27-02-24. Solihull Moors 0 Kidderminster Harriers 1. Match report

Mr Browns Boys do it again

Report: Phil Lench

For the second time in a few days Mr Phil Browns Boys went away to a promotion chasing side and came back home worthy winners with maximum points in our battle to escape the relegation places. Since Phils arrival at the club we’ve now picked up nineteen points in the last eight games with just the one defeat coming against Gateshead last week. Last night at Solihull Moors was possibly the sweetest of them all coming against a local club with absurd intentions of getting into the football league.

The solo, well taken, goal from Jack Lambert early in the second half was no more than we deserved following a similar first half to the Oldham Athletic game where we dominated proceedings with countless chances to score but most not taken. Moors were so bad in the first half they rarely got out of their own half and when they did did were equally as wasteful with their few chances to score.

The only downsides to the game was the dismissal of Krystian Pearce for a second yellow when the first yellow should never have been given following a perfectly valid challenge with, not on, the keeper in a fifty fifty ball situation and also the idiots throwing flares from behind the goal that added to the eight minutes of extra time that included the sending off and also gave Solihull more time to get an undeserved equaliser.

Oh, and the incessant drizzle that forced the fans sat in the uncovered seats into the small stand behind the goal where we were packed like sardines.

Our first chance of a goal came with a free kick that Ashley Hemmings sent narrowly over the bar followed up with a shot from Lambert that went curling in for the keeper, Nick Hayes, to scramble and grasp into his arms. Zak Brown was the next up with a volley on the angle that went over the bar while Lambert, again, forced the keeper into yet another save.

The only negative to our high pressing game was the possibility of a fast break from the opposition could have left us exposed at the back but excellent work from our defenders, Alex Penny in particular with a superb sliding tackle, kept that threat at bay. It wasn’t until late on that hearts went into mouths as Matty Warburton broke through and looked to be odds on to score but, thankfully, fluffed his lines completely and lifted the ball over the bar from a couple of yards out.

The half came to a close with a chance for Caleb Richards to score but his shot was straight at Hayes and no bother for him. 

HT: 0 – 0

With the rain abating during the break it was back to the circus seating for some of us and the hope that we could improve on the first half by grabbing a few goals. It didn’t take long for that to happen.

Solihull had, as expected, come back out with a flea in their ears and a change that saw Mark Beck taken off for the diminutive Joe Sbarra but their star player did very little apart from wander round looking lost. In fact most of their players looked as if they’d just come out of school.

It took just four minutes of the new half for us to take the lead and keep it. In a situation similar to Alex Pennys goal at Oldham on Saturday Jack picked the ball up from deep and just headed for goal. Hardly a challenge came in from any Moors players so he carried on and fired the ball under the advancing keeper then wheeled away in delight to celebrate.

Up till now Christian Dibble had been a spectator but was called into action when Tyrese Shade, at the restart, tried to get his side back onto level terms soon after Jacks goal but the on loan Swindon Town strikers point blank shot was well saved by Dibble.

We were getting less chances to score in this half with Solihull seeing more of the ball (but doing very little with it). Hemmings had a good chance that he took to the byeline then opted to shoot into the side netting rather than play it back to the waiting Amari Morgan-Smith in front of goal and then soon after came the Pearce booking when the ball broke free for him to chase. The keeper came out to narrow the angle as they collided into each other and, for a third time, he went down injured. The ref assumed Krystian had done it on purpose and booked him.

A series of subs followed after that with Todd Miller and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas coming on for their debuts. Miller looked unsure of himself while JET used his height and girth to good effect forcing players off the ball. Both are in need of a little more time before starting a game.

With the game now into the eight minutes added on came the worry that we were going to fold and allow the hosts to grab an undeserved goal and send us home disappointed. It looked that way when Pearce was given a second yellow for trying to stop the advance of Jack Stevens towards goal but we kept our cool and after what seemed an eternity the referee finally called the game to an end and  send the Harriers fans home happy once again.

The win lifted us up another place to twenty first with Woking also getting three points at home to Gateshead with two late goals that turned the game on its head. We’re down there on Saturday for what has to be a must win game for us and I’m sure that we can do it.

FT: 0 – 1

Goal for Harriers: Lambert 49

The Harriers Online MotM is: Jack Lambert

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Solihull Moors	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hayes
Clarke
Newton
Whitmore
Mafuta
Benn			50
Campbell
Maycock
Beck			46
Shade
Warburton			72
Subs:
Sbarra			46
Stevens			72
Jabadie
Benton			50
Craig
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Dibble
Penny
Richards
Griffiths
Pearce
McNally
Brown
Bellis			86
Morgan-Smith			79
Hemmings
Lambert			88
Subs:
Miller			86
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Kpekawa
Omotayo			79
Emmanuel-Thomas			88
Referee:
Mr James O’Connor
Chesterfield