Worcester City Reserves 1(0) v (3)3 Kidderminster Harriers Reserves

A young Harriers side got their League Cup campaign off to a good start with a comfortable win over local rivals Worcester City.

Trialists Nick Kuyper, an Australian midfielder, and defender Danny Holyoak who was at Mansfield under Stuart Watkiss, joined a team made up largely of youth team players.  Despite their inexperience Harriers were the better side from the start and enjoyed the lion's share of possession.  A long range shot from Steve Burton could have given Harriers an early lead but it was too close to City keeper Lewis Skyers.  Ian Foster then went close, Kuyper picked out James Dyke on the right wing with a long diagonal ball and he pulled it back to Foster who almost beat Skyers with a cheeky backheel.

Harriers took the lead after 31 minutes; Jamie Gleeson played a long ball over the City defence and Liam Teraud, who was still loitering in attack after going forward for a corner, beat Skyers to it and lifted it over him and into the net.  Two minutes later and Teraud was involved again as Harriers doubled their lead; Dyke's corner from the right found Teraud and his goalbound header was turned in by Foster.  Now cruising Harriers went even further ahead two minutes before the break; a free kick 25 yards from goal, awarded after Foster was fouled by Aaron Mason, was lofted to the far post by Dyke and Teraud, again, was on hand to win the header and it was turned over the line into his own net by Worcester defender Matt Atkinson.  In stoppage time Atkinson went some way to making amends when he cleared Holyoak's header off the line.

After the break Harriers eased off the pressure a little and a mistake by Holyoak gave the home team a lifeline; his pass intended for Teraud was short and intercepted by Tom Sturmey, Teraud fouled the City man in the penalty area and Dean Clarke sent Daniel Lewis the wrong way from the spot.  Shortly afterwards Harriers could have restored their three-goal advantage when Burton was allowed to bring the ball a long way forward from the back and then picked out Stephen Thompson on the opposite flank, he took one touch to control and got a shot in but it was weak and Skyers was able to save it.

Harriers continued to control the game without really threatening to increase their lead; the senior players in the team - Foster and Gleeson - were both substituted along with the unimpressive Kuyper and more youth team players were given a run out.  In the closing stages of the game Harriers should have added to the score; Dyke got free on the right and pulled the ball back into the central of the penalty area, but with not enough pace on the pass City were able to clear it and Tom Manship' follow-up shot went wide.  In the last minute the lively Scott Eaton jinked his way through the City defence only to see his shot kicked away by Skyers, only as far as Dyke, but his shot was charged down.