Harriers crashed to their heaviest defeat since losing 5-0 at Redbridge Forest in November 1991, and can have
only themselves to blame as most of the six goals that flew into the back of their net were caused by sloppy
defending and individual errors.
Ian Britton changed formation as expected and lined up with a more cautious 4-5-1 approach, leaving out Bo
Henriksen, Matt Gadsby and Andy Bishop and recalling John Williams, Dean Bennett and Graham Ward. Despite
the more defensive shape Harriers were soon chasing the game after The Tigers took the lead in the sixth minute,
Danny Williams failed to make a tackle in midfield and the ball was quickly played down the wing to centre-back
Justin Whittle who crossed low across the goalmouth to the far post where Ben Burgess was completely unmarked
to score with a close range tap-in although Stuart Brock felt that he had held it before it crossed the line.
After this early setback Harriers began to play some good football and showed some of the best passing that
they have managed in recent weeks and enjoyed the lion's share of the possession. Hull's defending at
this stage was often far from composed as their back four were happy to clear the ball into the stands and
concede a string of throw-ins while Loyd Dyer was giving right back Richard Hinds a torrid time with his pace. Midway
through the half one of Harriers' good passing movements led to the equaliser although one stray pass almost
lost possession when Dyer's attempt to find Adie Smith fell short but Smith tackled back and caused Damien
Delaney to hurry his clearance which rebounded off one of his teammates and into the path of John Williams
who poked it past Paul Musselwhite and into the bottom corner for his first goal in a Harriers shirt.
After 33 minutes Harriers had a great opportunity to take the lead; Dean Bennett picked up the ball on
the right and made a good run across the front edge of the penalty area before finding Dyer on the left
wing, Dyer took the pass past Hinds and crossed to the near post where Bennett had continued his run but
he guided his diving header just wide of the far post. Two minutes before the break the play switched
to the other end where a free kick on the left near the corner flag found Jason Price at the far post but
Brock just managed to claw his downward header away.
Soon afterwards the crucial second goal came for the home team, a throw in on the left came to Andy Dawson
who whipped in a cross to the near post, Adam Willis headed it clear but under pressure from Burgess got no
distance on it and the ball fell to Danny Allsopp who drilled a volley into past Brock's right hand and just
inside the post. In the last minute of the half Harriers were awarded a free kick in sight of goal but
Danny Williams' shot was poorly struck and although it went under the wall also went horribly wide.
Having been on top for most of the game and heading towards the half time interval with something to defend
Harriers came out for the second period chasing the game again, while Hull had clearly had a telling-off in the
dressing room and came out in a more determined fashion. The game was effectively killed off as a contest
after eleven more minutes with ity's third; a cross from the right was cleared but the Harriers defence was
slow in pushing forward to close down Dawson who hit a blistering first-time volley back into the top corner
of the net.
Once Harriers were two goals down their heads dropped adn the smooth passing football of the first half dried
up and Dyer who had been the most dangerous player in a red shirt disappeared from the game while the three
central midfield players who had controlled the first half lost their way and rarely strung more than two passes
together. Another free kick after 63 minutes offered an opportunity to get back into the game but Rob
Betts, seeing that Musselwhite was still trying to line up his wall, took it too quickly and chipped it over t
the crossbar. Eleven minutes from the end Hull almost added a fourth when Allsopp set subsitute Ryan
France free on the right and then made a run into the penalty area to get on the end of the cross but directed
his header wide of the far post when unmarked.
A shambolic last ten minutes of the game rubbed more salt into Harriers' wounds, a Stuart Green corner from
the left dropped to Burgess at the near post with his back to goal but unchallenged he was able to chest the
ball down, juggle with it and then hit an overhead shot into the back of the net. The most controversial
moment of the game came after 83 minutes when a low cross by Andy Holt on the left found France who clearly
barged Craig Hinton out of the way before tucking the ball into the back of the net but all of the officials
saw nothing and the goal was allowed to stand. Four minutes into stoppage time the rout was completed
when Danny Williams was penalised for handling the ball on the edge of the penalty area and from the resultant
free kick Green curled a shot over the wall and into the top corner.
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