MotM: 30-04-16 Southport (A) McQuilkin

[Phil]

We're being brave and fearless. At last

[Lovejoy]

Should impress the new management team.

[Phil]

Lost count of the Braves and Fear(lesses) just now.

[howells]

Great game. The way we played Was very very good.

[Greeny94]

We played with intent for once, and seemed hungry to score goals. All 4 of our goals were well worked, with some tidy finishes. Garnetts was probably the pick of the bunch and the best move of the game, move started with a quickly distributed throw out by Snedker which was strange to see.

All 3 of our goals were preventable, and probably should have been down to 10 within 5 minutes after a simple long ball over the top, but the referee probably didn't want to wreck the afternoon which on the face of it, was pointless for both teams.

We can take some confidence into next season if we manage to hold on to most of these players, I still cast my doubts over a select few but 16 points from 9 in the National with the first real spell of any sort of squad stability would be beneficial moving forwards. If Eustace can prove to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market and we can hold onto the spine of the squad, I think we will be in for an enjoyable season next year.

I think the issues Eustace needs to address mostly are a new keeper, a right-back (still don't think Tyrone cuts it, although had his best game in a Harriers shirt yesterday), an attacking forward/winger to replace Whitfield and a striker who boasts a presence up front.
If I was being picky, then i'd replace Langmead too, although i'm convinced we have a ready-made replacement in Tunnicliffe, who I suspect will be off in the summer.

[Krasnyi]

I think you're right about what we need and ideally I think we need to replace Langmead too. Keeping McQuilkin should be a priority but I can imagine several Conference clubs may offer him something.

[Krasnyi]

From Southport's forum:

Well beaten on the day and Kiddy look a good bet on them being Champions in the Con North/South with their French Legion of players.

[harrys dad]

I have not seem as many games as usual this season, but clearly someone has been lying to me. On a really bobbly pitch we passed the ball very well and scored four very, very well crafted goals, each the result of excellent passing along the floor and good movement that would have done credit to a team at a much higher level.

Yes, we let in three really poor goals, yes we should probably have lost our goalkeeper after 5 minutes, yes Southport were very poor, but yes, we played really good football and scored four fabulous goals.

Going forward the whole team were excellent. The defence was another story. Langmead in particular looks very slow, and was repeatedly embarrassed all afternoon. We got cut open far too easily for the first and third goals, and the second was as a result of Fane losing the ball in possession when he was trying to be a touch too clever too close to the edge of our penalty area.

What we did show however is that good passing football is the way to beat teams with very large strong donkeys at the back. There were none of the long balls to a midget marked by a giant, plenty of good runs to the byline by the wingers/fullbacks, many excellent crosses, and four excellent finishes.

A really enjoyable game, and quite clearly had this team been together all season we would have been well clear of the relegation zone. Unfortunately, the absolute shambles of the period before Xmas has led us to where we are now. How many players did we use in that period? 50? How many managers? How much chaos?

Our ultimate relegation this season is the clear result of mismanagement off the pitch for the last two and a half years, and the people responsible should be ashamed of themselves. Hopefully we can rebuild from the ashes of this disaster and hope that our beloved Kidderminster Harriers can rise again. At least we still have a club.

The one good thing to emerge from this mess is the way the attendances have held up. I hope people will renew their season tickets, at what is a very reasonable price, and allow the new manager to build a team for next season that will challenge at the right end of the league. We have a number of excellent players contracted already. If they stay they will do very well in Conference North. If they leave we should get some decent fees to use for rebuilding.

Onwards and upwards (we hope).

[brumkidd]

I think we all need to calm down and take a moment to think about who we are likely to be seeing in a Harriers shirt next season. Whitfield and Kinsella won't be unless we offer Bournemouth and Villa a lot of money for them. I seriously have my doubts that any of the French contingent will still be with us come the start of pre-season training. They are our only saleable assetts and if anyone comes in with any sort of offer I can see them all moving on.

