Harriers stage a great comeback

The Harriers had the worst start imaginable at Wrexham tonight when they went down to two early goals from David Brown and the former Harriers midget, Dean Keates.  With a slightly changed team that had Chris McPhee expelled to the bench and a first start for Tom Sharpe it wasn't the kind of start we wanted.  In place of McPhee had come the returning from injury Lee Morris while going out injured was Mark Albrighton to make way for Sharpe.

With both teams having had poor recent results it was imperative that one of us got a good result from the game and within the first ten minutes it looked as if that team was going to be the hosts.  First the veteran Brown headed the ball backwards over the head of Danny Lewis and then Keates struck a sweet volley from outside the area to leave the Harriers shell shocked.

The Harriers took a while recuperating but slowly managed to force themselves back into the game with our first shot on target, an effort by Nick Wright from Dave Hankins' pass that was smothered low down by Scott Shearer in goal for the Welsh side.  Wright also had some say in what could have been a face saving goal soon after but with Tom Shaws strike, from Callum Gittings corner, about to cross the line Wright, who was stood in what could be considered an offside position, poked his foot at the ball and so definitely made himself offside.

Wrexham were still playing their part in the game but without really troubling Lewis.  The former Histon man and once a target of Mark Yates, Nathaniel Knight-Percival, saw his attempt at scoring blocked on the line by Michael Briscoe.  Soon after, and just before the forty five minutes was up, we had pulled a goal back.

Wright raced onto a ball from Keith Briggs and with Shearer advancing towards him he took it round the former Rushden man and slotted it into an empty net.  See, all teams have keepers that make mistakes.

Within seconds of the start of the second half the Harriers were forced into making their first substitution of the evening.  Callum Gittings had taken a knock but, even after having a bit of treatment then trying to shake it off for a few minutes, he eventually collapsed in pain on the pitch and had to be stretchered off.  Chris McPhee came on in his place.

A minute after we had drawn the game level.  Lee Morris supplied a pass to Nick Wright out wide and the tall striker took the ball on towards goal and, from a tight angle, placed it between the keeper and the post to make it two two.

We could have taken the game a step further but Morris's shot was stopped from going in by Chris Blackburn.  Morris had another chance to score soon after but after leaving his marker for dead he could only manage to send his shot straight at the Wrexham keeper.

The Harriers were now in the ascendancy and went all out in search of the all important and vital third goal but it just wasn't going to come.  Tom Shaw sent one over the bar and Keith Briggs had a sharp effort just off target from twenty yards out.

The Dragons were far from giving up though and their two substitutes, Adrian Cieslewicz and Jay Harris, combined together to try and score but Harris's eventual shot went over the bar.

With the game drawing to a close Steve Burr sent fresh legs on in the shape of Kyle Hadley and, with five minutes of extra time added on, he managed to get in a shot on goal but it was blocked once again by Blackburn.

At the final whistle jeers rang out around the ground directed towards the Wrexham manager Dean Saunders.  Once again the fans were calling for his head just have they have been doing for the past two seasons but it isn't going to happen just yet.  The man's not listening.

We have the first game of the Bank Holiday double on Saturday when we travel to newly promoted Newport County, otherwise known at Harriers MKIII.  Their season has yet to get going so it could be a good time to hit them.

 Goals for Wrexham: Brown 4, Keates 6
 Goals for Harriers: Wright 45, 52

REFEREE:

Mr J Adcock Nottingham