Harriers smash five past Lynn

When we were first drawn to play Kings Lynn in this FA Cup qualifier we all thought that there was a good chance of going out at the first hurdle.  It wouldn't be what we wanted, or needed, but we knew that we would be facing tough opposition.  Apart from the opening two minutes that premonition was never going to happen.

Could it have been that the hype was getting to Lynn or could it have been the fact that they had lost both of their games since the draw.  It was more likely because we had got Justin Richards fit again and raring to go after missing some games with a hamstring injury.

He started the game for us while Stefan Moore dropped to the bench alongside the six others.  That the bench contained seven players was down to some new rules for this years FA Cup that will be rolled out next season in the Premiership to help those poor clubs cope with having to accommodate squads of seventy five.

Also missing from the defeat at Kettering last week was Neil Mackenzie after being told by Notts County that he couldn't play.  Andy Ferrell came back into the side in his place.

Blue Square North side Kings Lynn were without the former Harriers defender Simon Weaver and also Mark Peters, formerly of Cambridge Utd and Rushden.

The game kicked off with Harriers fans almost in a state of shock after Lynn went close to scoring right from the start.  Keith Lowe cleared Michael Frew's shot off the line and out for a corner and then from that corner Adam Bartlett just managed to keep a header from Jack Defty out.

It didn't take long to put that aberration behind us and we then took charge of the game with our next chance falling for Matt Barnes-Homer but he couldn't quite get to Brian Smikles cross.  Just after that Lynn suffered a major set back when Defty had to go off for treatment to a back injury.

While Lynn were down to ten men we had a chance from a corner but Luke Jones scooped his shot and it went well over.  Joe Francis then came on for the non-returning Defty.

On twenty eight minutes we took the lead through Barnes-Homer and after that we never looked back.  Martin Brittain sent over a cross that Justin Richards headed down to Barnes-Homer who then hit it first time beyond Scott Howie and into the net.

Two minutes later and the lead was doubled when Russ Penn sent the Harriers into a 2-0 lead on the half hour mark.  We had broke quickly to race up-field with MBH running on to the ball but he hesitated and sent in a weak shot that wasn't even on target.  Penn, seeing it rolling slowly out, got to it in time and slotted the ball home into an empty net.

Kings Lynn looked a spent force already and when they did get a chance to get back into the game their shooting was way off target.  Francis' header was weak and never really troubled Adam Bartlett.

Five minutes from the end of the half and Martin Brittain grabbed his second goal of the season and the third goal in this game when he collected Richards pass into the area and sent the ball into the top left corner of Howie's goal.  MBH could have scored his second of the game had he not chipped the ball wide following a fast run into the area.

Justin Richards too could have scored on the stroke of half time but his sidefooted shot was weak and also went the wrong side of the post.