26-11-21 – Preview – FA Trophy 2nd rd – Hereford FC Vs Kidderminster Harriers

Preview: Phil Lench

The Harriers start off in this seasons FA Trophy with a juicy game at Hereford FC to look forward to. In fact this game will be the first of three, possibly four, games against our near neighbours over a six week period. On Boxing Day, in the league, they come to us while we travel back down there on January 2nd. Add in the chance of a replay at Aggborough next Tuesday and we’re going to be getting quite familiar with their fans.

If there is a replay then that will be on Tuesday evening at Aggborough.

We’re now on the back of eight games unbeaten of which seven of those were three pointers including that brilliant comeback at Gloucester City on Tuesday evening. 1-0 down at halftime and looking out of sorts we amazingly scored three times in the second half and the goals topped off with a superbly taken solo effort from Sammy Austin that took him from inside his own half, past defenders and the goalkeeper before sidefooting the ball into the net. That got the fans going and now we believe that we’re invincible. Not a good way of thinking.

Hereford will be a different kettle of fish with more history between the two clubs that traditionally battle out Christmas together. Hereford were in the final, and lost, against Hornchurch FC last season so will be hoping to get there again at our expense but we also have history in the FA Trophy. Four times more history in fact having been there in 1987, 1991, 1995 and in 2007 we became the first team to play at the new Wembley in a competitive game although we did, sadly, lose to Stevenage .

Hereford have, at last, got their season on track after struggling near to the bottom of the table for the majority of the season. In recent weeks though they have strung some better results together by winning their last four games. They’re now in thirteenth place in the table and fourth in the current form table (we’re at the top).

This upturn in form has coincided with the arrival of the former Mansfield Town defender and captain Krystian Pearce a few months back. At first he wasn’t allowed to play due some uncertain issue but now he’s in the side the Bulls have become much harder to beat and play against. Against our speedy forwards he might, hopefully, struggle.

Being local to us, and smaller, it’s only natural that they’ll pick up our cast offs. Jared Hodgkiss, Yan Klukowski, George Forsyth, James Vincent and Brandon Hall are now at Edgar Street. Maybe we shouldn’t class Vincent and Hall as cast offs 🙂

Forsyth won’t be playing against us tomorrow due to injury while Klukowski  doesn’t seem to feature much. Get the full facts from Shane down below.

We should be at full strength once again (apart from Cliff Moyo and Lewis Montrose) and we might even get to see Joe Foulkes on the bench now that he’s back in full training with the club. It may be too early for him to start and even then he’s got to shift Alex Penny from the number three berth. Alex had another great game on Tuesday, scored his fourth goal of the season, and was the well deserved Harriers Online MotM too.

Some of our supporters would like to see the reserves chucked on (have we actually got a reserve team?) because they deem this tournament not to be taken seriously and we should pay more attention to the league. The problem is that if we lose then that knocks the team confidence slightly and if we were to take the same path against FC Halifax Town in the FA Cup in two weeks time then that could lead to a bigger knock in confidence if we were to lose that too. Would that then carry on into league games?

I’d rather not find out so play the full team and go for it.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Simpson, Emery, Richards, Cameron, Foulkes, Penny, Bajrami, Lowe, Austin, Lissimore, Bonds, Carrington, Martin, Freemantle, Bastable, Clayton-Phillips, Tolley, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, White, Sterling-James.

Hereford FC from:

Hall, Liburd-Hines, Hodgkiss, Pearce, Andoh, Prosper-Fini, Owen-Evans, Haines, Lloyd, Klukowski, Vincent, Ismail, Pollock, Kouyhar, Whittingham, Pinchard, Speake, Storey, McLean, Smith, Sodeinde.

Referee: Mr Greg Rollason. Worcester

Shanes Opposition Stats Pack:

At home in the league & cup: Farsley 0-1, Fylde 1-4, Spennymoor 0-2, Lymington (FACQ2) 4-0, Leamington 1-1, Solihull (FACQ4) 0-1, Alfreton 3-3, Chorley 1-0, Blyth 2-0, Chester 1-0.

Goals (all competitions): Storey – 5,  Smith – 3,  Owen-Evans – 3, Pinchard – 2,  McLean – 2,  Haines – 2,  Lloyd – 1,  Kouyhar – 1,  Hulbert – 1,  Forsyth – 1.

They’ve lost 5 players since the start of the season, all but one were loans. Jaanai Gordon brought in off the back of Stratford’s excellent FA Cup run. George Forsyth, formerly of the Harriers and Halesowen, injured in the 3-3 draw at home to Alfreton on 23rd Oct.

Zeli Ismail is the former highly rated Wolves academy prospect, via Walsall and a few others. He joined on non contract terms after leaving Bradford City. He rejected a contract for Hereford and departed on 21st Sept before rejoining them, no fanfare, it wasn’t announced, on 13th Nov.

Victor Sodeinde you may remember gave us a torrid time on a previous visit to Edgar Street. The pacy forward was on loan from Nottm Forest back then but is now a Bull permanently after joining as a free agent on 15th Oct.

To the form book then. It took them until their 7th league game to register a win (0-1 at York, midweek) but since then they’ve only lost twice in the league (Darlington & Boston Utd). More recently they’ve won their last four in the league (1-0 Chorley, 2-0 Guiseley, 2-0 Blyth, 1-0 Chester).

They registered a 2-1 win against Westfields in the Hereford county cup on Tuesday night, with Sodeinde getting the winner after an OG gave them the lead. Maziar Kouyhar is a current Afghanistan international.

The Squad (appearances are starts + sub, includes both league and FAC):

Goalkeepers: Brandon Hall (P13 conceded 11. Faced 2 penalties, both saved. Former Harrier), Nykah Jarone Liburd-Hines (P1 conceded 0), Jordan Wright (P4 conceded 7 including 1 penalty (no longer with the club. Was on loan from Nottm Forest, 9th Sept to 9th Nov)

Defence: Jared Hodgkiss (P18. Former Harrier), Levi Andoh (P12, short term loan since 17th Sept from Ipswich),  Jaden Charles (P0. Was on loan from Mansfield Town, 15th Oct to 15th Nov), Luke Haines (P14, 2 goals), Mitch Hancox (P9, on short term loan to York since 29th Oct), Reiss McNally (P3. Was on loan from Solihull, 28th Sept to 28th Oct), Krystian Pearce (P5), Patrick Prosper-Fini (P8), Toby Raison (P0) Ryan Price (P0).

Midfield: George Forsyth (P8, 1 goal (injured since 23rd Oct. Former Harrier), Zeli Ismail (P7), Yan Klukowski (P2. Former Harrier), Maziar Kouhyar (P13, 1 goal), Ryan Lloyd (P17, 1 goal), Tom Owen-Evans (P16, 3 goals), Harry Pinchard (P9, 2 goals), Ben Pollock (P16), Joe Speake (P0), Miles Storey (P14, 5 goals), Richard Whittingham (P1), James Vincent (P7. Former Harrier).

Attack: Joey Butlin (P1, missed pen. Left for Chasetown on 15th Aug), Jaanai Gordon (P2, dual reg with Stratford  Town since 16th Nov), Ollie Hulbert (P6, 1 goal. Was on loan from Bristol Rovers 17th Sept to 17th Oct. Now on loan at Gloucester), Ryan McLean (P13, 2 goals and a missed pen), Harley Morris (P0), Dan Smith (P17, 3 goals. On loan from Eastleigh until Jan), Victor Sodeinde P3), Pa Sulay Njie (P0).

Talk about the game here

Links to Hereford FC websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here