Kidderminster Harriers Youth 5(4) v (3)5 Leamington Youth

Despite scoring five times Harriers had to be content with just one point after a thrilling draw with Leamington at Aggborough.

Harriers needed just 97 seconds to take the lead, Stephen Thompson latched onto a long ball from Richard Evans and lifted it over Richard Morgan in the visitors' goal.  Before Harriers had had time to celebrate Leamington were level, Kevin McGarvey knocking a long ball back into the path of William Cromwell who swept it into the bottom corner.  The explosive start to the game continued with a second Harriers goal in the fifth minute; James Dyke played the ball through the centre of the Leamington defence, Thompson just beat Morgan to it and lofted it into the empty net.

Leamington looked dangerous from set-pieces all night and drew level again after 12 minutes with a 25-yard free kick from Tom Leaver that beat the wall and curled just inside the post.  Thompson turned provider as Harriers regained the lead, he got to the byline on the right and played a low cross to the far post where it was turned in from close range by Tom Byrne, there were still only 16 minutes played.

Harriers doubled their advantage after 26 minutes, Byrne crossed from the left and Jermaine Hollis headed in at the near post.  The result could have been put beyond doubt before the break when a long kick from Harriers keeper Adam Tromans set Thompson clear on goal but his shot was saved by the legs of Morgan.  Leamington then pulled a goal back in stoppage time when Tromans didn't get a clean punch on a corner and Ashley Kitchen fired the ball back through a crowd of legs from well outside the penalty area into the bottom corner of the net.

Not surprisingly, the goals were not so free-flowing after the interval.  A free kick from Andy McKinley could have leveled the scores but it curled just wide of the post.  Just after the hour mark the visitors were given a lifeline when Danny Hodnett brought down Chris Lewis in the penalty area; McKinley saw his spot kick just beat the dive of Tromans but the referee ordered the kick to be retaken as there were Leamington players encroaching into the penalty area.  The second time the kick was taken Tromans got a hand on it but was unable to keep it out of the net.

Leamington then took the lead in the 72nd minute, a deep free kick found Cromwell on the right wing, his low cross found McGarvey at the far post who turned it in from close range.  Celebrating the goal, however, he lifted his shirt and was shown a yellow card by referee Radford and as it was his second he was sent off.

Harriers drew level shortly afterwards, substitute Mitch Butler exchanging passes with Luke Astley on the edge of the penalty area and drilling a shot under Morgan.  As the game drew to a close it seemed inevitable that one side or the other would find a winning goal, and as ten-man Leamington began to tire it looked as though it would be Harriers.  Despite good chances falling to Hollis and Leigh Clayton they were unable to find way through and had to settle for a draw.