Harriers and Rushden must fight it out again in ten days time at Nene Park after a see-saw
encounter ended all square.
Twice Rushden took the lead and twice Kidderminster came from behind but neither side was
able to take total control of the match. A cagey first half saw the home team create
the best of the goalscoring chances without really threatening Billy Turley in the visitors’
goal while The Diamonds had the best of the possession did nothing with it.
Right on the stroke of half time the visitors took the lead, Stuart Gray floated over a free
kick from out on the left wing which eluded everyone and fell to Robert Duffy beyond the far
post who had an easy task to plant the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
After the break Rushden were the first to look like scoring again, Duffy got clear of the
defence and through on Brock beating the keeper to the ball but Craig Hinton was on hand to
clear off the line and avert the danger. A minute later the scores were level. Sam
Shilton crossed from the left, in a carbon copy of the Rushden goal the ball eluded
everybody, and at the far post was Gary Setchell who, under no pressure, played the ball
back into his own net.
Once back in the game Harriers began to get stronger as the visitors looked less composed
and after 70 minutes nearly took the lead, substitute Dean Bennett broke clear on the right
wing and his cross was headed narrowly over the bar by Drewe Broughton. It was not
long, however, before Rushden regained the lead, Paul Underwood got to the by-line on the
left and crossed to the far post where Duffy rose well to head in his second goal of the
game.
On 73 minutes Harriers should have scored again, the ball somehow stayed out of the visitors
net after an almighty scramble in which Sean Parrish, Bo Henriksen and Broughton all could
have scored. It was only three minutes until the home team were level again, Shilton’s
free kick from the left was headed home by Broughton from 12 yards out. In stoppage
time Broughton had another chance that could have won the game but he headed wide from Lee
Ayres’ cross.
|