Kidderminster Harriers Reserves 2(1) v (0)2 Hednesford Town Reserves

Harriers' resurrected Reserve team opened their Central Conference campaign with an entertaining draw with Hednesford, managed by former Harrier Chris Brindley.

It was an opportunity for squad players to get some much-needed action, with Danny Lewis, Jamie Gleeson, Chris McHale, Scott Rickards and Richie Appleby all having the chance to push for a place in the First Team.  Heartening was the sight of Appleby leading the team and getting through the full 90 minutes without any obvious adverse reaction to his injuries.  Also on show was trialist Stuart Roberts, a winger formerly with Swansea City and Wycombe Wanderers, who caused many problems for the visitors' defence all evening.

The trialist combines well with Rickards early on, a pass from Rickards allowed him to run at, and beat, Mark Branch the Town left back and his cross found Rickards who had continued his run but the shot was not good enough and was easily gathered by Paul Evans.  Roberts then created an opening for Simon Russell but he fired wide from a good position when he should really have done better.  Russell was denied by Evans shortly afterwards; Appleby's pass ripped the Hednesford defence wide open, Russell tried to take the ball round Evans but the keeper managed to get a hand on it and stop him.

At the other end Andy Bell made a good break into the penalty area, holding off his marker, but shot wide of the far post.  Harriers then took the lead following a good passing move that ended with Rickards playing a low ball into the goalmouth that was turned in by Gleeson.  Town should have equalised before the break; the impressive Matt Turner got to the byline on the right and crossed to the far post where Sam Hawker volleyed over.

After the break the visitors needed just 33 seconds to draw level; a run and cross from the left by Hawker was turned in by Bell.  Shortly afterwards Tuner jinked through the heart of the Harriers defence but then rifled his shot narrowly over the bar.  Harriers regained the lead on the hour; an indirect free kick was awarded inside the penalty area, Appleby's kick found Gleeson whose powerful shot was parried by Evans but Stephen Thompson was following up and fired in from close range.  Bell was causing problems for Harriers, he found himself in space behind the home defence but his attempted lob was held by Lewis but he did manage to find the net again soon afterwards when a misunderstanding between Lewis and McHale left him with an easy tap-in.

Harriers could have won the game had the had a little more luck with their shooting late on.  Gleeson tried to beat Evans with a shot from 35 yards out that Evans did well to parry and in the last minute Rickards had space on the edge of the penalty area and hit a shot towards the top corner that the keeper got up well to to push over for a corner.