| Venue: Aggborough Date: 19-08-23 Harriers 0 Bromley FC 0 Att: 2423 (away fans: 103) |
No goals and loads of cards
Report: Phil Lench
The Harriers lack of ability to score goals continued against Bromley FC today even though for the majority of the game the visitors were down to ten men. A brilliant first half display from their keeper Grant Smith had a lot to do with it but to not score after all the chances that we had, including loads of corners, was unforgivable.
Chances had already been missed by Amari Morgan-Smith with a well over header just before Cole Kpekawa was dismissed after wrestling with AMS on the touchline and then appearing to elbow him in the midriff. The referees attention was called by the linesman and following a short discussion the Bromley centre half found the red card in his face.
It was backs to the wall for Bromley although, to be honest, they hadn’t produced much so far and with a packed defence and an in form keeper they somehow managed to hold out. A fantastic triple save from Smith was the first inkling that we were going to find it hard to score today.
A shot on the angle from Jack Lambert was kept out as the keeper dived to his right and then Kieran Phillips follow up was stopped with his foot. The ball was played back in and Phillips got his head to the ball but Smiths back flip to touch the ball over was world class.
Another chance came the way of Phillips again but his shot was blocked on the line while minutes later Smith was again called into action saving well from Lambert once again. Bromley had been nowhere near our goalmouth leaving Christian Dibble as a mere spectator.
HT: 0 – 0
For some unknown reason Alex Penny failed to come out after the break and on came Barry Maguire to make his debut for us after arriving on loan from Motherwell FC yesterday. He looked to make himself busy in the middle of the park due to Joe Leesley being pushed back into a defensive role. We had lost our drive and the game became a turgid affair of us trying in vain to slowly make a breakthrough and Bromley going even more defensive to stop us.
Lambert saw his shot saved while Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain and Maguire then sent a couple of chances wide of the target. Lambert, again, broke into the area but made the most of a routine challenge to fall to the floor. We’d already seen six cards brandished, including an earlier yellow for Lambert, by the card happy referee so it was a foregone conclusion what was going to happen. Out came another yellow followed by a red and Lambert was gone.
Bromley, now it was back to equal numbers, saw this as a chance to go in search of a goal but our defenders stood strong. Instead Caleb Richards sent a shot well over while substitute Gerry McDonagh’s effort was blocked at close range. Phillips had another chance to score when he deflected Ashley Hemmings cross over the bar.
With six minutes of added on time to play the visitors came the closest to scoring so far when Michael Cheeks shot on the turn was deflected wide. We could still have won the game with an even closer chance when Hemmings ran onto a ball laid off by McDonagh and crashed the ball off the foot of the far post with Smith wrong footed and beaten.
So it’s just two goals from four outings and that really isn’t good enough if we have any hope of surviving in this league. It’s not just the goals though because we need to be much quicker on the ball and press back lines more. We’re just not getting that and at times we looked lethargic today with a lack of ideas how to do anything about the problem.
At least the arrival of Maguire seems a good move with his workrate and passing ability on show today. Maybe we’ll see something better at Ebbsfleet Utd next Saturday.
FT: 0 – 0
The Harriers Online MotM is: Barry Maguire
Talk about the game here
Latest table and stats here
| Harriers | Goals | Subs | Time | Cards |
| Dibble | ||||
| Penny |  | 46 | ||
| Richards | ||||
| Knight-Percival |  | |||
| Pearce | ||||
| Oxlade-Chamberlain | ||||
| Phillips | ||||
| Leesley | ||||
| Morgan-Smith |  | 61 | ||
| Brown |  | 76 | ||
| Lambert |  | |||
| Subs: | ||||
| McNally | ||||
| Hemmings |  | 61 | ||
| McDonagh |  | 76 | ||
| Lissimore | ||||
| Maguire |  | 46 | ||
| Bromley FC | Goals | Subs | Time | Cards |
| Smith | | |||
| Okoli | ||||
| Webster | ||||
| Bingham | | |||
| Kpekawa |  | |||
| Topalloj | ||||
| Passley | | |||
| Whiteley | ||||
| Cheek | ||||
| Krauhaus | | 25 | | |
| Kader | | 15 | ||
| Subs: | ||||
| Sharman-Lowe | ||||
| Reynolds | ||||
| Pepple | | 15 / 85 | ||
| Arthurs | | 25 | ||
| Miller | | 85 | ||
| Referee: | ||||
| Mr Garreth Rhodes | ||||
| Selby | ||||