Kidderminster Harriers Reserves 2(1) v (0)2 Nuneaton Borough Reserves

Gary Birch made his first appearance since undergoing surgery on his knee a month ago and scored the opening goal as the Reserves threw away a two-goal lead at home to Nuneaton Borough.

Birch joined Iyseden Christie and Reuben Hazell in using the reserves to get match fitness after injury and partnered Christie in attack for 80 minutes.  There was a new trialist in former Walsall and West Brom junior Ben Paszkowec in the side as well as Michael Alexis and Jimmi-Lee Jones who had played in the previous couple of games.

The visitors almost had a dream start after just two minutes when Simeon Williams crossed from the left for veteran striker Kevin Wilkin but he headed straight at Danny Lewis.  Seconds later Harriers had a golden opportunity to take the lead; a corner from the left was handled in the penalty area by Terry Angus but from the resultant penalty Simon Russell shot too close to Ryan Poole in the visitors' goal and the keeper was able to catch it diving to his right.

Russell almost made amends later on when Christie played the ball out to him on the left wing, he cut inside past his marker but his shot hit the top of the crossbar and went safely out of play.  A swift counter attack had Harriers in trouble at the back, Wilkin chased a long ball and easily held off Paszkowec but then spoiled it by shooting wide of the far post.  Harriers too the lead eight minutes before the break; a hotly contested free kick on the right wing was whipped in by Billy Jones towards the far post, Poole flapped at it under pressure from Abdou Sall and the ball fell at the feet of Birch two feet out from goal who had the easiest of tap-ins.

Early after the break the visitors were gifted an opportunity to level the scores. Sloppy defending by Harriers allowed substitute Michael Frew a clear sight of goal but Lewis came to the rescue of his defenders with a good save.  Defensive errors were in evidence at the other end too; Karl Fellows mis-kicked an attempted clearance allowing Birch in behind him but he curled his shot wide of the far post.  Harriers went two up midway through the half; another long ball was half stopped by Angus, preventing it reaching Christie, but he didn't see Jimmi-Lee Jones lurking the other side of him, Jones took the ball away and lashed it into hte back of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Nuneaton were providing the toughest opposition that Harriers had faced in recent games and despite being two-goals down continued to try to play their way out of trouble with Frew in particular impressing.  It was the substitute who crafted the first Borough goal; breaking clear on the right he rolled the ball square in to the feet of David Blenkinsop who found the back of the net despite Lewis getting a hand on the ball.  A long ball through the middle proved to be Harriers' final undoing, Paszkowec mis-kicked allowing Blenkinsop in behind him and he tucked it easily past Lewis.