The great run ends

The Harriers seven game un-beaten run came to an end at Weymouth today.  A defeat that see's us drop a couple of places to eleventh in the table and the home side climb a couple of places to safety after other sides in the relegation spots - Farsley and Altrincham - both lost.

After a goal less first half the Harriers started to turn the screw in the second and went into a deserved lead through a Simon Russell goal.  As in the past we failed to enhance that lead and eventually went down to a badly defended goal from a corner and then one from a goalmouth scramble that saw the ball poked into the net by a player that had only been on the pitch for a few minutes.

We started the game with a few changes to the side with Chris MacKenzie coming back between the sticks in place of Dean Coleman and Mark Creighton returning to the team after his enforced lay-off last week because of infected blisters.  The other change was Paul Bignot replacing Jeff Kenna as the latter was reported to be in Galway Bay looking at his possible future employment.

On the bench for the first time was Jake Moult, a recent loan signing from Plymouth.  Will he finally get a game before he goes back at the end of the season?

The Weymouth manager John Hollins made just one change from the side which defeated Droylsden 2-1 on Tuesday night, with Marcus Browning in for the suspended Mark Convery.

The first period was a one way affair with some dismal weather swirling around the ground although it was the home side that were the first to make their presence felt with a series of corners that the Harriers defence dealt easily enough before we managed to get one for ourselves.  The Weymouth defence dealt with it in the same fashion as we did.

The Harriers were the first to get anything resembling a shot on goal when Russ Penn fired high over an open goal and then Simon Russell went just over with a curling shot from the edge of the area.  Minutes later Iyseden Christie played in Matty Barnes-Homer but Trevor Challis intercepted the ball just before he could get to it.

The Harriers are in full control now and a shot from Andy Ferrell was blocked by Chris Blackburn and then followed up with a shot from MBH that went wide.

Weymouths first attempt on MacKenzies goal came from James Coutts when he collected the ball off Stuart Beavon, took the ball to the edge of the area drawing MacKenzie towards him.  With MacKenzie dummied the striker then shot wide of the open goal.

Weymouth are starting to get into the game more now and Matthew Bailey should have score but couldn't quite connect with the ball as it travelled across the face of the goal.  Bailey then went up for a cross just in front of the Harriers keeper forcing Macca into dropping the ball but luckily for us he recovered just in time to drop onto the loose ball and foil the big striker, on loan from Crewe.

Midway through the half and MacKenzie and Dean Bennett collided after the keeper tried to reach a cross.  With both players comatose on the floor the referee stopped play immediately for treatment.  After around three minutes of treatment both players recovered enough to carry on.

Weymouth were fully in charge of the game now but failed to convert their possession into goals and the half ended all square after early pressure from the Harriers.