Harriers super run ends dismally

Kidderminster Harriers suffered their first defeat in three games today as they failed to perform against AFC Wimbledon on a cold afternoon at Aggborough.  The Dons worked hard against a weakened Harriers side missing key right back Duane Courtney who was missing through the flu with Liam Dolman coming in to replace him.

Damien Spencer picked up his first start for the Harriers replacing outgoing striker Matthew Barnes-Homer to create a big man front two with Robbie Matthews.  Fellow new boy Ryan Charles started from the bench.

The game started brightly for the Harriers with the large striker Spencer going on a run and producing a shot that went just over the bar of visiting goalkeeper Seb Brown.  Moments later the referee, Robert Madley, awarded a free kick against Dean Bennett when it appeared to most of the Harriers fans behind the goal that Bennett had done nothing wrong.  This became commonplace throughout the game with some of the decisions that he made being somewhat questionable.

Little over a quarter of an hour later and the game had its first goal.  The brilliantly monickered Ricky Wellard played a through ball in from the right hand side that centre-back Gavin Caines failed to intercept and so allowed Danny Kedwell to speed past him.  Kedwell took take the ball past the Harriers goalkeeper Dean Coleman and slotted it into an empty net for his thirteenth goal of the season.

A few moments later Will Hendry had another chance for the Dons but he hit his shot well over the bar and cleared the top of the stand.

Harriers then created a chance to grab the equaliser with the move culminating in Brian Smikle's tame shot going straight to the keeper Brown.  Immediately after and Kidderminster could have found themselves down to ten men.

Angered by the referee's decision not to award him a free kick for pushing Damian Spencer attempted to take his aggression out on Wellard with a late, and arguably, two footed challenge from behind.  Spencer luckily got away with just a yellow card that could, and perhaps should, have been so much worse.

Minutes later his strike partner Robbie Matthews had also been entered into the book and this time for no apparent reason.  With the visiting fans baying for blood for a nothing challenge the referee produced a yellow card.  Matthews will now miss yet another game when Tamworth come to Aggborough on Tuesday evening.

The Harriers main attacking moves were arriving from the left flank with the Peterborough loanee Danny Andrew crossing the ball in, but despite his build, Spencer didn't win most of his headers yet Robbie Matthews won the ball but had nobody on his wavelength to capitalise.

Kidderminster left the field at half time to a muted chorus of booing whilst the Wimbledon fans were content with their deserved goal and score line.

The second half arrived with the home side getting the first chance as Liam Dolman ran forward with the ball and to the crowd's shouts of 'Shoot' hit a shot straight at Brown in the Wimbledon goal.

Mark Yates continued to persist with the ineffectual frontline of Matthews and Spencer but eventually saw sense and changed the look of the side by bringing Ryan Charles into the game in exchange for Spencer and David McDermott replacing Darryl Knights.

Again, like the first half, most of the Kidderminster attacks were coming from the left from Andrew whose persistent crosses into the box created pressure and won Harriers two corners which McDermott couldn't create a goal scoring chance with.  With a severe lack of creativity apparent on the Harriers behalf it became clear that the home side were going to have trouble achieving an equaliser.

To further try and change the game around Dolman was replaced with Aaron Farrell and we then went with three men upfront.  The game began to turn with high balls being knocked down by Matthews to Charles who couldn't make the most of them.  There is a chance that if they had started together they may have been able to forge a good understanding in the time they had on the pitch.

The game, like the rest of it, continued to peter out into a drab game from a Kidderminster point of view whilst in the away end the fans were in good voice celebrating what seemed to be a certain win.

The final whistle sounded and the team were subject to a louder chorus of booing, an example of the discontent some people had with the team's performance.  Two attacking options were tried in the form of Spencer/Matthews and Charles/Matthews and the latter seems the only realistic partnership for the next month.

The lumbering frame of Spencer doesn't complement the style of Matthews at all and makes the team resort to long ball which the ex-Cheltenham man doesn't win all too many.

Tamworth visit Aggborough on Tuesday night and, because of Mathews un-availability, we will more than likely see a Spencer/Charles partnership.  Overall Kidderminster will have to improve if they want to beat a team with many ex-Harriers in Iyseden Christie, Michael Blackwood and Simon Russell playing for them.

 Goals for AFC Wimbledon: Kedwell 20

REFEREE:

Mr R Madley West Yorkshire