Harriers 1 Stockport County 1
Date: 23-08-11
Venue: Aggborough
att: 1886
away fans: 333
|
What a Phelan for the Harriers
Report by Harry Taylor
Kidderminster Harriers offered up their second lacklustre home performance in as many games at Aggborough against an impressive Stockport County side, managed by the ex-Liverpool midfield maestro Dietmar Hamann.
For the fourth game in succession the Harriers lined up with the same starting XI whereas Stockports line-up boasted the likes of a tricky forward line of Tom Elliott and ex-Chester and Barrow man Nick Chadwick.
It was Harriers who started off the brighter of the two sides with the majority of possession and play in the early stages. Nick Wrights run down the left saw his cross turned away and Steve Guinan had a shot parried away by the ex-Carlisle United goalkeeper Matt Glennon.
Stockports forward play looked dangerous and the interplay between the strikers and midfielders was slick and eventually this gave the fantastic, flag waving travelling supporters a reason to cheer. Sam Sheridan received the ball on the right wing and, unchallenged, crossed the ball in to Tom Elliott who managed to find space to head the ball past Danny Lewis' outstretched arm into the right side of the goal.
Elliott nearly repeated this feat minutes later when, in nearly exact same circumstances, he headed the ball across goal drawing a fantastic save from the Harriers goalkeeper. The Harriers lacked any sort of structure to their play and were dominated by Stockport from then on although they did get a golden opportunity to grab an equaliser late on in the half when, on the counter-attack, Marc Williams slipped the ball through to Nick Wright who was reluctant to shoot and the ball was eventually taken from him.
This unwillingness to shoot became common throughout the Harriers side for most of the game.
The second half saw the Harriers manager, Steve Burr, take off Wright at half time and replace him with Luke Medley. Fresh ideas and a chance for Medley to get a decent amount of time on the pitch, and to his credit he had a good game.
Following a succession of seemingly dangerous corners from Callum Gittings, Marc Williams headed wide of the goal before, once again, on the break Harriers' James Vincent, formerly a Stockport player, volleyed well wide with a tough but good chance.
Guinan was then taken off with a suspected hamstring strain, although that was only from initial signs on the pitch and may have just been a precaution, and was replaced with Jamille Matt who seemed to add a new approach to the Harriers and their play improved accordingly. He nearly created a goal within a minute of being on the pitch, heading the ball on for Medley, but the ball wouldn't drop in time for the ex-Mansfield winger.
Pressure from the Harriers continued for the rest of the half with sporadic Stockport counter attacks mixed in but the unwillingness to shoot meant most attacks were fruitless and as the game drew to a close fans perhaps had accepted that they wouldn't get much out of the game.
However they didn't bank on Scott Phelan pulling the rabbit out of the hat for the Harriers with two minutes of normal time left. Receiving the ball on the right side of the area he drilled a shot across goal which took a deflection and went past Glennon into the far corner, cueing pandemonium on the pitch and in the stands.
A perhaps undeserved point, but nevertheless, there were penalty calls late in the second half for arguable fouls on Matt and Medley which weren't given and, if they were, could have made things very different.
Next up is Southport on Saturday with us possibly welcoming Jack Byrne back to the side against a side who he got sent off against last season when we drew at Haig Avenue. At Aggborough last season they beat us in a 4-3 thriller and although on paper it may look easy the reality may be different.
Goal for Harriers: Phelan 88
Goal for Stockport: Elliott 27
The Harriers Online MotM is:
Tom Marshall
|
Vote for your Man of the Match here
Latest table and stats here
|
|
Harriers |
subs |
cards |
|
Stockport County |
subs |
cards |
Lewis |
|
|
|
Glennon |
|
|
Vaughan |
|
|
|
McCann |
|
|
Mike Williams |
|
|
|
Holden |
|
|
Jones |
|
|
|
Routledge |
|
|
Marshall |
|
|
|
O'Donnell |
|
|
Storer |
|
|
|
Piergianni |
|
|
Gittings |
|
|
|
McConville |
|
|
Vincent |
|
|
|
Sheridan |
|
|
Guinan |
|
|
|
Chadwick |
|
|
Marc Williams |
|
|
|
Miles |
|
|
Wright |
|
|
|
Elliott |
|
|
SUBS: |
|
|
|
SUBS: |
|
|
Lyness |
|
|
|
Ormson |
|
|
Matt |
|
|
|
Gritton |
|
|
Sharpe |
|
|
|
Chamberlain |
|
|
Medley |
|
|
|
Rowe |
|
|
Phelan |
|
|
|
Brahim-Bounab |
|
|
REFEREE:
|
Mr A Davies
Hampshire
|