Grays Athletic 1(0) v (2)3 Kidderminster Harriers

Football Conference - The New Recreation Ground - 22 August 2009

Attendance: 754

Individual Stats
Grays
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Preston Edwards     [1]Dean Coleman     
Kenny Davis     [15/2]Duane Courtney     
George Beavan     [23/3]Lee Baker     
Cameron Mawer     [6]Martin Riley     
Gavin Hoyte     [5]Gavin Caines     
Tom Harvey     [25/4]John Finnigan     
Richard Graham     [16/16]Kyle Hadley     
Ronnie Bull     [2/8]Dean Bennett     
Daniel Charge     [24/9]Matt Barnes-Homer     
Jamie Slabber     [17/7]Chris McPhee     
Craig Braham-Barrett     [9/14]Brian Smikle     
Charlie Taylor     [14/10]Darryl Knights     
Tommy Black     [16/11]David McDermott     
Sam Long     [18/15]Liam Dolman     
Serge Makofo     [20/17]Tom Sharpe     
William Lumley     [12]Jasbir Singh     
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Grays84523
Kidderminster11510513
GOALS
Grays Kidderminster
51Daniel Charge 12Dean Bennett 
   27Brian Smikle 
   90David McDermott 
Formations
Grays
  Edwards  
DavisMawer HoyteBeavan
     
GrahamBull HarveyBraham-Barrett
     
 Charge Slabber 
Kidderminster
  Coleman  
CourtneyRiley CainesBaker
     
HadleyBennett FinniganSmikle
     
 Barnes-Homer McPhee 
SUBSTITUTIONS
Grays Kidderminster
46BlackGrahamBlack to right midfield.55McDermottHadleyMcDermott to right midfield.
62MakofoBraham-BarrettMakofo to left midfield.74KnightsBennettKnights to striker, McPhee to right central midfield.
78LongBullLong to right midfield, Black to right central midfield.84DolmanFinniganDolman to left central midfield.
BOOKINGS
Grays Kidderminster
    
Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire)
Match Report by St@tto

Harriers finally broke their Grays hoodoo with their first-ever win at The New Recreation Ground at the fifth time of asking., and at the same time ending their goal drought.

After dominating the previous two games without winning either, Harriers boss Mark Yates made changes to the side with Kyle Hadley and John Finnigan coming in for their first starts in place of Darryl Knights and the injured Robbie Matthews, Knights dropped down to the bench.

Having failed to find the net for 337 minutes Harriers broke their drought and opened the scoring in the 12th minute; Lee Baker's pass fed Brian Smikle on the left wing, he turned it inside to skipper Chris McPhee who helped it on to Bennett who drilled it past Preston Edwards in the home goal.  The advantage was doubled fifteen minutes later, a pass through the inside-right channel found Hadley who scuffed his pass inside to Smikle who likewise scuffed his shot from just inside the penalty area but it had just enough on it to find the back of the net.

On the half-hour mark Hadley and Smikle combined again, the former's corner from the right found the latter at the near post but he fired wide.  At the other end Grays' best effort was a 25-yard free-kick from Craig Braham-Barrett that flew harmlessly wide.  In stoppage time at the end of the half McPhee's cross from a short corner on the left found an unmarked Gavin Caines who headed over the bar.  Harriers went into the break two goals to the good but should really have had the game sewn up as they had enjoyed the lion's share of possession once again.

After the interval the home team came out with more determination while Harriers seemed to ease off a little.  Grays pulled a goal back just five minutes after the restart; the ball was played through the middle for Daniel Charge to latch onto while the Harriers defence waited for an offside flag that didn't come, Charge then rifling the ball past Dean Coleman for the first goal from open pay conceded by Harriers this season.

Harriers were making extensive use of the short corner routine and just past the hour mark should have made it count; McDermott's cross from the right picking out Martin Riley at the far post who headed against the upright.  The visitors didn't enjoy as much dominance in the second half and were hanging on to the result by the end until the lively Smikle chased down a pass through the inside-right channel, keeping the ball in play and sending over a good cross that was flicked on at the near post by Matt Barnes-Homer to McDermott at the far post who had a simple tap in to settle any nerves and confirm the victory.