Match preview Vs Braintree Town

We had some brilliant news yesterday with the signing of Anthony Malbon, below left, on a further two year contract and also, to a lesser extent, the signing of defender Jamie Grimes from Bedford Town until the end of the season.  He has probably been acquired as cover for Lee Vaughan who is getting perilously close to his tenth booking and in danger of messing up our play off hopes with no left back cover when he serves a two match ban.

Malbons future has been in the thoughts and worries of many Harriers fans over the past three months, knowing that he was out of contract at the end of this season, and with his superb scoring prowess was obviously going to become a target of clubs from an higher level.  Now he can hopefully play at that higher level with the Harriers.

Tomorrow we take on Braintree at Aggborough and it would be good to see some goals from our 'new' signing.  It would be even better to see the Harriers get back onto the winning trail following Tuesday evenings disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Woking.

Not having drawn a game since last November it was going to have to happen again one time and ironically it was against the same team that we last drew against.

We should have a fully fit squad for the game tomorrow while Braintree could be without striker Dan Holman with a knee injury.  Yesterday, on the final day of the loan window, they bought in Ben Wright on loan until the end of the season from Forest Green Rovers.  He played in their victory against Alfreton last night and will probably start on Saturday if Holman fails to pass fitness.

With Braintree sat firmly in midtable and going nowhere it would be nice to think that they won't hold us back but that would be wrong.  We need to be more convincing against these middling sides, like Woking, and look like a club that really do mean to get promoted this year.  It wasn't until the final twenty minutes on Tuesday evening that we looked even remotely like a Championship chasing team.

I think we'll be seeing a more ruthless side of the Harriers tomorrow and not before time.




Harriers from:
Lewis, N Vaughan, L Vaughan, Williams, Grimes, Dunkley, Demetriou, Gowling, Shakes, Storer, Vincent, Jackman, Briggs, Pilkington, Guinan, Johnson, Pearson, Malbon, Gittings, Gash, Devaney, Jarvis, Rowe.

Braintree Town from:
McDonald, Naisbitt, Peters, Habergham, Paine, Quinton, Symons, Davis, Marks, Dawkin, Sparkes, Daley, Shepphard, Massey, O'Connor, Mulley, Wells, Holman, Stevens, Wright, Clark, Wickham, Hunt, Watts, Dack, Smith, Walker, Woodyard.

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