Poor Droylsden, who came up to the BSQ this season, will meet us for the third time in two seasons after we originally beat them 5-1 in a FA Cup game last season and then in a league game in September we beat them again, this time 3-1, both at Aggborough. This will be the first time that we have played them on their own patch in Manchester.
Their record this season has been exceptionally poor with just two wins throughout the whole campaign and a goal difference of minus 42. They look odds on for relegation now and only a miracle will save them.
To help them stave off the threat for a while longer they have bought in Levi Mackin and Conall Murtagh on a month's loan from League One strugglers Wrexham and they should both play some part on Saturday. They had Stephen Halford sent off at in a 5-0 drubbing at Stevenage last Saturday and he wasn't included in the team that got thrashed by the same score against Cambridge Utd in midweek so one has to assume that he'll be playing against us. They have no other suspensions but Jamie McGuire and Colin Cryan are on the sidelines through injury.
Following that last embarrassment Mark Yates has again said that changes to the team will be made but this has all been said before now and until we really see evidence of this then Harriers long suffering fans can be expected to remain sceptic. It's accepted now that this team is nowhere near good enough and Yates has said that he'll be bringing in new faces before the weekend. Again we've heard this all before and are not expecting any important signings.
The one we could see is Jamie Victory, an old friend of both Yates and Neil Howarth, who has been spotted training at Aggborough and frankly if we do sign him up then we must need our heads looking at. He was released by Cheltenham at the close of last season after an operation to his pelvis and has not played since December 2006. Reuben Hazell anyone?
We have no injuries following Tuesday and Russ Penn should be ok even though he did go off injured during the first half.
Surely we have to win this one. We can't lose can we? or can we!
Stop press: We have signed defender Alex Jeannin from Oxford Utd until the end of the season. Striker? Justin Richards goes the other way under a similar arrangement.
Teams:
Harriers from:
Bevan, Coleman, Kenna, Bignot, Creighton, Whitehead, Bennett, McGrath, Ferrell, Hurren, Russell, Penn, Jeannin, Blackwood, Barnes-Homer, Smikle, Christie, Constable.
Droylsden from:
Phillips, Robertson, Roche, Morris, Tandy, Fearns, Mackin, Daly, Denham, Banim, Burbeary, Dugdale, Lynch, Salmon, Halford, Talbot, Taylforth, Pritchard, Murphy, Morgan, Murray, Murtagh, Wilson, Woods.
Links to Droylsden websites 
