The Harriers finally did the job properly today when they knocked another four goals past a plucky Vauxhall side but this time, unlike when we played them back at Aggborough in December and allowed them to come back to 4-4 after we had taken a 3-0 lead early in the game, we managed to keep them out.
Today we had to do it without Iyseden Christie because his registration forms hadn't been submitted to the FA in the correct time span - again. At least we didn't play him this time but if we had then we would probably have been thrown out of the competition later this week.
James Constable, on loan from Walsall, also scored his first hat trick for us and also our first hat trick since Bo Henriksen performed the same feat at Exeter in February 2003. Spookily, City are our opponents in the next round next Saturday.
With a chill wind coming off the Mersey the game got underway at, what admittedly is, Vauxhalls tidy little ground. What we had been told by others was, thankfully, no where near the truth. Still bloody cold though.
The first half was nothing to write home about really with both sides looking nervous of each other but we shaded it in effort and shots on goal. The first chance fell for Man of the Match Simon Russell who sent the ball wide from a Luke Reynolds lay off in front of goal.
Michael McGrath had two chances to open the scoring, one with a header that veered just wide and later on a scuffed shot that hit the base of the post and went out for a goal kick.
The only time that Vauxhall were looking dangerous was through Mike Garrity out on the right. Everything seemed to go through him and once or twice he tested Scott Bevan without really troubling the rock solid keeper too much.
On thirty nine minutes the Harriers swept into the lead. The Harriers were awarded a corner, and proving the theory wrong that we can't score from corners, Jonny Harkness plonked it onto Constables head with pin point precision to hammer it into net from a few yards out.
We didn't seem to want to plough on and increase the lead further and then again Vauxhall didn't seem to raise their game either.
HT: 0 - 1
The second half started much as the first had finished with both sides battling hard but neither side could find the final ball that could do some real damage. Mark Yates changed things around slightly early on with Brian Smikle coming on for a below par Michel McGrath but later on the change was for a more serious reason when Gavin Hurren limped off with a possible hamstring injury. Jake Sedgemore replaced him.
The Motormen were to have the first strike on goal during this half when Tom Field let loose with a volley that was directed straight at Bevan. He collected it easily.
With the addition of Smikle for McGrath we started to look more dangerous down the flanks and eventually in the last ten minutes it all came together. Simon Russell sent over a cross that Smikle directed towards Constable to, again, head the ball beyond the keeper and then seven minutes later the young striker completed his hat trick.
This time it wasn't with his head. He drew the keeper towards him on the edge of the area and, waiting his moment, lifted the ball over his head into the empty net.
In the next foray on the Vauxhall goal we had what could have been a penalty turned down when, in the same position for his previous goal, Constable was clattered on the edge of the area. Saying it was the edge was debatable though because there were no clear line markings to define the area anyway. The free kick again fell for Constable but this time Lake saved it.
In injury time we scored our fourth goal, a goal that would have been Constables fourth if the keeper hadn't got a hand to it. As it was it fell perfectly for Andy White to charge it into the net with the ball literally stuck to his forehead.
Sean Lake had lost it by now and, after chants of '4-0 and it's all your fault' from the Harriers fans, he kicked the ball towards the right side of the ground, almost out of it, in his anger. Lucky for him the referee ignored his petulance.
So we progress to the next round of the Cup with the visit to Exeter next week. A game that will almost certainly be a much tougher test than this.
Today we had to do it without Iyseden Christie because his registration forms hadn't been submitted to the FA in the correct time span - again. At least we didn't play him this time but if we had then we would probably have been thrown out of the competition later this week.
Michael McGrath had two chances to open the scoring, one with a header that veered just wide and later on a scuffed shot that hit the base of the post and went out for a goal kick.
Simon Russell
