Kidderminster Harriers Youth 1(0) v (1)2 Quorn Youth

A weakened Harriers side, with one eye on Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final, were beaten by Leicestershire side Quorn leaving them 12 points off leaders Sutton Coldfield.

With a trip to Coleshill Town in the League Cup just two days away Phil Mullen rested seven of his first choice players and gave chances to a number of fringe players.  The disruption to the line-up showed as Harriers struggled to get going.

It could have been different had Mitch Butler not headed over the bar from Ray Facey’s 16th minute corner when he had enough time and space to direct it better.  The visitors took the lead soon after; Luke Plummer got away on the left and crossed low, Alex Dawson’s attempted clearance only set the ball up better for Josh Warran to flick past Matt Williams.

Facey was involved again the next time Harriers threatened, playing a neat one-two with Butler before blasting his shot wide when Levi Chambers was well placed at the far post had he looked up to pass.

At the other end Lewis Allen tried his luck from distance but his 35-yard shot didn’t trouble Williams and went well wide.  Quorn should have gone further ahead before the break when Amreet Kang lost possession to Plummer who picked out Warran on the right and his cross to the far post was met by Simon Allen who lofted the ball over an open goal.

Quorn went further ahead early in the second half thanks to a goalkeeping error by Williams; the keeper came out to collect Simon Allen’s cross but dropped it at the feet of Dennis Moran who stabbed it into the empty net.  Harriers pulled one back soon afterwards; Facey was once again involved, his ball in from the left was helped on by Chambers to Butler who broke into the penalty area and steered his shot around the keeper and inside the far post.

Harriers pressed vainly for an equaliser in the closing stages; Facey, again, crossed from the left just ahead of Chambers who might have done better had he elected to head the ball rather than try to reach it with his foot.  Late on Michael Eke had a header cleared off the line by Tom Carlin which was the closest Harriers came to saving the game.