It's ok CG talking about momentum but if the personnel fundamentally changes over the summer, as I suspect it will, we won't have any momentum. We will be starting again from scratch and everything will hinge on Eustace's ability to convince any half decent players to join us for next to nothing in wages. An extremely tall order for an experienced manager, let alone a managerial novice.

I will be renewing my season ticket but with huge reservations about what we are going to be able to serve up.

[harry211]

It was a game of two halves, pitch wise anyway.

In our own half, we were shambolic at times. Snedker was lucky not to be sent off, the referee showing him mercy but Almond was allowed to just waltz through. We seriously lack pace at the back, and Lowe/Langmead as a partnership for next season could see this happen time and time again.

Their second goal was a case and point of the 'Kidderminster Way' not working in our own half. Langmead, Lowe, Fane etc. aren't technically gifted to play the type of football that Colin wants. Hence Fané being robbed and Phenix scoring. We saw this happen last week against Dover and we didn't learn!

On the positive side, I had a good feeling on my way to the game yesterday, a rare one for me where I could jump on one train to Southport. Didn't forsee us scoring four goals, and it was nice to see three of them coming from out wide. Zaine had some great crosses into the box, some good finishes on the whole, and it was nice to see Garnett score.

Special mention has to go to McQuilkin. A player who reminds me of a Simon Russell/Jimmy Bullard type. His finish for the equaliser was fantastic, how many times have we seen our players miss chances like that? Great technique and finish.

Nice ground to visit, great game and on the whole a fantastic performance. Southport fans were a good bunch too, was one of the first Harriers fans at the ground and got talking to some Southport fans who were full of good wishes for next season, and walking out two or three stopped us and wished us luck for next season. Would enjoy a visit there next year in the cup.

Worth noting that as a fan who makes it to a few games a season, not a rarity by any measure but not a week-in-week-out like some admirable stalwarts, that was the first Harriers win I've seen since we beat Alfreton 3-0 at the start of last season.

The issue is, that probably does sum up a lot of our last two seasons!

Onwards to next season, lots of reasons to be positive, however there's still areas we can improve in.

[PIRATE OF ZARAGOZA]

I think we all need to calm down and take a moment to think about who we are likely to be seeing in a Harriers shirt next season. Whitfield and Kinsella won't be unless we offer Bournemouth and Villa a lot of money for them. I seriously have my doubts that any of the French contingent will still be with us come the start of pre-season training. They are our only saleable assetts and if anyone comes in with any sort of offer I can see them all moving on.

It's ok CG talking about momentum but if the personnel fundamentally changes over the summer, as I suspect it will, we won't have any momentum. We will be starting again from scratch and everything will hinge on Eustace's ability to convince any half decent players to join us for next to nothing in wages. An extremely tall order for an experienced manager, let alone a managerial novice.

I will be renewing my season ticket but with huge reservations about what we are going to be able to serve up.

I think we haven't seen the last of Kinsella, I gather he's about to be released by Villa and he's hinted that he wants to be with us next season so the rumor goes.

[PIRATE OF ZARAGOZA]

One thing I discovered yesterday is that you can never judge a book by its cover. Over the years I've took a dislike to Andy Bishop, especially in his days at Wrexham but I had a drink with him last night and he's a really nice bloke, he says Harriers will always be in his heart because he scored his first league goal for us.

[Phil]

I think we haven't seen the last of Kinsella, I gather he's about to be released by Villa and he's hinted that he wants to be with us next season so the rumor goes.

If I was the Villa manager and had to choose between Lewis Kinsella and Kevin Toner to play at the back then I know which one I'd choose.

[Medieval]

I think we haven't seen the last of Kinsella, I gather he's about to be released by Villa and he's hinted that he wants to be with us next season so the rumor goes.

If I was the Villa manager and had to choose between Lewis Kinsella and Kevin Toner to play at the back then I know which one I'd choose.

Yes, you would chose Toner ... hint hint....

[HarrierN2]

I really see no reason why we won't keep the French players for next season. CG isn't going to release them for peanuts when in the longer term they might be bring in far more. With finances in a better state I don't think we need to sell any more for the first offer that comes in.