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Stourbridge 3 Kidderminster Harriers 2 - Match Report & Highlights Link

Stourbridge 3 Kidderminster Harriers 2 - Match Report & Highlights Link

Nigel Gregg7 Oct 2018 - 15:35
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Highlights of the Glassboys 3 - 2 win are now available to view on the Official Harriers YOUTUBE page. (READ ON)

The link to view the action from the 3rd Qualifying Round tie at the War Memorial Athletic Ground is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYBA48Us9V4

REPORT

The Glassboys claimed yet another higher level scalp as they completed a remarkable comeback which saw them recover from a two-goal deficit to run out 3 – 2 victors over their near neighbours and take their place in the 4th Qualifying Round for the seventh time in ten seasons.

Early in the second period Harriers had one foot in the next round. They had a two-goal cushion and looked to be easing their way to victory, however a double change from the hosts had the desired effect at both ends of the park and they then capitalised on some sloppy defensive play from the visitors to get some renewed belief and the swing in momentum was amazing!

Darryl Westlake got the nod over Stuart Pierpoint in the Stourbridge back four while Luke Benbow and Greg Mills were named amongst the Glassboys substitutes after getting some welcome playing time at Evesham the previous Wednesday following their recent injuries.

A crowd of just over 1,500 looked on as Harriers survived an early scare when in the opening minute Lee Vaughan played a loose pass inside straight to Robert Thompson-Brown, however his speculative early low shot from distance ran wide.

Harriers soon responded with a trademark counter attack in the 3rd minute. Dan Bradley supplied the through ball for Ashley Chambers into the left channel area. He advanced into the area and checked inside the recovering Aaron Hayden before seeing his shot blocked by James Wren who spread himself well to save at the expense of a corner.

In the 10th minute the ball broke to Kaiman Anderson who struck a low shot past Brandon Hall’s right-hand post before Kidderminster opened the scoring after 13 minutes. Vaughan worked a one-two with Bradley and then drove down the right flank. He sent over a deep cross which Chambers volleyed first time back towards the six-yard box where Ed Williams was able to turn the ball home.

Harriers began to impose themselves on the game with the home defence stretched at times with the width coming from the two wing-backs.

In the 15th minute Bradley ran on to a loose ball and hit a long range effort that was pushed aside by Wren diving away to his left and two minutes later the hosts were opened up again as Williams supplied a through ball into the run of Bradley who curled a shot from 18 yards narrowly wide of Wren’s left-hand upright.

After managing to keep the National League North side at bay for another fifteen minutes, Kidderminster went close to a second goal on 32 minutes. Chambers offloaded a pass to Sam Austin on the left and he turned the ball back for Declan Weeks who worked a one-two with Williams and having received the lay-back, he cracked in a 20-yard shot that flew past Wren’s right-hand post.

Stourbridge hit back and had a penalty shout rejected after 35 minutes. Broadhurst slipped a pass through into the run of Anderson who took on James O’Connor before being upended in a tangle with former Stour loanee Kennedy Digie, however the referee saw nothing untoward and let play continue.

Harriers were forced into a change after 41 minutes with Bradley, who had been quite effective for the visitors until that point, having to be replaced by Joe Ironside. The substitute was soon in the thick of the action and he missed a good chance to double the lead just before the half-time interval when Hayden played a pass back to Wren who with a heavy touch gifted the ball straight to Ironside. He hit a shot on the turn as Wren dived at his feet that thankfully for the home side rolled narrowly wide of the far post so that it remained only 1 – 0 to Kidderminster at the break.

HT – Stourbridge 0 Kidderminster Harriers 1

That squandered opportunity at the end of the first period appeared not to be costly though when Neil MacFarlane’s side extended their advantage from the penalty spot seven minutes after the re-start. Ironside delivered the ball across from the right and Chambers reacted quickest in the middle to fasten onto the ball and get the wrong side of Hayden who then bundled him over to concede a penalty and the defender may have been lucky to escape with only a caution afterwards even allowing for the current interpretation of the laws. Anyway Ironside sent Wren the wrong way from the spot to make it 2 – 0 and even the most ardent and optimistic of Stourbridge fans would not have seen a way back for the home side from there as the game was playing out at that time.

However part one of the Stourbridge recovery mission began in the 56th minute with a double change as the home management looked to negate the attacking freedom enjoyed by the Harriers wing-backs by bringing on Aris Christophorou on the left with Jordaan Brown moving inside in order to match up more with the Kidderminster formation. Luke Benbow was also introduced to pep up the attack as Brad Birch and Callum Powell made way.

Thereafter Harriers shot themselves in the foot somewhat. The hosts were handed a way back into the tie in the 61st minute. Hall played a ball out along the ground to Ryan Johnson on the left-hand corner of the box but his poor first touch conceded possession to Benbow and he drove towards the by-line before cutting the ball back for Anderson to slot home from six yards to maintain his record of scoring in each of the club’s F A Cup ties this season.

Thompson-Brown picked up a yellow card for a mis-timed tackle on 63 minutes before Weeks sent a 20-yard free-kick over for the visitors three minutes later, however a rejuvenated Stour side began to ask more questions of the Kidderminster defence.

In the 68th minute a lofted clearance downfield by Hayden was allowed by Digie to drop over his head and he was quickly closed down by Benbow who won the tussle for the ball and managed to poke a shot goal-wards that was blocked by Hall.

Three minutes later though Stourbridge were back on level terms. Benbow was again involved as he squared a pass inside to Aaron Forde. The midfield man jinked past Billy Daniels and fired in a 25-yard low shot that caught out Hall who could only block the effort with his legs and as the ball squirmed away from him, Anderson was on hand to turn the ball under his body and into the net to make it all-square.

It got even better for the Stourbridge faithful on 76 minutes. Westlake took a throw-in on the right to Thompson-Brown and he hooked in a cross that caused Johnson to misjudge the bounce in the box and handle in the process. The ref pointed to the spot and following the Glassboys recent penalty woes, this time Forde was the man to step forward to do the honours and he calmly rolled his penalty home inside the post before being mobbed by his team-mates.

Harriers had had the wind taken out of their sails and they struggled to find a response to the transformation to the score-line, but home forward Anderson blotted his copybook by collecting a caution for a foul on Williams in the 81st minute.

Four minutes from time Broadhurst might have made it four but mis-directed his header off-target from Thompson-Brown’s left-wing free-kick while Harriers now struggled to create chances with Chambers shooting over from 25-yards as the clock ticked down and the Glassboys safely saw out stoppage time to celebrate another incredible F A Cup occasion for the club.

FT – Stourbridge 3 Kidderminster Harriers 2

Stourbridge: Wren, Hayden, Brown, McCone (c), Westlake, Forde, Powell (Benbow 56), Broadhurst, Anderson, Thompson-Brown, Birch (Christophorou 56).

Unused subs: Mills, Pierpoint, Steele, Evans, Maher.

Booked - Hayden, Anderson, Thompson-Brown

Kidderminster: Hall, Vaughan, Austin, O’Connor (c), Digie (Richards 78), Johnson, Weeks, Daniels, Bradley (Ironside 41), Chambers, Williams.

Unused subs: Baxendale, White, Taylor, Palmer, Brookes.

Att - 1527

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