25-08-17 – Preview – Harriers Vs Alfreton Town

Following three disastrous results so far in the opening few weeks of the season and two, less than convincing, good results the opinion of most of the supporters is that unless we get some positivity from these two up-coming Bank Holiday fixtures then this season is going to be one of disappointment following last season where we came so very close to returning to the division above.

Last Saturday at Salford City was the worst of the worst and the fans that travelled there clearly made their feelings known at the end of a game that saw the Harriers collapse in a second half that the City substitute, Jack Redshaw, took by the scruff of the neck and give our ineffective strikers a lesson in how to score goals.

Tomorrow at home to Alfreton Town, and on Monday at Brackley Town, we need to up our game to 101% and unleash a fury on them. It’s no good tippy tapping the ball around the Kidderminster Way because that just isn’t working anymore. We have lost the creative spine of the team that did that so well last season and those that are left, Ryan Croasdale, Elton N’Gwatala and James McQuilkin, just can’t seem to get it together with those that have replaced Arthur Gnahoua, Zaine Francis-Angol and Keith Lowe.

We need to take the game to the opposition and, using widemen, get that ball in quickly for Joe Ironside to do something with. So far the service to the central striker has been nothing short of appalling and he’s beginning to lose confidence in those around him as shown by that soft penalty take at Salford.  

This week young defender Joel Taylor signed an extended contract until the end of the season after impressing in his three games for us since joining us just before we played FC Utd the other week. He struggled a little during the first half of that game but soon settled down. His signing could mean a time out on loan for either Josh Webb or Cieron Keane with neither of them having played recently.

Today we have allowed goalkeeper Tom Palmer to go out on loan to Worcester City and maybe the same might be happening to Daniel Nti who seems to have vanished from the scene.

We’ll have no injuries for the game although Liam Truslove has been missing recently. His un-reported injury should now be done with and we should expect to see him back in the starting squad over the next two games.

We have two former Alfreton players with us with one being the aforementioned Ironside while the other is new signing Dan Bradley and seeing as he always scored against us will he now open his account with us tomorrow by scoring against his old club?

During the close season the new Alfreton manager John McDermott bought in eleven new players, including the former Grimsby Town play-maker Craig Disley, in an effort to get Town back into the Conference Premier. So far it’s working just as well as our effort with middling results and like us they have only won two games. They beat Blyth Spartans at home on opening day and then a week last Tuesday they beat North Ferriby Utd at home too. All the rest, against Boston Utd, Darlington and Southport, they have lost.

Alfreton haven’t reported any injuries but yesterday they signed Brendon Daniels on a contract from AFC Fylde. At one time it was suggested that Daniels might be coming to Aggborough.

So we go into this game, this weekend, looking to improve drastically on every one of our performances so far. We have to do that if we want to make sure of promotion this season and to make sure that Colin Gordons dream of a new stadium isn’t going to end up as a white elephant.

Teams:

Harriers from:

Hall, Webb, Williams, Taylor, Digie, Daly, Keane, Croasdale, Joachim, Truslove, Weeks, Austin, A Brown, Sonupè, Bradley, McQuilkin, N’Gwatala, Ironside, Nti.

Alfreton from:

Elliott, Allen, Shiels, Topliss, Priestley, Cox, Wood, Morrison, Snodin, Smith, Disley, Marshall, Jennings, Platt, Nyoni, Daniels, Westcarr, Robertson, Sharp, Johnson, Lavelle-Moore.

Talk about the game here and phone the Harriers Hotline on 01905 577 777 after the game too.

Links to Alfreton Town websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here