Kidderminster Harriers 2(1) v (1)0 Rushden & Diamonds

Football Conference National - Aggborough - 30 August 2008

Attendance: ####

Individual Stats
Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Rushden
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Adam Bartlett 5 0(2) 0 0 0 0[1] Alan Marriott 5 0(2) 0 1 0 0
Keith Lowe 5 0 0 0 0 0 [21/2] Curtis Osano 5 1(1) 0 0 1 0
Lee Baker 5 0 1 0 0 0[3] Gareth Jellyman 5 0 0 1 0 0
Luke Jones 5 0 0 1 3 0 [6/5] Chris Hope 5 0 1 3 1 0
Mark Creighton 5 1(1) 0 1 2 0 [5/22] Justyn Roberts 5 0 0 0 2 0
Andy Ferrell 5 0 2 2 0 0 [4/21] Jake Beecroft 5 0 0 2 1 0
Martin Brittain 6 0 0 0 0 0 [16/6] Dean McDonald 6 1 1 0 0 0
Russ Penn 7 3(1) 0 2 5 0 [10/17] Rob Wolleaston 5 0 1 1 1 0
Justin Richards 5 0 1 2 1 2 [11/7] Leon Knight 5 1(1) 1 1 0 3
Matt Barnes-Homer 5 0 1 1 2(1h) 0 [9] Lee Phillips 5 0 0 1 1 2
Brian Smikle 6 0 0 1 1 2 [14/11] Andy Burgess 5 0 3 1 1 1
Darryl Knights      [8/4] Phil Gulliver     
Michael McGrath      [15/14] Michael Rankine 5 0 0 1 1 0
David McDermott 5 0 0 0 0 0 [17/18] Sagi Burton 5 0 0 1 1 0
Dean Bennett 5 0 0 0 0 0 [20] Jamie McGuiness     
Dean Coleman      [12/25] Sam Smith 5 0 0 0 0 0
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Kidderminster 14 4 1 4 5
Rushden 10 6 8 3 7
GOALS
Kidderminster Rushden
14 Russ Penn  11 Dean McDonald 
80 Russ Penn    
Formations
Kidderminster
   Bartlett  
Lowe Jones  Creighton Baker
     
Brittain Penn  Ferrell Smikle
     
  Richards  Barnes-Homer 
Rushden
   Marriott  
Osano Hope  Roberts Jellyman
     
McDonald Wolleaston  Beecroft Burgess
     
  Knight  Phillips 
SUBSTITUTIONS
Kidderminster Rushden
80 Bennett Barnes-Homer Bennett to central midfield.  Now 4-5-1. 45+ Burton McDonald Burton to left central defender, Roberts to left back, Jellyman to left midfield, Burgess to right midfield.
90+ McDermott Brittain McDermott to right midfield. 72 Smith Phillips Smith to striker.
     83 Rankine Jellyman Rankine to striker, Osano to right midfield, Hope to central defender, Burton to right central defender, Roberts to left central defender, Burgess to left midfield.  Now 3-4-3.
BOOKINGS
Kidderminster Rushden
Creighton 44 Foul
Penn 50 Foul
Jones 81 Foul
  Osano 38 Foul
Burgess 76 Unsporting Behaviour
 
Referee: Steve Cummins (Cheshire)
Match Report by St@tto

Russ Penn celebrated his inclusion in the England 'C' squad for next month's trip to Sarajevo for a friendly against Bosnia with his first goals of the season to help Harriers come from behind to record their second successive home win.

Brian Smikle was the only change to the team that had picked up four points from two games over the Bank Holiday weekend, coming in on the left wing in place of David McDermott.  Despite the change, which gave Lee Baker more protection on the left, Harriers were cut open many times by the visitors in the first half.  They should have fallen behind after just six minutes when an attempt at playing the offside trap failed and let in Dean McDonald through the inside-right channel; fortunately for Harriers he fired wide of the far post.

Five minutes later Rushden took the lead; again it was McDonald causing the problems and again it was the left back area that had been vacated by the home defence; McDonald received a crossfield pass on the right and cut inside, dribbling across the front of the penalty area, before hitting a shot that took a deflection off Andy Ferrell to beat Adam Bartlett.

Harriers hit back almost straight away, needing just three minutes to get back on level terms; almost inevitably it was Martin Brittain who was the provider, his cross from the right wing was begging to be put away and Penn made no mistake with his far post header for his first goal of the season.

Brittain always looked dangerous from set pieces and seven minutes before the interval his free-kick from the left flashed across the face of goal just ahead of the onrushing Harriers attackers.  At the back, however, Harriers were still being opened up with ease, a long ball over the top a minute later caught out Luke Jones and let in Leon Knight whose shot on the turn went narrowly wide.

Early in the second half Mark Creighton went close to adding to his tally for the season when he met Brittain's right-wing corner with a powerful header that flew straight at Alan Marriott in the Diamonds' goal.  The second period became very scrappy with neither side looking particularly good in the first part of it.

Twenty minutes from the end Harriers had another escape when Andy Burgess' cross from the right found an unmarked Knight who shot straight at Bartlett.  Harriers completed their comeback with twelve minutes remaining; Ferrell's throw from the right was inadvertently headed on into the goalmouth by Chris Hope and swept in by Penn.

Harriers were now playing with more purpose and could have increased their lead in the closing minutes; Ferrell shot just wide from 30 yards out and Justin Richards fired into the side netting after chasing down a pass through the inside-right channel. Rushden threw everything forward, however, as the game went into stoppage time and forced Harriers to endure a nervous four minutes of time added on before being able to celebrate taking the three points.