30-03-19 – Report – Altrincham 2 Kidderminster Harriers 1

An improved Harriers but is it all too late?

Report: Phil Lench

The Harriers came close to rescuing their season at Altrincham today with a second half onslaught on the hosts goal that could have resulted in a handful of goals to compensate for the two given away in the first half. Again an early goal was our undoing as Alty capitalised on poor defending to grab their first in the twelfth minute and then seven minutes later the win was underway with a goal that was, at first, credited as a Ryan Johnson own goal but soon after it was given to Jordan Hulme. 

We started with a stronger look to the side than the one that failed miserably at Brackley Town last week with Ed Williams back from injury, Declan Weeks starting after coming on as a sub last week and Milan Butterfield back home from playing for Bermuda. Due to Sam Austin being out injured Harry Flowers slotted in at full back.

With us needing to win this game to close the gap on Altrincham we started off in the worst possible way. From the start Alty came at us and Hulme could have given them the lead as early as the fifth minute but he just couldn’t get a touch on a John Johnston cross. A few minutes later and a corner for them was played over to the far post and although Brandon Hall tried to reach the ball he was hampered by his own defenders as the ball dropped kindly for James Jones to head the ball home.

We tried to respond positively and came close to drawing level with a strike from Fraser Horsfall that rebounded back off the bar that the home side cleared away to safety. Then came the goal with the disputed scorer when a shot by Hulme took a deflection off Ryan Johnson and changed direction from the way that Hall was going and went over his head. At first it was thought that the Harriers defender had tried to clear the ball away and failed but all the news channels, and Altrincham, gave it as a kosher goal so I’ll go with that.

Our heads dropped following that and we came close to going three goals down when there could have been another own goal as another deflection almost fooled Hall but this time he managed to reach it before it went in.

Six minutes before the break a lifeline was given to us when Joe Ironside, already having had one chance that hit the bar, grabbed a goal back for the Reds. Liam McAlinden, on the edge of the area, nodded the ball over to him and with a smart turn Joe fired the ball home through a ruck of defenders.

McAlindens effort, from a Joel Taylor cross, almost crossed the line but the Alty keeper, Tony Thompson, somehow got to it and kept it out. Than narrow chance sent us into the break with new hope.    

HT: 2 – 1

As hoped we came back out after the break with renewed vigour and we began to take the game to the home side. There was a worrying moment when the ball bounced up onto Johnson and the Alty players called for a penalty but that shout was denied by the referee but overall we had now begun to take a grip of the game.

Mostly all we were getting were half chances that we couldn’t seem to capitalise on. Ashley Chambers was a whisker away from converting a McAlinden pass and then Ed Williams saw his shot deflected for a corner soon after. It was time to make a change and Kwame Thomas was sent on in place of Ironside in a move to give us a little more pace up front.

Chambers had another chance with a shot that went narrowly wide of the upright and then Flowers tried a header not far out from goal but it was weak and dealt with easily enough. Another substitution took place with Kane Richards coming of for McAlinden and then came a great chance to draw level when Chambers was fouled on the edge of the area. Williams took the free kick which was collected by the keeper.

An even better chance came our way when Thomas was played in by Taylor but, from only a few yards out, the on loan striker skied the ball over the bar when he should really have buried it. A few minutes later Declan Weeks pulled up with a twinge to the back of his leg so it was decided to get him off rather that aggravate it and on came Russ Penn in his place.

With the clock now running down, and defeat on the horizon, we began to go all out for the equalising goal and then, hopefully, a winner. Williams had a couple of chances to achieve that but last ditch defending kept him out. Finally the six minutes of added time wasn’t enough for us and we were to rue gifting Altrincham those two first half goals. Maybe if they hadn’t got that early lead it would have been a different story.

Sadly it now looks like we’re out of the running with Altrincham six points in front of us in sixth and also two games in hand. Spennymoor Town are faltering with another home defeat today while next weeks opponents Bradford (Park Avenue) also seem to be on the slide with a draw at home to mid-table Alfreton Town. I fear it may all be a little too late for us now. 

FT: 2 – 1

Goals for Altrincham: Jones 12, Johnson (og) 19

Goal for Harriers: Ironside 39

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Altrincham	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Thompson
White
Hampson
Jones
Hannigan
Moult
Johnston			87
S Williams
Hulme
Hancock			61
Ceesay			70
Subs:
Drench
Dolan
Richman			61
Chadwick			70
Densmore			87
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Flowers
Taylor
Weeks			87
Horsfall
Johnson	og
McAlinden			79
Butterfield
Ironside			70
Chambers
E Williams
Subs:
Palmer
Penn			87
Higginson
Richards			79
Thomas			70
Referee:
Mr Dean Watson
Lancashire