The lights go out for the Harriers

The Harriers travelled to the steel capital of Northamptonshire on a cold showery night befitting of the clocks having gone back by an hour a few days previously.

Kidderminster made a number of changes to the side that clung on for a 0-0 draw at Aggborough the preceding Saturday with Callum Gittings coming into midfield due to Kyle Storer being out until at least next weekend with a fractured cheek bone.  Steve Guinan was in the starting line up in place of Jamille Matt and Dave Hankin was given an opportunity in place of Marc Williams.

Harriers started well with some sharp passing then, after just seven minutes, Guinan headed Kidderminster in front with a salmon like leap and a header which looped over the head of the Corby keeper and former Harriers man, Chris McKenzie.

Somewhat in line with previous games the Harriers then sat back and seemed content to soak up the pressure and accordingly Corby slowly got their act together and started to dominate.  James Vincent was booked for clipping the heels of James Ozmen as he ran menacingly towards the Harriers goal and then Corbys Andy Hall hit a free-kick from the edge of the area just wide.  Shortly after the Steelmens Nick Rogan fired a cross cum shot across the face of the goal which keeper Dean Lyness did well to cling onto, although in all fairness it was probably going wide.

Andy Hall could then have easily found himself taking an early bath for a two-footed challenge on Callum Gittings but referee Michael Bull only produced a yellow.

Late in the first half Lyness again pulled off one of his trademark saves when he got a hand to a lifted shot in another one on one situation.  This time he was up against Corby striker Jordan Smith.  Although he may have other weaknesses, Lyness' ability to save in these one on one situations is second to none.

The half ended with the Harriers clinging precariously on to their slender single goal advantage.

Harriers did have their own occasional dangerous moments at the start of the second half.  Vincent hit a decent shot just wide and Gittings, Nick Wright and David Bird all had good probing runs in to the Corby half but little came of those attacks.

Dave Hankin had to go off early in the second period with what looked like a recurrence of his ankle injury.  His replacement Rob Thompson-Brown, whilst clearly somewhat inexperienced, whipped in a firm low right wing cross with his wrong foot which Gittings managed to scramble wide.

Corby then somewhat luckily in light of the specific turn of events, drew level in the 57th minute.  Paul Mayo hit a long cross from the left wing which was carried on the wind and crept in under the bar at the far post leaving Lyness with little chance.  Shortly after, in the 63rd minute, Corby's Callum Reynolds headed the ball into the back of the net from just a few yards out to give Corby a deserved lead.

Then in the 67th minute the game was suspended due to floodlight failure.  A small fire had started in the base of a pylon and was quickly put out when the fire service arrived.  A break of forty minutes ensued and Harriers supporters at this point felt that a postponement might be the best outcome for the boys from Worcestershire.

Eventually the game restarted with substantially reduced vision in the Harriers left back corner as the light provided by the floodlights in this area was still greatly impaired.  After this unscheduled break in play it was Corby who came out firing on all cylinders whilst Harriers were left reeling.  Matt Rheads' long range free-kick went just wide.

Nick Wright was unluckily booked for a shoulder barge on Hall.  On another day he may not even have been adjudged to have committed a foul let alone the challenge be deemed worthy of a yellow card.  A Nick Rogan shot was then deflected past the post by Tom Marshall.

Kidderminsters hopes of reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time since 2008-09 were fast disappearing.  Reynolds made it 3-1 for Corby in the 72nd minute with a shot from about twelve yards after the ball had pinballed around in the Harriers area and then came out to him.  Then in the 80th minute Hall's well taken free-kick beat Lyness all ends up.

The referee's final whistle eventually blew at about half past ten.

Having started the season so well the Harriers' confidence seemed to have suffered a severe dent with the team having to endure injury after injury and that seems to have affected the performance of the players still on the park.  Let's hope the poor run of form can now improve for the league games coming up starting at home with Tamworth on Saturday.

In this game though Corby wanted it more than Kidderminster did and their effort and hunger reflected that fact, as it did when the two teams first met on Saturday at Aggborough.

 Goals for Corby Town: Mayo 57, Reynolds 63, 72, Hall 84
 Goal for Harriers: Guinan 7

REFEREE:

Mr M Bull Chelmsford