Kidderminster Harriers Youth 5(3) v (0)3 Lye Town Youth

Harriers cruised to their first cup win of the season with a three-goal first half sealing the victory and setting up a possible cup double with the League Cup final still to come.

Phil Mullen's young starlets were fired up for the game and raced in to an early lead thanks to the trickery of Tom Byrne.  He turned the Lye left back inside out and jinked his way into the penalty area, evading a terrible challenge,  and pulled the ball back to Shawn Salmon who fired it into the top corner.  Mitch Butler picked out Salmon on the right wing who ran to the byline before crossing low to the far post where Butler had continued his run and forced the ball in from close range; Harriers were two-up already and there  were barely ten minutes on the clock.

Lye eventually got near to the Harriers goal; Mark Whitehouse's free kick on the right took a couple of deflections before going out for a corner on the opposite flank.  Butler was proving to be a handful for the Lye defence, however, and his turn and cross created another chance for Harriers but Scott Eaton couldn't get to the ball before Lye's Adam Shaw scrambled it away.  The third goal came on the half-hour; a free-kick was pumped forward from midfield into the penalty area and was knocked down by Ashley Walker to Butler who lashed it home for his 19th goal of the season.

Before the half had ended Harriers could have been further ahead; Karl Hooper's free kick was half cleared and Nathan Walker slammed a 25 yard shot against the crossbar and then from a Ray Facey corner Ashley Walker headed wide at the far post.

After the break Harriers needed just five minutes to increase their lead further; the ball was played over the Lye defence to Butler whose lob was clawed away by Tom Houghton but the ball dropped to Byrne who had an easy tap-in.  Moments later Butler went close to completing his hat-trick with a diving header at the near post from Byrne's free-kick.

Lye pulled a goal back shortly afterwards, Ryan Welsh mis-hit his shot so much that it found Whitehouse on the left wing and while the Harriers defence stopped he picked out Jason Powner who turned it in at the near post.  A minute later Harriers restored their four-goal advantage; Butler's crossfield pass picked out Eaton on the left and his great first touch allowed him time to roll the ball past Houghton into the far corner.

To their credit Lye kept going and Whitehouse went close with a 30 yard free kick that whizzed over the bar.  The lead was reduced again when Sam Woodall headed in at near post from Whitehouse's cross and in the closing stages they pushed on further looking to get back into the game.  A low cross from the right three minutes from the end by Powner found Steve Bull at the far post but he was unable to control his shot and it went harmlessly wide.  In the last minute Lye scored again to give themselves further hope, sub Marvin Marius' challenge on Tom Harper forced the ball loose and Powner fired in from close range.  Despite the referee adding over seven minutes of stoppage time, however, Lye were unable to score any more and Harriers were able to see out time and take the cup.