26-12-20 – Report – Hereford FC 3 Kidderminster Harriers 1

The ghosts of Harriers past see off the present day Harriers

Report: Harriershane

The 20/21 season has been a weird one thus far but one thing that even a global pandemic couldn’t touch is the traditional Boxing Day derby with Hereford FC. In keeping with the spirit of the season perhaps we should label this game “The ghosts of Harriers past vs Harriers present” with no fewer than five of the first eleven for Hereford having previously turned out for Harriers, without including Josh Gowling and Steve Burr on the sidelines.

For the Harriers this was the first game back, after the Stamford AFC aberration in the FA Trophy, and the time off helped Sam Austin recover from the knock he picked up on that fateful night.

To the game then and the Harriers struck first blood early on. With seven minutes played an Omari Sterling-James corner was delivered into the perfect area, leaving Brandon Hall sandwiched and stranded. A header goalwards was half cleared by a Bulls defender but the Harriers Online sponsored player, Luke Maxwell, was on hand to volley home with aplomb from six yards out to hand Harriers and Russ Penn the perfect start.

That lead would only last nine minutes though as the Harriers day began to unravel, much like the gifts given worldwide yesterday.

A simple Hereford counter attack saw the former Harrier midfield dynamo James McQuilkin, in an advanced position, firing a low effort past Luke Simpson. Buoyed by the equaliser the hosts went on the offensive once more with Ryan Lloyd skewing an effort skywards after Kyle Finn’s cross had been half cleared. Chris Camwell also struck an effort off target as Hereford continued their forward momentum in a game that was bubbling away and would soon reach boiling point.

A hopeful ball forward from the Harriers took an awkward bounce which Brandon Hall looked to claim easily with Amari Morgan-Smith in pursuit. In what one must presume was an attempt to win the ball the Harriers frontman lunged at the Bulls custodian before he had claimed possession, catching him in the process. For Morgan-Smith the outcome was clear; his second red card of the season meaning Harriers now had to play the remaining sixty three minutes with ten men.

With the numerical advantage secured Hereford knew they could control the game but Harriers did still seek to create chances, with Sterling James trying an ambitious effort from range and Cliff Moyo nodding over from a corner.

HT: 1 – 1

‘Tis the season for giving’ and with four minutes of the second half played the Harriers defence gave Chris Camwell the freedom of Herefordshire. Suitably empowered he opted for a twenty five yard strike that left Simpson stranded and nestled into the far corner for what was predictably his first league goal of the season.

The molehill was now a mountain for Harriers, if you will. In the opening quarter of an hour of the second half the Harriers picked up more bookings, (2), than notable efforts on goal with Maxwell and Ashley Hemmings both incurring the wrath of the referee.

With the lead intact, and safe in the knowledge Harriers would have to come out and attack if they wanted to leave Edgar Street with anything, Hereford were able to dictate the tempo of the game and as we moved past the hour mark it was the hosts who looked more threatening whilst limiting Harriers to the odd potential counter attack before snuffing that out.

Predictably Hereford grabbed that third goal and, again predictably, it would come from a corner.

The physical Lenell John-Lewis lost his man and planted a firm header that flew past Simpson and over the man on the front post who had vacated his spot by a couple of yards. For Harriers it was a familiar weakness, and for John-Lewis, perhaps a Christmas advert of his own as he notched his seventh of the campaign.

The time for self pity is short though as Harriers entertain AFC Telford Utd in another local affair on Monday, with the added fillip of a sold out Aggborough, with the limited capacity of 1251 having been sold out for what will be the final game of the calendar year.

FT: 3 – 1

Goals for Hereford FC: McQuilkin 16, Camwell 48, John-Lewis 81

Goal for Harriers: Maxwell 8

The Harriers Online MotM is: Lewis Montrose

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Hereford FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Hodgkiss
Lloyd
Grimes
Camwell			75
Klukowski
Finn
McQuilkin			63
John-Lewis			87
Owen-Evans
Haines
Subs:
White
Forsyth			87
Coke			75
Dylan Jones
Mooney			63
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Simpson
Penny
Richards
Moyo
Lowe
Montrose
Austin			85
Maxwell			67
Morgan-Smith
Hemmings
Sterling-James			71
Subs:
Palmer
Taylor
Martin			85
Prosser			67
Arthur			71
Referee:
Mr Sam Mulhall
Cheshire