With confidence high in the Aggborough camp that we could get a result at Rushden tomorrow night comes the bad news that Super Sub Andy Bishop won't be playing.  This is down to a technicality that stops clubs loaning players for cup replays after the first game has been played.

Although that was never the intention it just seems a bit of hard luck on us.  Can we get Matt Lewis back from his loan spell at Evesham? or would that be subject to the same rules.

More bad news comes with Scott Stamps being out of the game for up to 3 months after being told that he'll need an operation on the torn muscle that has forced him to miss the last two games.  This could mean a prolonged run in the team for the, rumour has it, unsettled Ian Joy.

Sean Flynn will be missing tomorrow because he still has to serve his one match ban that should have been completed on Saturday.  Sean Parrish will probably take Flynnies place tomorrow if he's fit.  He's still suffering with a troublesome groin injury that caused him to miss the Torquay game two weeks ago.

Adie Smith (groin) and Dean Bennett (ankle) would have been facing late fitness tests for the Oxford game but now comes the news that they could still miss the Rushden game with a foot injury for Adie and a groin injury for Dean.

Also in doubt are Drewe Broughton (foot) and Abdou Sall (illness).  This could be a bit of wool pulling by Britt in an attempt to lure the Rushden manager, Brian Talbot, into a false sense of security.


This is going to be a tough game, made all the harder by Rushdens continuing good form.  They won away at Lincoln on Saturday with the goals coming from David Bell and Stuart Wardley in a hard fought 2-1 result.  Gary Mills came back to the side after suspension with Harriers hero, Gary Setchell, being dropped to the bench to make way for him.

Onandi Lowe, who surprisingly missed the first game at Aggborough also missed the game at Sincil Bank with a sore shin and it's only 50/50 whether he'll be playing tomorrow night.  I hope it bloody hurts!

Also doubtful is Stuart Gray who has a sore groin.

Today came the news that Marcus Bignot has now signed an 18 month contract with Rushden.  Damn!

The winners of this game will play either Forest Green or Exeter City and we should know who we'll be up against as we get in our cars, victorious, to come home.

Teams

Harriers from:
Brock, Danby, Joy, Ayres, Smith, Hinton, Williams, Parrish, Sall, Bennett, Shilton, Doyle, Foster, Broughton, Henriksen, Coleman, Lower.

Rushden from:
Turley, Sollitt, Gray, Peters, Hunter, Bignot, Tillson, Partridge, Sambrook, Setchell, Talbot, Dempster, Hanlon, Underwood, Darby, Wardley, Hall, Lowe, Bell, Duffy.