07-04-23. Match report Vs Buxton FC

Early Hemmo goal makes it two in a row

Report: Phil Lench

A goal from Ashley Hemmings as early as the thirty seventh minute put the Reds into an early lead that, in the end, was enough to see us through to the end of the game and three points. The win was our second in a week, following our victory away at Farsley Celtic last Saturday, and also the first time we’ve collected two wins in a row since the end of January.

In a way it’s a shame that we couldn’t have gone on to increase the lead against a useful looking Buxton FC side but with our renowned lack of strikers/firepower it was never really going to happen was it?

We had a lovely warm, sunny day that was just crying out for a happy ending. The line-up was the same as last Saturday but sadly there wasn’t the hoped for Jack Tolley on the bench following his return from a successful loan spell with Bromsgrove Sporting. His time will come though. We did have Kobe Hall again though and it looks like he’s being groomed to replace Amari Morgan-Smith one day.

The game got underway with the Harriers going for it from the off. Joe Foulkes picked up the ball out wide and had three attempts to get past his close marker. He finally managed it and played the ball back to Krystian Pearce who also had two attempts to get the ball past his marker. Finally the ball made it’s way to the edge of the area where Hemmings had time to pick his spot and fire the ball past Theo Richardson.

We tried to build on the lead with some more pressure on the Buxton goal but the visitors defence stayed strong and repelled us well. Caleb Richards had a decent shot blocked by Jake Hull and Pearce sent a header over the bar as well as a chance from a corner that went wide of the post. Hemmings had a chance of the spectacular when he tried a snap overhead kick that went over the bar.

At this moment in time Buxton weren’t really showing us why they were doing so well in their first season at this level. Fourteen games unbeaten and they hadn’t even had a glimpse of goal until the twenty fifth minute but that changed when Bradley Jackson sent a hopeful effort wide of Christian Dibbles goal.

HT: 1 – 0

The second half was less one sided than the opening forty five with Buxton coming back out a little more intent on being in control. We failed to react to that and let them come onto us time after time. It was beginning to get a bit worrying to see our known faults emerging even though we were in the lead but seemed content to hang onto our narrow lead.

It took until after the hour mark to see any further real action when Sam Osborne tried a shot that Dibble saved easily enough. They went closer a minute later when Diego De Girolama sent a header over the bar and it was now getting into squeaky bum territory.

To liven it up a bit we had some handbags at dawn when the Buxton number two, Connor Brown, elbowed AMS in the face and got away with it then he went in too hard on Joe Foulkes and, as expected, a coming together occurred. Brown pushed Pearce and Foulkes away and then Jak McCourt also got himself involved in pushing Pearce too but the referee decided that only the first three warranted a yellow card.

That mini incident saw us finally wake up and Hemmings and Byrne came close to increasing our slender lead. The chance of the game fell to Joe Leesley soon after when the ball was played into the area to Hemmings by Foulkes. Hemmo could find a way through so niftily played it back for Leesley to fire a rocket of a ball against the junction of the upright and crossbar. So close to that security of a second goal.

The remainder of the game played out with any further excitement and with the final blow on the whistle the game drew to a close. We’re off to AFC Fylde on Monday and with them going well (spit!) at the top of the table we’ll have our work cut out but with this new found belief then we could get a positive result up there. 

FT: 1 – 0

Goal for Harriers: Hemmings 1

The Harriers Online MotM is: Krystian Pearce

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Dibble
Foulkes
Richards
Penny
Pearce
Morrison
Leesley
Lissimore			93
Morgan-Smith			74
Hemmings			88
Byrne
Subs:
Palmer
Leak
Z Brown			88
Hall			74
Bearne			93
Buxton FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Richardson
C Brown
Conway			46
Hull
Granite
Jackson
McCourt
Kirby
De Girolamo
Osborne			84
Ackroyd			60
Subs:
Poole			46
Moult
Barnett
Boden			60
Brisley			84
Referee:
Mr Niall Smith
Rugeley