30-08-19 – Preview – Kidderminster Harriers Vs Alfreton Town

Aggborough welcomes fourth placed Alfreton Town tomorrow and it’s a game that the Harriers will really need to think about winning.

It was hoped that last Saturdays game against Chester FC would have given us our first three home points of the season but that wasn’t to be. Now, following Mondays great comeback at Kettering Town, we have the chance to get that first home win again.

On Monday at Kettering we went 2-0 down early on in the second half and all looked lost to doom and gloom but then the great escape took place when Ashley Chambers got us a goal back. Cliff Moyo popped up five minutes later to bury a header from a corner that drew us level but then, stupidly, our defence went to sleep again and Town scored a third goal to retake the lead.

That was it, we thought, heads will start dropping now and Kettering will go on to win the game. How wrong we were as Richard Peniket grabbed his first ever goal for us in two spells with the Harriers. Three minutes from the end of normal time along came Milan Butterfield to finally give us the lead and at 4-3 up it looked like all three points were coming our way. That was made sure of when, two minutes into added on time Chambers pounced on a poor back pass to give us the 5-3 victory and sent the Harriers fans home happy.

Now we need to carry that feeling back to Aggborough and beat an Alfreton side that have surprised most by being high up the table early doors.

They have won all three of their last three games with two coming at home (Bradford PA & Southport) and in between the away game at Guiseley. So far this season they’ve won four, drawn one and lost two games. The main problem for us will be our former striker Amari Morgan-Smith who now plays for them and has hit the net six times so far this term. We’re going to need a defensive improvement if we want to stop him from scoring against his old club.

Talking of Harriers playing for Alfreton then we have to mention that both Moyo and Peniket have had spells with Town and will also be wanting to put one over on them.

On the injury aspect then we could still be without Declan Weeks with a groin strain while Milan Butterfield limped off the field at the end of the Kettering game so there could be some doubt with him. Tom Palmer is now back from injury having been on the bench the other day while Jimmy O’Connors injury is officially still there but the rumours are suggesting that he will no longer player for us after taking up a coaching role with the academy.

In the corresponding game last January Alfreton picked up their first win at Aggborough since 2013. We don’t want that happening again do we now?

Photo © KHFC

Incoming: Harriers have bought in on loan Oliver Shenton, a midfielder from Stoke City, and Jamie Sharman, a defender with Chesterfield. They will both go into the squad for this game.

Teams:

Harriers from:

Gregory, Palmer, Davidson, O’Connor, Higginson, Penn, Sharman, R Johnson, Moyo, D Lowth, R Williams, Prosser, Weeks, Shenton, Taylor-Randle, Scott, Butterfield, Austin, Chambers, E Williams, Freemantle, White, Peniket.

Alfreton Town from:

Atkinson, Wilde, Lynch, East, Bacon, Grice, Clackstone, Killock, Brough, Qualter, Thacker, Smith, Clarke, Tomlinson, Hinchley, Morgan-Smith, B Johnson, Whitham, Blake, T Williams. 

Referee: Mr Richard Holmes. Preston

Talk about the game here

Links to Alfreton Town websites here

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