27-08-18 – Report – Kidderminster Harriers 2 Stockport County 1

Excellent Harriers stay unbeaten

Report: Harriershane

Harriers put together probably their finest performance of the season so far to see off pre season title favourites Stockport County at Aggborough.

Manager Neil McFarlane once again opted for an unchanged side, offering Saturday’s XI a shot at a redemptive performance and redeem themselves they certainly did. The first half started with the home full backs Lee Vaughan and Joel Taylor getting joy down their respective flanks, whilst Ed Williams showed glimpses of what the game was to bring for him.

Visiting keeper Ben Hinchcliffe came with plaudits and he began to show why; saving well from Taylor and Ashley Chambers, whilst Declan Weeks shot well over. County skipper Paul Turnbull was injured in a challenge to the ball with Chambers and it signaled the end of Turnbull’s game as he limped off with an ankle injury.

With thirty six minutes on the clock the Harriers made a somewhat fortuitous breakthrough. Ed Williams intercepted and jinked past a couple of players before releasing Taylor down the left flank, the full back’s dinked cross taking a deflection to beat Hinchcliffe. Fortunate, maybe, but definitely deserved.

The last goalmouth action of the game saw an exceptional save from Brandon Hall. A County corner ricocheted back into the area with Ashley Palmer stretching, Hall pushing the ball over the bar expertly as he went down, earning the custodian a standing ovation from his appreciative faithful.

HT: 1 – 0

Five minutes into the second half Williams very nearly got the goal his all action display deserved. Unfortunately for the former Gloucester City man his effort was drilled just wide.

The Harriers remained the better of the two teams but were pegged back thanks to the Stockport manager, Jim Gannon’s inspired substitution. Frank Mulhern had only been on the pitch for all of two minutes when he got on the end of a flick on to fire past Hall.

Skipper James O’Connor rallied the troops and Harriers came bursting back again with Hinchcliffe saving from Williams and Weeks before Chambers had a goal questionably chalked off for offside. Moments later, the breakthrough came.

Declan Weeks corner from the East Stand side was cleared only as far as sub Sam Austin, who hooked back into the box. Chambers won his header and it was O’Connor who anticipated the knockdown and fired in a volley from close range to beat Hinchcliffe and net what would not only be the winning goal of this encounter but also his first for the club.

Harriers almost made it three with Williams again going close, as did Chambers. The three minutes injury time passed swiftly enough, and the referee Mr Swallow blew for full time.

The most accomplished performance so far from Harriers saw a deserved three points picked up from a traditionally tough game. With Daniel Bradley set to be available the stand out performances in his absence by Ed Williams will certainly have the manager scratching his head.

FT: 2 – 1

Goals for Harriers: Taylor 37, O’Connor 76

Goal for Stockport: Mulhern 56

The Harriers Online MotM is: Ed Williams

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Vaughan
Taylor			71
Horsfall
O’Connor
Johnson
Weeks
Daniels
Ironside			65
Chambers
Williams
Subs:
Richards			65
Stratford
Baxendale
Austin			71
Digie
Stockport County	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hinchcliffe
Cowan
Askew			86
Keane
A Palmer
Walker
Minihan
Turnbull			25
Bell
Warburton
Kirby			54
Subs:
Ormson
Smalley			25
Domaio
Stephenson			86
Mulhern			54
Referee:
Mr Elliott Swallow
Blackpool