Rip roaring Harriers squeeeze through

The Harriers eventually made it into the hat for the next round of the FA Cup despite a stern test from an impressive Cambridge side that matched us all the way.  With just a solitary converted penalty to rely on we were, at times, being put to the sword by a United side that wanted this win just as much as we did.

It was thanks to a match winning performance from Adam Bartlett that saw us through and we can only hope for an easier game in the next round.

The only two things to mar the day was the apparent attitude of Russ Penn after he was taken off by Mark Yates for his own safety from an official that had got it in for him and for that official himself who hadn't noticed that the yellow stripes on his shirt had gone missing.

Penn had already been booked for catching the ankle of Paul Carden as he ran with the ball and then got a talking to after a rash challenge on another Cambridge player.  With his card obviously marked he was doing himself no favours with a further rash challenge so Yates sent on Dean Bennett and called Russ off.  Russ pushed Yates away and then went down the tunnel in anger.

Truth was Yates had no choice but to bring him off.  It was either that or see him sent off and down to ten men before the half was out.

As it was a well taken penalty from Justin Richards was enough to see us through after he was bought down by the former Harriers favourite Wayne Hatswell.  Richards had collected the ball from a forward pass from Martin Brittain and advanced into the area at high speed only to get bundled over as he sped past Hatswell.  He took the penalty himself and sent Danny Potter the wrong way.

We continued to dominate the first period with chances going begging through some poor finishing and stout defending from the Utd back line.  Martin Riley went close with a header just over the bar, Richards had a shot that was well saved by Potter and we should have had another penalty shortly after when Richards was yet again bought down, this time by the keeper, but the incorrectly dressed ref booked Richards for supposedly diving instead.

In the dying seconds of the half Keith Lowe got his head to a Brittain corner but it went just wide.