Match preview Vs Gateshead

In what seems to be a futile exercise we now have to travel back to the Northern wastes to take on Gateshead after only just arriving back in Kidderminster in the early hours of this morning following defeat at Barrow.  Originally the plan was to stop over in a hotel in the area and then travel across to Newcastle on the Saturday morning but that was called off at the last minutes when it was realised that the plan would be too expensive.

So now the combination of three long coach journeys and the fatigue that creates will not set us up nicely for this game.  Even worse will be the knowledge that following the fourth minute goal that gave Barrow the victory is that we didn't really look like scoring yet again.  We are also going through a run of injuries too and that's not helping the cause.

David McDermott came out of last nights game the worst with a crunching tackle damaging his ankle ligaments and a trip to hospital to sort him out.  He'll now miss the remainder of the season, thankfully not too many games left, after missing a huge chunk of it already last year with Ulcerative Colitis in his stomach.

Brian Smikle also missed the game with an ankle injury but that is treatable and he could now be forced back because of Maccy D's injury leaving us short.  Chris McPhee didn't travel to Barrow with conflicting reports saying that he was either skiving or that his wife was about to drop a sprog and it was better if he stayed down in Devon with her to await the birth.  Make your own mind up.

Dean Coleman is out for the rest of the season but John Finnigan could be back any week now and Duane Courtney was dropped to the bench last night probably after coming back too soon from injury for the Rushden game and then a reaction forcing him to sit the Barrow game out on the bench.

Gateshead, still in danger of relegation, have picked up their game in recent weeks with a win at home to Cambridge Utd and a well fought point at Wrexham last Monday.  They're still in need of the points and with a mixture of our tiredness and their hunger this could be an interesting game.

They are likely to be unchanged from those two games if Peter Winn and Andy Parkinson recover from injuries picked up on Easter Monday at Wrexham.  Parkinson is the one worry with a slight hamstring pull.

Also out with a hamstring is James Curtis but that is long term as was captain Kris Gate but he is now back in light training and not yet fit enough to return.

Martin Brittain (right) is the one we are all interested in though and following his broken leg received at the start of the season at home to Hayes he has now made a full recovery but is un-likely to play before the end of the season even though he is now back in light training.  It would be wonderful if he could make an appearance against us tomorrow but I think the Harriers fans will have to make do with a wave.  It would also be wonderful if we could re-sign him!

There are also two other former Harriers players at Gateshead.  Andy Ferrell is on loan there from York City and Gavin Hurren is doing likewise from Tamworth.

The Gateshead manager, the former Harrier Ian Brodie, will be wanting to gain all three points from this meeting and with our recent poor form Gateshead are probably the more likely to get them.  Hopefully this poor run of form for us will end soon and if it comes tomorrow it won't come too soon.




Harriers from:
Singh, Atkins, Baker, Riley, Bignot, Courtney, Sharpe, Finnigan, Byrne, Kerry, Knights, McPhee, Bennett, Prosser, Smikle, Lawrie, Goodfellow, Matthews.

Gateshead from:
Provett, Farman, Baxter, Jones, Turnbull, Armstrong, Richardson, Phillips, Parkinson, Francis, Swailes, Baptist, N McDermott, Cave, Buchanan, Bains, Sinclair, Wake, Clare, Winn, Heckingbottom, Ferrell, Hurren.

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