Kidderminster Harriers  v  Tamworth

Sat 17 Sep - 15:00 FA Cup 2RQ

Kidderminster Harriers

1-0

Tamworth

Match Report

Matchday 09:

Following the late, late 2-1 Tuesday night victory over Basford which pushed the side up to second in the league table, The Lambs travelled to Aggborough for the FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying Round with £3,375 prize money on offer.

Andy Peaks made just one change to his side from midweek.
The squad showed their support for Dan Creaney, understandably not featuring following a family bereavement, with printed t-shirts prior to kick off as Ty Deacon, who headed the 95^th minute winner, took the number 9 shirt.

In the glorious sunshine after a minutes silence for HM Queen Elizabeth II and the National Anthem, The Lambs got the match underway attacking the home ‘North Stand’ terrace as 200 or so Lambs fans at the other end hoped for an early breakthrough against their National League North hosts.
Freemantle forced an corner which was dealt with, and Brown whipped the ball across from the left on 8 but it was a considered start from both sides with little to separate the sides.
Another Harriers corner was forthcoming on 12, on the left, but it was no problem for Singh to deal with.
A freekick on the left wing was cleared by Milnes but deflected back off him for another flag kick on 15 but that too came to nothing, and then a high boot on Milnes on the halfway line saw Byrne’s name go into the referee’s notebook.
Kidderminster got another chance from a left sided flag kick on 20 and again Singh was not troubled, however a foul on Brown set the home side up with a freekick on 22 30 yards out and it was a hotly disputed decision which resulted in Hemmings lifting the ball over the target by some distance.
Byrne took a knock on 27 and needed treatment on the pitch before play could resume and on the half hour Martin threaded the ball from the centre through to Foulkes on the right but his cross was far too high and long for any of his advancing teammates to reach.
Harriers left sided corner on 33 was met by the head of Knight-Percival, but again the direction was lacking and it ballooned over the bar and into the Lambs fans behind Singh’s goal.
Tamworth’s first shot on target came on 34 when a chipped ball forwards was headed on by Clement and Deacon got his head onto it but it was straight at keeper Palmer who caught the ball at head height.
The home side then had their first real chance shortly after when Freemantle forced Singh into a low stop in the six yard box on 37 with a shot on the turn through the legs of Collard.
Hemmings curled a cross in from the right with five first half minutes remaining and Singh plucked it out of the air with consummate ease but clearly continued to feel the after effects of the landing for a few minutes afterwards.
A deep long pass looking for the run of Finn was seemingly halted by Harriers defender Knight-Percival a few yards outside the box on 44 but the referee saw no infringement and Kidderminsyer worked the ball down the left resulting in a deceiving cross come shot from Ceesay which bounced out past the far post.
Two minutes added time were shown at the end of the first half and another corner, this one on the right, came for Harriers but Hemmings kick bore no fruit before the whistle blew on a goalless first period.

HT 0-0

The home side restarted proceedings and immediately went on the offensive but the early pressure did bring Singh into action and when Tamworth worked the ball to the other end Dolman found himself in slightly unfamiliar territory and blasted his long range shot high and wide of the mark.
At the other end on 54 Hemmings was similarly off target with his diagonal lofted strike which landed in the North Stand terrace but he was a lot closer with his left footed strike on 57 from 18 yards which dropped over the cross bar with Singh happy to jump and watch it go over.
Harriers made a double change just short of the hour mark and went even closer on 60 when Foulkes connected at the far post with a good header which Singh tipped over from under the bar, and the resulting corner caused problems before going out of play.
The home side took the lead on 62 though when a deep searching ball into the danger area from Foulkes on the right was met by the head of Richards, unmarked at the back of the box and it beat Singh and nestled inside goal by the opposite post (1-0, 62 mins).
Milnes was unable to continue and so Hurst came into the play on 64 and after Jones had replaced Clement on 68 he launched a long throw from the left which Harriers broke forward from, ending with Cockerill-Mollett defending a Foulkes cross for a right sided home corner. Hemmings kick was headed on and then flicked towards goal but Singh got to it to prevent a second as substitute Morgan-Smith went down for treatment for cramp ten minutes after coming on.
Singh came to the rescue on 73 when Byrne fired low on target and the keeper pushed it away for another corner as the home side kept the pressure on. And it nearly paid off on 76 when sub Rogers curled a shot from the left channel just past the far post with Singh in full flight to his left.
Harriers broke from another Hurst throw on 77 but it came to nothing for the home side, and then a Finn freekick from a similar position was headed away before Cater came on for Cockerill-Mollett with 10 remaining.
Morgan-Smith headed straight at Singh from an in perfect cross from the right on 82 and when The Lambs advanced Deacon was adjudged to be offside from Cater’s threaded through ball.
Morgan-Smith then made light work of Collard’s close attention in the box on 84 turning him and firing a shot over the far corner of the woodwork.
Cater fired a low shot from the centre of the box but it was not going to beat Palmer who dropped to his left to smother the goalbound effort, and after Foulkes had been helped from the field with cramp in the second of four minutes added time play resumed and Hemmings found space in the box but skied his effort from a good position.
But there was no last minute equaliser coming to force a Tuesday night replay and Andy Peaks’ side were left to concentrate on the league, having failed to score a goal for the first time in Peaks’ 22 games in charge against a stubborn home side from the league above.

Kidderminster Harriers
Palmer, Richards, Knight-Percival, Pearce, Hemmings, Cessay (Rogers 58), Foulkes, Brown (Margetson 87), Martin, Freemantle (Morgan-Smith 58), Byrne (c.)
Subs: Leak, Emery, Lissemore, Hewett
YC: Byrne 17

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett (Cater 80), Mussa, Collard (c.), Dolman, Finn, Milnes (Hurst 64), Deacon, Clement (Jones68), Fairlamb
Subs: Fallows, Howkins, George

Referee: Mr. A. Humphries

Attendance: 1663