Kidderminster Harriers 3(1) v (0)1 Mansfield Town

Football Conference National - Aggborough - 8 September 2009

Attendance: 1378

Individual Stats
Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Mansfield
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Dean Coleman 500000[1]Alan Marriott 70(6)0000
Duane Courtney 500020[2/16]Gary Silk 500000
Lee Baker 51002(1ph)0[3/2]Scott Gardner 500030
Martin Riley 500330[6]Scott Garner 50102(1ph)0
Gavin Caines 610100[5]Luke Jones 500131
Dean Bennett 500220[8/26]Kyle Nix 500010
David McDermott 600100[11/17]Jake Speight 500202
Darryl Knights 82(2)1020[10/4]Gary Mills 501200
Matt Barnes-Homer 62(1)1410[9]Rob Duffy 510324
Chris McPhee 73(2)0300[7/10]Daryl Clare 500010
Brian Smikle 71(1)0010[14/11]Ryan Williams 500110
Liam Dolman 500000[15/7]Louis Briscoe 510110
Kyle Hadley     [16/8]Matt Somner     
Tom Sharpe     [17/15]Luke Graham     
Aaron Farrell     [18/19]Kyle Perry 501210
Nathan Hayward     [19/32]Blair Sturrock 500000
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Kidderminster1303102
Mansfield157523
GOALS
Kidderminster Mansfield
14Matt Barnes-Homer 87Rob DuffyPenalty
47Gavin Caines    
69Chris McPhee    
Formations
Kidderminster
  Coleman  
CourtneyRiley CainesBaker
  Bennett  
McDermott   Smikle
  Knights  
 Barnes-Homer McPhee 
Mansfield
  Marriott  
SilkGarner JonesGardner
     
SpeightMills NixWilliams
     
 Duffy Clare 
SUBSTITUTIONS
Kidderminster Mansfield
90+DolmanSmikleDolman to defensive midfield, Bennett to left midfield.40PerryClarePerry to striker.
    58BriscoeSpeightBriscoe to right midfield.
    70SturrockWilliamsSturrock to striker, Perry to left midfield.
BOOKINGS
Kidderminster Mansfield
Riley 65 Unsporting Behaviour
Bennett 65 Unsporting Behaviour
 Duffy 65 Unsporting Behaviour
Garner 83 Dissent
 
Referee: Rob Lewis (Shropshire)
Match Report by St@tto

A sparkling performance from Harriers saw high-flying Mansfield Town swept aside at Aggborough, denying them the chance of taking over at the top of the league.

Harriers were without the injured Robbie Matthews and John Finnigan; Darryl Knights and David McDermott returned to the starting line-up in their places.  Whereas Eastbourne had set out to defend in numbers against Harriers at the weekend, Mansfield allowed them more space to play and both Knights and McDermott ran amok.

From the start Harriers were far more lively and committed than they had been in the second half against Eastbourne but things could have turned out badly again had Scott Garner connected with Kyle Nix's right-wing free-kick, Dean Coleman missed the ball in flight and Garner stole in unmarked at the far post and headed over.

Any Harriers nerves were settled with the early goal that broke the deadlock; Knights won the ball in the centre of the field, flicking it up for Brian Smikle to head into the path of Matt Barnes-Homer who outpaced the visitors' defence and fired past Alan Marriott to record his third goal of the season.

The game was entertaining with both sides playing at full tilt and fully committed but there was little more goalmouth action at either end before the break until the last minute of the half when Duane Courtney's long throw from the right was flicked on by skipper Chris McPhee for Barnes-Homer who headed wide of the near post.

The Stags were not showing the form that has carried them to within touching distance of the top of the league and were sent back out from their half-time break early.  Their half-time rollicking had the wrong effect, however, as within two minutes Harriers had doubled the advantage.  Knights' corner from the left found and unmarked Gavin Caines beyond the far post who planted a bullet header past Marriott to register his first goal for the club.

Shortly afterwards a sweeping move ripped Town apart again; Martin Riley brought the ball out of defence and passed to Knights who sent Smikle away on the left wing with a great pass.  Knights himself carried on his run to the edge of the penalty area to take a return pass from Smikle but hit his shot narrowly wide of the near post.

On the hour mark Mansfield had a brief spell where they enjoyed some decent possession and looked to get back into the game; first Gary Mills' corner was met by the head of Kyle Perry but he headed the ball down so hard that it bounce over the bar.  Next Louis Briscoe hit a free kick from just outside the penalty area that hit the wall and went for a corner.

Harriers put the result beyond doubt on 68 minutes; Smikle won the ball 25 yards out from goal with some tenacious tackling and sipped it to McPhee who swept it past Marriott for 3-0.  Another sweeping move six minutes later could have added to the score; Knights and Barnes-Homer combined to bring Lee Baker into play on the left wing, his first-time cross flew across the face of goal just ahead of McPhee at the far post.

Eight minutes from the end Harriers should have gone four up; Scott Garner handled just inside the penalty area, although with the ball traveling towards him so quickly he wouldn't have known much about it, and Barnes-Homer grabbed the ball from McPhee and took the penalty; Marriott outguessed him, though, and dived to his left to save.  Three minutes from the end Mansfield were awarded an equally harsh penalty when Baker handled; Rob Duffy sent Coleman the wrong way from the spot to give Town a consolation goal.