Date: 27-07-24Harriers turn in another fine showing beating Newport County 2-0

Harriers turn in another fine showing beating Newport County 2-0

Harriers 2 Newport County 0

The Harriers turned in another fine pre-season showing in this first home friendly of the run. At AFC Telford Utd on Wednesday evening we looked very good at times against a lower ranked team but with League 2 Newport County the visitors today a better test was expected and we delivered with a fast paced showing that gave the fans good hope of what was to come when the season starts at Darlington FC in two weeks time.

Starting off with a team very close to being first choice in Phil Browns eyes we took the game to Newport from the off with the impressive Maz Kouhyar whipping in cross after cross. Sadly our front runners weren’t taking full advantage and that position remains our weak spot. One such did find Amari Morgan-Smith early on when his header forced Jacob Carney into a good save.

The goal came midway through the half when Zak Brown chased a ball into the area but when he was forced out wide the Newport defender bought him down with a crunching tackle even though Zak was going away from goal and on the bye-line. As expected Ashley Hemmings did his imitation Bruno Fernandes run up and sent Carney the wrong way. Zak went off injured while the penalty was being taken. Samson Hewett came on to replace him.

More chances came our way via a host of different players: AMS, Alex Penny, Maliq Cadogan and Hemmings. We failed to extend our lead although Newport seemed eager to allow us to do so.

With the end of the half approaching the visitors began to respond to the deficit with a number of chances of their own and almost forced Christian Dibble into action. Michael Spellman cut inside and a shot wide then Joe Thomas sent a header just wide of the target.   

HT: 1-0

The second half Newport came out with better intentions and began to take the game to us more. Problem was it was the Reds that saw the first rewards for their efforts with Hemmings and Kouhyar both going close although Maz’s was possibly a little more closer being on target.

Midway through the half a raft of subs were made by both sides. Newport bring four: Courtney Baker-Richardson, Kyle Jameson, Cameron Evans and Kai Whitmore enter the field in place of Luke Jephcott, Matthew Baker, Anthony Glennon and the former Harrier Aaron Wildig going off while we sent on Trialist’s C and D along with Seb Thompson, Noah Rubio and soon after Jack Lambert for Reiss McNally, Maliq Cadogan, Maz Kouhyar and Luke Summerfield while it was Hemmings who made way for Lambert later on.

Within minutes we had doubled our lead through one of the trialists (D), thought to be Tope Obadeyi who we saw at Droitwich Spa FC. County failed to deal with an inswing corner and the ball found the way to D who fired home a terrific strike through a ruck of players to beat the diving Nick Townsend. 

County tried to find their way back into the game but they lacked conviction in front of their hundred or so supporters. Shane McLoughlin won the ball high in the middle of the park and found Oliver Greaves who couldn’t finish the move from an acute angle. 

In the dying minutes of the game AMS came close to making it three when he sent home a header but the linesman’s flag ruled the goal out. 

We now appear to be playing Aston Villa on Thursday but we’re not invited but we are to the visit of Stoke City for our final friendly on Saturday. They’ll probably send a load of kids but play like we have in the past two games then that shouldn’t worry us too much. 

FT: 2-0

Harriers: Dibble, Penny, Richards, McNally, Downing, Summerfield, Brown, Hemmings, Cadogan, Morgan-Smith, Kouhyar.

Subs: Palmer, Trialist C, Maginness, Whittle, S Hewett, N Hewett, Thompson, Rubio, Hall, Lambert, Trialist D.

Newport: Carney, Thomas, Baker, Clarke, Glennon, McLoughlin, Wildig, Spellman, Greaves, Rai, Jephcott. 

Subs: Townsend, Trialist A, Sanca, Jameson, C Evans, Norris, Whitmore, Trialist B, Barton, Baker-Richardson, Trialist C.

Att: 1068