Harriers went out of the Worcester Senior Cup tonight against their old rivals from up the road, Bromsgrove.  It was a result that left the home fans wondering what has gone wrong with this club.

Accepting the fact that it was only a minor cup game and there were no points at stake it was disappointing to see such a lack of sharpness and commitment in front of goal from a team that play 4 divisions above Bromsgrove.
Compare a Premiership club to ourselves?  That's the difference in status.

Even though we were having the lions share of chances on goals the Greens keeper Matt Lowe was having a good game and kept most of our efforts out.

Most of these fell to Bo Henriksen but they seemed to lack conviction as they were all directed straight at the keeper.

Their goal was dubious.  Adie Smith was shepherding the ball back to Stuart Brock as Matt Southwick came in to challenge.  As he turned his head to look back at him they collided and the ref pointed straight to the spot to the amazement of the fans.

Beckett took the kick and sent Brockie completely the wrong way.

The half continued in the same vein with Lowe in goal for Bromsgrove thwarting the Harriers when ever he could.

At the start of the second half Ian Britton took off the under performing Kenny Coleman and bought on Craig Hinton.  There was an immediate improvement.

We looked more solid at the back but were still having no luck up front.  Bo Henriksen, Sean Parrish, Andy Bishop and Ian Foster all saw goal bound efforts either saved or cleared off the line by Bromsgrove.

We felt that a goal wouldn't be long coming and when it did it came from a surprising source.

Ian Foster sent in a left wing cross and the Lee Ayres rose above the defence to at last beat Matt Lowe and send the ball into the back of the net.  After the recent criticism of his defensive displays recently it would have done his confidence a power of good.

Well, for at least five minutes.  It was Ayres schoolboy error that led to the winner for Bromsgrove.

With neither himself or Stuart Brock under any kind of pressure he inexplicably tried to head it back to Brockie but instead the ball landed at the feet of Ashley Reed.  With Stuart Brock off his line Reed chipped the ball over the keeper and into the back of the empty net.

We piled on the pressure even more then but it was destined to be Matt Lowes night and nothing we could do would change that.