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Un-characteristically Darlington have got off to a good start this time and won their opening game of the season at home to Grimsby. The first opening day win since they beat us 3-0 in 1989 when we were both in the Conference. You have to go back even further for their opening day win in the League.
That was on August 28th 1982 when they beat Rochdale by the same score.
Notice the date of that first game? August 28th. A much better time of the month than we've had in previous years bearing in mind the tropical temperatures for our last two opening day games.
The win against Grimsby was followed up with a 1 - 1 draw at Yeovil on Tuesday evening but with the downside of having five players booked including the goalscorer Matty Clarke
The extremely tall Clarke is usually a central defender but because of the lack of strikers at whatever their ground is called now he has had to play up front. We can only hope it's not going to become a permanent appointment.
They'll be coming to us expecting to continue this good run but they shouldn't forget that we're on a good run too.
Our two games haven't produced any goals yet but they won't be long coming if Tuesday nights game against Notts County was anything to go by. We stepped up a gear in the second half and could have ended the game with a 3 - 0 win for us if it hadn't been for some excellent keeping by the County goal keeper.
We'll still be without Abdou Sall, Reuben Hazell and Richie Appleby but they can't be too far away from returning by now. Also returning sooner than expected will be Iyseden Christie. After having the pin removed from his foot last week Jimmy Conway said today that he is responding well to treatment and should be fit to play by the end of this month.
Back to tomorrows game and I hope that we can put our scoring boots on and get the win we need. The only fly in the ointment is going to be Darlington.
Previous clashes with Darlington have been some dour affairs and I definitely feel they are going to replace Carlisle and be our new bogie team.
Teams
Harriers from:
Danby, D Lewis, Burton, Hatswell, Viveash, Mellon, McHale, Advice-Desruisseaux, Jenkins, Keates, Diop, Christiansen, Gleeson, Brown, Rickards, Foster, Simon Russell.
Darlington from:
Sam Russell, Valentine, Liddle, Clarke, Hutchinson, Wainwright, Clark, Thomas, Keltie, Convery, Scartiscini, Craig Russell, McGurk, Kendrick, Hughes, Coghlan, Mason, Maddison, Fleming, Close.
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