton FC and that was only due to a stoppage time penalty that was converted by Ben Liddle. If they had lost then, just like us, it would have been their third defeat in a row too.

Ashley Hemmings went off injured just after half time on Tuesday but that may have just been a precaution. Reiss McNally was nowhere to be seen and we’ve not heard anything about him but it looks likely that he is injured but how long for is anyone’s guess and McGlynn is obviously still at Burnley having his hip problem sorted. Joe Leesley is still out long term but is working towards a return in the gym.

Darlingtons main injury is a high profile one. Defender Paddy Almond had a head injury at Southend Utd in the FA Trophy and at first it was treated as concussion. Later it worsened, he couldn’t stand up, and he was sent to hospital where it was diagnosed as an Aneurism. A bleed on the brain to me and you. He’ll probably miss the remainder of the season now to help the bleed go and we wish the lad well in his recovery. There’s a Go Fundme page for him here if you want to help him. 

The only other known injury that we’ve been told about is to Jake Lawlor (back) and he’ll have a fitness test before the game so they’ll probably go with the team that played Buxton the other night.

I have a feeling that this is a game that we could get something from (there’s confidence for you) and we could then avenge that Bonfire Night defeat at Aggborough last November.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Palmer, Dibble, Penny, Richards, Morrison, Knight-Percival, Foulkes, Leak, McNally, Pearce, Byrne, Brown, Lissimore, Owen-Evans, Hall, K Martin, McGlynn, Freemantle, Bearne, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith.

Darlington FC from:

L Martin, Taylor, Brookwell, Jordan Emery, Cooper, Griffiths, Hedley, Lawlor, Newall, Sukar, Wheater, Winstanley, Hughes, Liddle, Moké, Purver, Rose, Felix, Hazel, Lambert, Mondal, Rivers, Williams.

Referee: Mr Claudio Gavillucci. The Wirral

Talk about the game here

Links to Darlington FC websites here

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