Harriers lost their first game of the friendly season tonight when they went down 2-1 to a very slick Birmingham City.

After last Saturdays morale boosting win against the Albion we were all looking to more of the same tonight but the truth soon dawned that we were playing a team in a different class.

This isn't to say that the Harriers were bad tonight, far from it, our passing was just as good as against the Baggies but this time we were playing a team who were more up for it.

The game started with the Blues exposing the Reds (Silvers?) defence twice in as many minutes but once we had tightened up at the back things improved.

So much so that after five minutes we were in command and had grabbed the first goal when Andy Ducros met Stampers inch perfect cross to head the ball past the Blues keeper.

To their credit City didn't give up and they pressed us at every opportunity.
Lazaridis, their best player in my book, delivered plenty of crosses into the box but they were easily mopped up by Hinton and Adie.

Blues equalised after 30 minutes when from a glaring Parfait mistake Geoff Horsfield picked up the loose ball to go round Brock and tap it in for the easiest of goals.

Their second came almost on the stroke of half-time from a badly defended set piece.
The free kick was sent over to Darren Purse, who had been standing all by himself in front of the goal, to calmly head home with the Harriers defence rooted to the spot.

The second half was a bit of an anti-climax for both teams.
Blues made a load of changes first bringing on Hutchinson, Luntala, Hyde and Marcello.
Then soon after Jan bought on Ayres, Clarkson, Davies, Foster and Joy for Parfait, Stamps, Ducros, Hinton and Williams.

Foster gave us that bit of urgency we had lost but again, (sorry I>B>A>S), Hadley looked out of it and and was never there when needed.

Still it was only a friendly but also a good lesson for us that we're good, but not that good.

Harriers;
Brock, Medou-Otye (Clarkson), Stamps (Joy), Blake, Hinton (Ayres), Smith, Bird, Williams (Davies), Hadley, Ducros (Foster), Shilton.

Att: 2888