29-03-19 – Preview – Altrincham Vs Kidderminster Harriers

The season finale is slowly drifting away from the Harriers and this game at Altrincham tomorrow could confirm the end for us if we lose yet another game in this crucial spell of games against the other play off hopefuls.

Last week we ‘improved’ ? on our previous worst display of the season when we crashed 3-1 at a Brackley Town in a game that the home team strolled through with ease. Previously, at Chorley two weeks ago the hosts also strolled through with ease and began to put our promotion hopes in doubt. We now face another side looking to go up and we need to nip these ‘improvements’ in the bud.

At the start of the season Alty were one of the best sides that we had seen at Aggborough for years with some super play that was reminiscent of the Harriers at their best. Somehow we managed to win the game 3-2 and that kept us in second spot in the table. We stayed in and around that place until November when the slump started that lead to the sacking of Neil MacFarlane.

Since that game the form that Alty showed then has been kept up and they now find themselves one place above us but with two games and three points in hand due to them not having a game for three weeks now because of waterlogged pitches and other teams cup games. Hopefully they won’t be match fit.

They have a couple of long term injuries with James Poole out with a hamstring injury following his return from a cruciate ligament injury at the start of this season. Max Harrop, Matt Chadwick, Ben Harrison and Steven Drench have all been carrying injuries with Harrison probably the one that won’t be making tomorrow with a persistent knee injury. 

We do have an excuse for the poor showing at Brackley (but not Chorley) with most of our midfield absent or injured. Absent was Milan Butterfield who was away on international duty with Bermuda while out injured were Ed Williams, Liam Truslove, Billy Daniels and Nick Clayton-Phillips. Declan Weeks was on the bench waiting for his return from injury and should now start tomorrow, thankfully. Out of those others missing Milan is now back home while Williams and Daniels should have recovered from their injuries leaving Truslove and NCP as the only ones not available.

During the game Sammy Austin, who was covering in midfield, also got injured with a boot stamped onto his foot and that left us even shorter on midfield numbers. Sam is also doubtful for the Altrincham trip so there might be a place for the forgotten man Josh Heaton. For some reason he played in the morning for the U23 side when really he should have been at Brackley. Ludicrous!

So tomorrow is yet another crunch match and this time it really could be CRUNCH! as our season comes to a premature end.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Hall, Palmer, Taylor, Horsfall, O’Connor, Penn, Johnson, Heaton, Flowers, McAlinden, Weeks, Stratford, Taylor-Randle, Truslove, Butterfield, Higginson, Austin, Chambers, Daniels, Ironside, Richards, E Williams, Thomas, Clayton-Phillips, J White.

Altrincham from:

Thompson, Wynne, Drench, A White, Hampson, Jones, Harrison, Hannigan, Densmore, Sass-Davies, Harrop, Hancock, Richman, Johnston, Moult, S Williams, Fawns, Dolan, Poole, Gabidon, Hulme, Piggott, Ceesay, Chadwick.

Referee: Mr Dean Watson. Lancashire

Talk about the game here

Links to Altrincham websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here