24-11-23. Oxford City Vs Kidderminster Harriers. Match preview

Preview: Phil Lench

After our first point gained in a month at home to Hartlepool Utd on Tuesday – the previous point was a month ago in Altrincham – the Harriers will now be making the short trip down to the City of Dreaming Spires tomorrow to take on an in-consistent Oxford City. They have been improving in recent weeks with two wins in a row against Woking FC and Ebbsfleet Utd but came crashing back down on Tuesday following an away defeat at York City.

Those two wins took them momentarily out of the relegation zone but they then sloppied back into it following York.

Watching our game on TV we looked better than we did against Dagenham & Redbridge last Saturday but there’s still an urgent need for real improvement. With a more attacking look about us we could have done better but looked unlikely to score more than the one goal. Ashley Hemmings made a long awaited return to the starting eleven and for the first time in God knows how long we actually played two up front. 

We also saw a total absence of the Dibble to AMS hoof into the stands and not before time too. At last, hopefully, Russ Penn may have realised that is just wasn’t working. What did work was the passing to feet with Jack Lambert, Bailey Hobson and Ryan McLean all playing their part. All we needed was a midfield enforcer that Kai Lissimore attempted but didn’t quite manage.

Hopefully tomorrow we’ll see it again but having had a few more days practising it.

We’ll still be without Joe Leesley, Shane Byrne and Nathaniel Knight-Percival and now we could have Sam Robinson missing for a few weeks after he went off on Tuesday with a twisted knee. As for Barry Maguire, does anyone know where he is?

Photo © KHFC

Referee: Mr Aji Ajibola. Dartford

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