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Harriers 1 Bath City 0

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Date: 05-02-11gif Venue: Aggboroughgif att: 1500gif away fans: 175
Harriers forget their woes with a win

gif Report by Harry Taylor
In a huge clash, for more off the field reasons than on it, the Harriers picked up a 1-0 win against Bath City.  The games importance (like most things currently) relates back to the off-the-pitch financial problems currently being experienced this season with the players not being paid for this month so far and a winding up order on the 23rd of this month threatening the existence of the club.  Today's game was a chance to get some money in the bank through a hopefully increased attendance.

Its importance was matched with the attendance of local media, ITV Central, BBC Midlands Today and Hereford & Worcester Radio were all in attendance.  Also there was the former Harriers chairman Barry Norgrove who was the subject of many maliciously humorous chants from the Harriers faithful while he sat in the East stand.  What spoke volumes is that he was alleged to have got into the ground on another freebie while Trevor Owens (Head of Sport at BBC Hereford and Worcester) paid on the turnstiles to get in.

The game itself was one of grit, fight and determination - something that the club's fans and staff off the pitch have shown recently in the fight to stay alive as a club in the Conference.  The three points are welcome ones but realistically the fight off the pitch is the more important one than the pipe dream of getting into the playoffs, with administration remaining a distinct possibility.

The Bath side consisted heavily of former Torquay, Salisbury and Forest Green players.  Kaid Mohamed was the livewire for the away side as his runs and dribbling often caused the Harriers back-line problems.  Lee Phillips, the former Torquay man, spearheaded the Bath City attack with little success.  The Harriers lined up with a loose 4-5-1/4-4-2 with Tom Shaw keeping his place in the side following his goal at Hayes last Saturday.
The first notable chance in the game went the way of Bath with Mohamed, who was free in the area, allowed to turn but his shot was rising, glancing the top of the crossbar before going over.  Considering the position in which Mohammed was in, he should've done better with the chance.  The miss was greeted with nervous cheers of derision from the fans behind the home goal.

Harriers then went up the other end and had a gilt-edged chance of their own as Mike Williams' cross from the left was met by Jack Byrne, on his return to the side, but his header was tipped away dramatically by Ryan Robinson, an effort which he could have probably caught but was a good save nonetheless.

That miss wasn't to be rued though as Tom Shaw opened the scoring moments later in the 34th minute when Chris McPhee put the ball straight into the area in front of the on-rushing Shaw.  He proceeded to lift the ball over the flailing Robinson to send the Harriers fans into raptures bettering the already loud and defiant atmosphere inside the ground.

It could've been two before the break as Byrne surged down the right wing, putting a cross in and perhaps mis-kicking it, the ball swerved towards the far post and unfortunately the post kept the ball out of the goal, otherwise it would've been a superb yet fortunate goal.
  HT: 1 - 0
The second half burst into life 10 minutes after it had started, Nick Wright eventually receiving the ball in the area following a decent move involving Callum Gittings and Mark Albrighton.  Wright took the ball just past the goalkeeper on the left side of the area and placed a shot towards the far post.  Although it looked as though it was on its way in to the Harriers fans dismay it rolled clear of the far post.

Mohamed was one of the few Bath players creating chances and he hit the bar for the second time in the game, if the ball had been inches lower it could've been the equaliser but the Harriers held onto their slender lead.  Wright then had a speculative effort from outside the box which flew over Robinson's.

Chances really had become few and far between so any remaining ones had to be taken by either side.  Thankfully, for the Harriers, Bath didn't create any which threatened Danny Lewis' goal aside from Ben Watson's shot following Mohamed's free kick late on.  Jack Byrne did have another chance after going up to challenge with Robinson in the air for a cross where he made contact but, to the Bath goalkeeper's delight, the header went over the bar.

After a few nervy minutes of added time the Harriers ran out winners which will only help to entice the few new fans that attended today to come back.  The crowd was superb at times and this also will only help.

The focus now has to be on the off field problems and not on the playoffs, although with Fleetwood only a point ahead of Harriers it would be a very interesting scenario if there was an easy solution found for the financial problems off the pitch leaving the side to concentrate on the playoff push.

However* as earlier mentioned, it really is a pipe dream and the financial threat to the club is ever real.

To re-iterate, if you can donate any money or have any idea's on how to raise funds, contact KHIST or post on one of the forums.  We can beat this threat if the fans come together to do so.

* I'll allow you one - Ed
  FT: 1 - 0

 Goal for Harriers: Shaw 38


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Harriers  subs   cards      Bath City  subs   cards 
Lewis     Robinson  
Vaughan     Simpson  
Williams     Rollo gif  
Briscoe     Bati  
Shaw     Jones  
Albrighton     Burnell  
Byrne     Murray gif  
Briggs     Connolly  
Wright gif     Canham  
McPhee     Phillips gif  
Gittings     Mohamed  
SUBS:       SUBS:    
Stevens     Ruddick  
Matt gif     Hart  
Griffiths     Hogg gif  
Sharpe     Watkins gif  
      Watson gif  

REFEREE:
Mr A Bennett
Devon





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