Harriers spurn the chance to progress in the Cup

The magic of the FA Cup reached Aggborough Stadium as Corby Town travelled to play the Harriers with a place in the First Round at stake and £12,500 in prize money.  Former loanee keeper Chris MacKenzie returned with the Steelmen to the site of his calamitous errors against Torquay United and Crawley Town in the 2007/2008 season.  The Harriers lined up with Dave Bird making his home début on-loan from Cheltenham Town, with Jamille Matt spearheading a forward three with Marc Williams and Nick Wright flanking him either side.

The first half saw Corby Town have the better of proceedings with Matt Rhead the 6ft 4ins striker causing problems in the Harriers defence with his physical presence and allowing his other attackers to do their work with James Ozmen being the most notable of these.  In the early stages the ball broke past the Harriers defence with Ozmen racing onto a one on one with Dean Lyness.  He attempted to take the ball round the Harriers stand in stopper but Lyness - risking giving away a penalty - dived at the feet of Ozmen and perfectly plucked the ball away from the advancing Corby man.

Harriers were under the cosh and it was a rare event if they got anything going forward.  Once again the 4-3-3 formation not paying dividends for the home side but Nick Wright did have a great chance on the left side of the area when he volleyed across goal but the shot went wide of the far post.

The half was drawing to a close but before half time dawned on the game the Harriers defence was in peril once again.  A ball out from Lyness was intercepted by Nick Rogan who advanced on goal and, like his team-mate, attempted to take the ball around Lyness who made up for his poor clearance and collected the ball at the feet of Rogan.  If Corby had been more clinical with their chances in the first half they could well have gone away with the win.

Soon into the second half Steve Guinan came on for Jamille Matt and even though the change may have raised a few eyebrows as Matt was the main Harriers threat in the first half, Guinan's experience enhanced the link-up play between the midfield and attack and added cohesion that was lacking before the change.

Possession was finally with the home side but the old problem this season of a shot-shy attitude meant that the ball spent time being passed around the edge of the area and with nobody willing to take a punt on goal.  The ball would be cleared for the whole process to start again.

Corby were not lying down though and Andy Hall took a superb free-kick from thirty yards out and it curled away from Lyness towards the bottom corner but the former Hearts goalkeeper dived superbly to his right to clear the threat.

Dave Hankin then came on for an injured Lee Vaughan and added a threat down the right flank, providing good crosses into the area with Steve Guinan more than often not being too far away from them but nothing ever came to fruition from them.  Robert Thompson-Brown came on for Marc Williams for a cameo appearance and he did impress with his pace but you can see why Burr is reluctant to throw him into the first team.

Kyle Storer then had the best chance of the half.  A corner from David Bird found Wright who rolled the ball back to Storer who, from twenty five yards, out hit a shot which curled away from MacKenzie who still got a good hand to the shot and made a great save.

Storer was then subjected to an elbow in the face from a Corby player and despite prolonged attention and suffering a suspected broken cheekbone played on for the final fifteen minutes.  He also, somehow, managed to get our only decent shot of the whole game during those final minutes.

Despite the Harriers having the better of the rest of the half, with only sporadic Corby attacks, the game ended in a draw cueing boos as the referees final whistle went.

The replay will take place on Wednesday night at Steel Park but the Harriers seemed to lack the same desire that Corby had in abundance and this will have to change before Wednesday night.  Questions about the formation will have to be raised once again as 4-3-3 proved to be toothless and the criticism may start to mount yet again.

The Harriers threw away a home advantage in the FA Cup as they slipped to a goalless draw to Conference North side Corby Town in a game which struggled to find any entertainment.

Harriers were happy to welcome players back from injury and suspension as they tried to get the £12,500 prize for winning.  It was the Harriers who started the better as a Jamille Matt cross went across the goal mouth with the on-rushing Harriers attackers inches away from converting it home.

But on nineteen minutes Harriers had to rely on a tremendous save from Dean Lyness as James Ozmen was through on goal after some sleepy defending.  He was one-on-one with Lyness but the Harriers stopper leapt to Ozmen's feet to steal the ball and keep Harriers in the hat for the draw for the next round on Sunday.

The Harriers had to keep relying on some inspired defending when Corby had found a gap in the Harriers defence once again but this time Tom Marshall came in with a cracking sliding challenge to keep Corby from pulling the trigger.

Harriers had their chance to attack straight after when Marc Williams released Matt, who made good ground, before giving the ball back to Williams.  He then put an excellent ball in to Nick Wright, who was having a poor game, but he shot just wide on the volley.

Just before half time though there was a scare for the Harriers as Lyness rolled the ball to Marshall, who delayed his response to the possession, and a Corby striker pounced in and ran towards goal.  Again he found himself one-on-one with Lyness but the Harriers stopper picked the ball up from under his feet.

Harriers had the first few chances of the second half.  First through a throw in, controlled by Marshalls face, and played to Marc Williams who shot the ball into the Corby keeper's hands.  Then the loanee David Bird had a fierce shot but the man, on a month loan from Cheltenham, struck his effort at the keeper too.  Straight after a weak Marc Williams header failed to trouble the keeper.

On sixty one minutes though Andy Hall had a curling free kick for Corby Town but a beautiful save from Lyness was equal to it.  The only man on form saved Kidderminster Harriers yet again.

But in a moment of slight madness Lyness gave the home fans a scare, and the Corby fans hope, as his clearance bounced off an onrushing Corby striker but the ball went high and wide.  Ed: This was more down to the fact that three Harriers defenders couldn't decide what to do with the ball five yards from the area and left Lyness to come out and deal with it himself.

Harriers then found themselves with a corner, which Bird took, and the substitute Steve Guinan found it but his header was just over.

Kyle Storer had the final say, after an injury which at first looked nasty, but he seemed to recover.  He hit the ball from outside the box and made the Corby goalkeeper work extremely hard to keep the Harriers from an undeserved place in the first round but they remain in the hat and will fight to keep the place in the replay on Wednesday night at Corby.

REFEREE:

Mr K Evans Gtr Manchester