Kidderminster Harriers Youth 3(0) v (1)1 Moor Green Youth

Harriers' youngsters staged a good fight-back to recover from a half-time deficit and score three second half goals to record their first victory of the season.

With three players making their debuts Harriers seemed to be carrying a hangover from last week's thrashing at Worcester in the first half and the visitors were on top in the early part of the game.  After just ten minutes Moor Green almost went ahead when Tom Byrne was forced into clearing off the goalline after the rest of the defence had missed a corner from the left.  Moments later Byrne was in the thick of the action again at the other end when he did well to get on the end of Ray Facey's left-0wing cross but could not control his header and direct it goalwards.

Moor Green had most of the possession in the first half but could not do much with it and it was Harriers who had the best chances of opening the scoring; Luke Astley played the ball forward to Scott Eaton on the edge of the penalty area who turned well and got his shot in but visiting keeper Jamie Atkins, son of Bristol Rovers manager Ian, saved well low to his left.  Eaton found himself in a similar position shortly afterwards but couldn't turn, instead he rolled the ball square to Byrne who fired weakly at Atkins.

The visitors took the lead two minutes before the break; Jack Byrne played the ball forward for Ola Olyinka to chase, debutant Harriers keeper Mark Nokes was quick off his line to save at his feet but the loose ball went straight to Daniel Collins who rifled it back into the empty net from 30 yards out.  In the last minute of the half the lead could have been doubled when Tom Byrne was caught in possession on the edge of the penalty area but Olyinka's shot was saved at close range by Nokes.

Harriers drew level just two minutes into the second half; Scott Eaton made a run through the heart of the Moor Green defence taking the ball round Atkins before passing to Byrne who was left with an easy chance.  Shortly afterwards Harriers could have gone ahead had Mitch Butler been able to control his header from Richard Young's deep right wing cross but instead headed over.

Astley's attempted back-pass fell too short and Moor Green sub Simon Hinsley almost got round Nokes when he intercepted it but Astley reacted quickly and got back to block.  Harriers got their noses in front after surviving that scare; Byrne won the ball on the right and played it inside to Butler who tucked it past Atkins from just inside the penalty area.

As the game drew to a close Harriers got stronger and could have gone further ahead shortly before the end of normal time when Byrne jinked his way into the penalty area but Atkins parried his shot easily.  Moor Green were reduced to ten men in the last minute of the game when they lost Jack Byrne to injury, and had already used all of their subs, and then in stoppage time goalkeeper Atkins was carried off on a stretcher after getting injured in a challenge with Shawn Salmon.  Kevin Kavenagh took over in goal and deep into time added on had to pick the ball out of the net after Butler had fired in his second goal of the evening.