harriers-online match report
Vs rushden & diamonds 
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We have it all to do again


The Harriers were held to a 2-2 draw in this FA Cup 1st rd tie today with a replay, that they could well do without, pencilled in for 26th November at Nene Park.

Marcus Bignot The visitors sprung the first surprise of the day with the omission of their star striker, Onandi Lowe.  He had been withdrawn after complaining all week of a sore groin.

The ex Harrier, Marcus Bignot, was named in the Rushden starting eleven and received a warm welcome from most Harriers fans.  Except for one prat who kept on calling out ' **** off Bignot' and 'you dirty ******* Bignot' when ever he touched the ball and sometimes when he was nowhere near it.

There was also a full return to the Harriers side for Bo Henriksen.

It was Bo who was the first to threaten when he fired a low drive from 25yds out that went just wide of the Rushden keeper, Turley's, right hand post.

Five minutes later Marcus Bignot found himself in the referees book for a late challenge on Sam Shilton.  Biggie was the first of three bookings for Rushden in a game that was never dirty.

The Harriers were taking the game to Rushden but were making a hard job of getting the final ball into the area, having to be content with shots from outside the 12yd box due to blanket defending by Rushden.  Sean Parrish was the closest with another long range shot that flew well over the crossbar.

In answer to that Rushden had their first attempt of the game when Gray's rasping shot was well held by Stuart Brock.  They followed it up with a shot from Bell but Craig Hinton did enough to put him off and the danger passed.

In comparison with the Rushden defence ours was decidedly jittery.  Ayres, Coleman and Hinton were guilty of some sloppy play at times and it was that sloppiness that led to the first Rushden goal.

Rushden were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area and, with the home fans calling for someone to mark Duffy on the far side of the box, it was played by Stuart Gray to him where he made no mistake in rifling it past Brock.

It was a disappointing end to a disappointing first half.


HT. 0 - 1

At the start of the half Rushden replaced Duane Darby with Paul Hall.

The first goal attempt of the half came from Setchell when he pushed the ball past Brockie but luckily Hinton was on hand to clear it off the line and away to safety.

Setchell did get his name on the score sheet minutes later, but for the wrong side.  Shilton's cross from the left was going no where with out a Harriers player nearby but then Setchell inexplicably passed the ball back towards his own goal and into the bottom corner past his stranded keeper.

The Harriers should have had a penalty minutes later but, after Henriksen was pulled back by Barry Hunter, the ref gave the Reds the advantage and allowed play to go on.  Bo, still with the ball at his feet, crossed it low for Broughton but he failed to connect cleanly and the ball was cleared by the Diamonds defence.  Hunter went into the refs book for the foul after but it should have been a penalty.

Dean Bennett was bought on to replace a disappointing Ian Foster after that and the Harriers raised their game accordingly.

Kenny Coleman Our passing became slicker and it looked to be doing the trick until Rushden suddenly re-took the lead again.  Again it was a defensive mistake that led to the goal.

Kenny Coleman was caught in possession by Paul Underwood who then quickly crossed the ball to the unmarked Duffy inside the penalty area.  His diving header went flying past the helpless Stuart Brock.

Two minutes later the Harriers should have scored again.  The ball was played into the area and fell to Drewe Broughton whose header hit Turley and bounced back towards Bo Henriksen.  He surged over a floored defender to try and head the ball again, and again Turley pushed it away.  Sean Parrish was next to try and force it home but, with what looked like handball, it was eventually cleared by the Rushden defenders.

Five minutes later the equaliser did arrive and it was Drewe Broughton who, deservedly, grabbed his third goal of the season and the second in a week.

We were awarded a free kick for a foul on Sean Parrish and from it Shilton put an accurate cross in for Broughton to soar above the Rushden defence send his header into the corner out of the reach of Turley.

Broughton had another chance on 80 minutes but his header from Henriksen's cross was just wide.

In injury time Rushden almost got the winner but a superb save by Brockie from Gray's thunderbolt shot pushed the ball just outside his left hand post.  And then in the dying seconds Drewe headed just wide from Lee Ayres cross.

Overall it was a slightly disappointing game.  One that I kept thinking "if only Mells was playing would it have finished any different".


FT. 2 - 2

The Harriers-Online
Man of the Match is : 
Drewe Broughton

Not so many easy chances missed today and an excellent goal to cap a fine performance.

Best for them:  Paul Underwood.  Or Gary Setchell??

vote for your
man of the match now

Harriers  subs   cards      Rushden  subs   cards 
Brock     Turley  
Coleman     Bignot
Ayres     Hunter
Williams     Peters  
Hinton     Wardley  
Flynn     Setchell  
Henriksen     Gray  
Parrish     Underwood  
Broughton     Darby
Foster     Duffy  
Shilton     Bell  
SUBS:       SUBS:    
Danby     Sollitt  
Smith     Partridge  
Sall     Dempster  
Bennett     Talbot  
Doyle     Hall  

REFEREE:
Mr C Penton
Sussex



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rushden websites:

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the diamonds fc.info
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