Harriers crashed out of the FA Cup again after a disappointing game at Nene Park
which saw them give themselves an uphill task by going two goals behind again.
For the first half hour or so Harriers gave one of their best first half performances
in recent weeks and were comfortably in control of the game until the home side took
the lead against the run of play.
By this time, however, Harriers should have been ahead after creating a number of good
chances. After just seven minutes Bo Henriksen pounced on a miscued clearance by
Billy Turley and managed to get the ball round the keeper and squared it for Drewe Broughton. Just
six yards out and with the goal at his mercy he shot high and wide. Shortly afterwards
Broughton and Adie Smith got in each other's way when both going for a Sam Shilton cross and
steered the ball harmlessly wide.
It was not all one-way traffic, however, Robert Duffy twice hit powerful drives across the
face of Stuart Brock's goal that none of his team-mates could get on the end of. Turley
ws in unusually good form and saved from Dean Bennett and Drewe Broughton to keep the score
goalless before Rushden took the lead, somewhat against the run of play, when Duffy was allowed
too much space at the far post to head in Paul Underwood's left wing cross. In the last minute
of the half Turley pulled of the save of the game to turn away Henriksen's overhead kick.
Harriers had another scare early in the second half, Paul Hall took the ball round Brock only
for Lee Ayres to clear his shot off the line, Onandi Lowe hit the follow-up shot against the
crossbar and then David Bell shot wide. After dominating the early stages of the game,
Harriers seemed totally devoid of ideas in the second half and it was not really a surprise
when Rushden went further ahead after 66 minutes. Marcus Bignot threaded a pass into the
path of Stuart Wardley who slotted it past Brock.
Harriers didn't look capable of staging the needed comeback now, in fact one goal looked
beyond them, but did manage to find the net with 18 minutes remaining. A deep cross
from Kenny Coleman found the head of Broughton who powered the ball past Turley. The
Reds stepped up the pressure after the boost of the goal but only once called Turley into
action to save from Henriksen while at the other end the home team were wasting chance
after chance and with seven minutes left Lowe headed another easy chance over the bar that
would have finished the game off completely but even at 2-1 it was a deserved win for Rushden.
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