FA Cup 3rd qualifying round
Venue: Silverlands Date: 28-09-24 Buxton FC 1 Harriers 1 Att: 806 (away fans: 150)

28-09-24. Buxton FC 1 Kidderminster Harriers 1. FA Cup 3rd Qual Rd. Match report

Harriers taken to a replay at Buxton

Report: Phil Lench

The Harriers made hard work of earning a replay in this FA Cup 3rd qualifying round game at Buxton FC this afternoon, Starting with a much changed side, that included new signing Kam Kandola getting his debut, we struggled to make a breakthrough on their plastic pitch and at times looked wary of it and also seemed unable to cope with the fast surface.

It took a well taken goal from another newish signing, Harry Ibbitson, to equalise their opening goal from Kieran Burton a few minutes earlier. It wasn’t until their goal going in that we came alive in a realisation that we could be heading out of the tournament.

Other starters in the much changed side were Reece Devine in place of Caleb Richards as expected, Jack Lambert getting his second start since his return from being the prodigal son, Seb Thompson and Ibbitson in place of Luke Summerfield and Amari Morgan-Smith. There was no place for Ashley Hemmings either starting or on the bench but he was there on the sidelines watching. Lambert took his place.

As said there was very little to excite the crowd. It took until well into the first forty five that we had anything worthy of calling excitement when Ibbitson sent a header into the arms of the Bucks keeper, True Grant, and that it was it from us.

They thought they had scored just before the break when a mistake from Kandola in the area let an opposition man run past him but the flick on to a better placed Ben Sault was hand-balled before he fired it past Christian Dibble and rightly ruled out. 

HT: 0 – 0

The second half was much like the first half. Very little happened.

We had all expected a halftime substitution for us with AMS possibly coming on for either Thompson or Ibbitson but it didn’t happen. It took until ten minutes in for the first inkling that maybe there was a football match going on when Lambert fired over the bar.

It was then that the subs began to appear. Joe Foulkes and Luke Summerfield on in place of Kandola and David Davis. There was supposed to be three coming on but the fourth official made AMS wait for another two minutes for his turn to take the place of Thompson. I’ve never been an advocate of subbing at the same time as a corner and that was to be confirmed when AMS took his place in the defending group, the ball came over and a scramble occurred that at first looked like another own goal but then confirmed as Kieran Burton scrambling the ball over the line.

The goal seemed to wake us up and we immediately went on the offensive with Summerfield pulling the strings in the missing midfield. It was his ball to Zak Brown then Foulkes to Maz Kouhyar who then crossed in for Ibbitson to side foot the ball home from just inside the area.

Following the goal Sault saw a header flash wide but it was the Harriers that continued to dominate the game. Ibbitson had a chance to add a second but his angled shot went wide and then AMS headed in from close range but the keeper dealt with it easily.

With six minutes of time added we thought that we would finally turn the screw and hopefully avoid a replay but it never came but a cross into the area found AMS but his header hit the foot of the post and rebounded out to Foulkes who sent his follow up wide of the far post.

So it did come to a replay and that will be this coming Tuesday at Aggborough. Hopefully too we’ll have seen the rabbit of a plum tie drawn out of the hat before the game and that should give us the sopur needed to beat Buxton this time.

Sadly I won’t be in attendance having already booked a few days away but there will still be a full preview and a report for the game.

FT: 1 – 1


Goal for Buxton: Burton 65

Goal for Harriers: Ibbitson 68


The Harriers Online MotM is: Jack Lambert

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here


Buxton FC Goals Subs Time Cards
Grant        
Sault   78  
Delap      
Ravenhill   89  
Burton      
Mann        
Stobbs        
Kirby        
De Girolama   72  
Elliott   60
Finney        
 
Subs:  
Brightmore        
Leigh   89  
Pedro   60  
Fitzhugh        
Andreucci   72  
Tomlinson   78  
Mantle        
 
Harriers Goals Subs Time Cards
Dibble        
Penny        
Devine        
McNally        
Davis   62  
Kandola   62  
Thompson   64  
Brown        
Ibbitson      
Lambert        
Kouhyar        
 
Subs:  
Palmer        
Richards        
Summerfield   62  
Morgan-Smith   64  
Cadogan        
Foulkes   62  
Obadeyi        
 
Referee:  
Mr Dean Watson
Rochdale