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Vs southend utd 
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JJ goal sinks Shrimps


The Harriers got their promotion campaign back on the right track tonight with a win over Southend but, with the game seemingly stuttering to a 0-0 bore draw, it was far from convincing for the paltry crowd of only just over 2000.

Any more games like this and it'll soon be hard to get that many at Aggborough.

We know from previous seasons that playing pretty football gets you nowhere in this division and having big defenders hoofing the ball over the top is the way to go, it doesn't mean that the whole team have to play that way.  By all means clear the ball from the danger areas when under the cosh but please lets try and get something like our old passing game back into the midfield.

We hardly managed to string two passes together throughout the game yet Southend seemed to.  It was only desperate defending from us that stopped them going home with a well deserved point.

Sean Flynn The first half was just as poor as on Saturday against Scunthorpe with hardly a shot on goal from either side.  The first one from us came after 21 minutes but Drewe Broughton shot weakly after being set up by Sean Flynn.

Tesfaye Bramble went close for the visitors in reply but he could only watch as his 25yd shot flew over the bar.

JJ Melligan, who looked like the only one for us to be capable of scoring tonight, raced from his own half into the Southend penalty box unopposed but his shot from 15yds out was well wide.  Seconds after he had another chance to score but his shot across the face of goal was no problem for Flahaven in the Southend goal and the ball ended up near the corner flag.

Drewe missed his usual sitter on 35 minutes when Adie Smiths cross landed on his head but Drewe isn't the best header of the ball and with no direction on it it bounced off the top of his head and went over the bar.

A minute later and Southend were forced to substitute Marney for Rawle who had to go off injured.

The first half dragged to it's conclusion then with neither side getting any nearer scoring.


HT. 0 - 0

With the Reds now playing towards the home fans, and with their usual reputation of playing better in the second half, the expectations were high that a goal wouldn't be long in coming.

We were in for a long wait.  Our first attempt on goal in this half came from Sean Flynn after 54 minute when he sent the ball past Flahavan's right hand post from 30 yards out.  It was going to be a long wait until the next chance.

Sean Parrish We were still having problems passing the ball around and were still relying on route one tactics but at least our goal was a well worked one.

JJ raced on to a flicked pass from Drewe Broughton and out paced the Southend defence before lobbing the ball nicely over Flahaven and into the back of the net.

Straight from the re-start Southend went close to scoring twice in succession when first Digby saved well from Marney and then Bramble forced him to save at the foot of the post.

It wasn't all going Southends way though and JJ manage to force the Southend keeper into the save of the game when he saw his quick header saved low from close range.

Four minutes from time Brambles volley was pushed round the post by Digby and then Sean Parrish, who had come on earlier in exchange for Bo Henriksen, saved the game for us when he somehow stopped Leon Cort's goalbound shot on the line.  Marney sent the rebound high over the bar.

In the end we managed to hold onto the points and climb back up the table a bit but we do need to get this passing problem sorted before too long or our reputation as a passing side will vanish.


FT. 1 - 0

The Harriers-Online
Man of the Match is : 
Danny Williams

Yet another workman like performance from the big guy.

Best for them:  Steve Kelly.

vote for your
man of the match now

Harriers  subs   cards      Southend Utd  subs   cards 
Digby     Flahaven  
Morgan     Searle  
Scott     Cort  
Williams     Sutch  
Hinton     Kelly
A Smith     Clark  
Flynn     J Smith  
Melligan     Maher  
Broughton     Rawle  
Henriksen   Foley  
Shilton     Bramble
SUBS:       SUBS:    
Brock     Gay  
Parrish     Jenkins  
Coleman     Beard  
Bishop     Thurgood  
Foster     Marney  

REFEREE:
Mr E Evans
Lancashire

links to some
southend websites:

official site
shrimperzone
the little gazette
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