It took less than four minutes for Stourport Swifts to put the first goal past the Harriers tonight after Steve Taylor stood rooted and watched the ball drift past him into the net.    That was just the precursor of things to come.

With a starting duo of Andy White and Dean Sturridge up front we should have expected to pull the goal back soon but it never came and at the back the defence was at sixes and sevens every time the Swifts attacked.    Taylor flapped at the ball on more than one occasion and, to be honest, we were a shambles.

The Swifts number four was controlling most of the game but not in a way that could be called in the spirit of the game.    Body checks and foul language was the order of the day for him.

Of the new faces Jamie McClen and Brian (Schmichael) Smikle impressed most.

The second half was slightly better with Simon Russell looking a bit more prominent than in recent weeks but it was still hard to find anything positive to say and even more so when we went down to a second Swifts goal after a scramble in the goalmouth ended with the number four forcing the ball in the net.

We didn't get a real shot on goal until almost the end of the game when Scott Eaton sent his effort over the bar and soon after Smikle saw hi header saved by the Stourport keeper. There were supposed to be two more new triallists on show for us, Michael Briscoe (released from Burton last season) and Ijah Anderson (ex Bristol Rovers and latterly of Swansea), but I can't say that I noticed them much.

First defeat of the friendlies but never mind, it was just that, a friendly.

Harriers:
Steve Taylor, Michael Briscoe (Martyn Naylor), Ijah Anderson (Jonny Harkness), Gavin Hurren (Stuart Whitehead), Mark Preece (Mark Creighton), Jake Sedgemore (Jamie McClen), Brian Smikle, Jordan Fitzpatrick (Russell Penn), Dean Sturridge (Michael Blackwood), Andy White (Scott Eaton), Michael McGrath (Simon Russell).