Harriers go rampant at Hyde

The Harriers finally showed that they have the killer touch at Hyde today when a second half power display saw them add three more goals to the 1-0 half time lead given to them by the on fire Anthony Malbon.  The 4-0 scoreline was our biggest margin of the season and killing teams off is something we're going to have to keep doing if we have any real aspirations of promotion.

In the second half Malbon could have easily added to his two goals and earned a hat trick but was denied that after new signing Greg Pearson got the final touch after he helped the shot on its way into the net.  The other goal came from another player on top of his game with Marvin Johnson sending a super strike into the Hyde net.

The result was our third double of the season and comes after an earlier 3-0 win against Hyde at Aggborough back in October last year.

We started the game with just one change to the team that beat Cambridge last weekend with Callum Gittings coming in for the rested Danny Jackman.  Pearson came onto the bench in place of Nathan Jarvis who seemed to lack a bit of match fitness when he came on as a sub last week.

The Harriers started the game as they meant to continue with us having the first attempt on goal.  That came through Johnson when he broke free down the left but fired into the side netting in the first minute and then a minute later he changed to the right hand side and sent in a rising shot that the Hyde keeper Chris Dilo save well.

On twenty minutes the Reds took the lead through Anthony Malbon when an inch perfect cross from Amari Morgan-Smith was met by the youngster to head the ball perfectly beyond the reach of Dilo.  Four minutes later Marvin Johnson almost doubled our lead but free kick went just past the post.

AMS went close on the thirty minute mark but his effort was kept out by the keeper as he made one save with his legs before getting up to block the on loan Macclesfield striker shot from the rebound.

With the Harriers now firmly in charge we needed to up our efforts to gain a solid advantage by scoring a second goal.  That looked to be drifting away from us when Lee Vaughan was adjudged to have handled in the area when Phil Jevons shot hit him on the arm from close range.  The former Everton man stepped up to take the spot kick but thankfully justice was done as a combination of poorly taken and Danny Lewis saving kept us with a clean sheet going into the break.

We could still have gone in with two goals but Johnsons shot, following a great run, clipped the bar after looking more likely to go in.

The second half commenced with the visitors definitely going in search of more goals but it almost started with another penalty awarded to the hosts.  Josh Gowling pulled Shay McCartan back as he ran into the area but the referee wrongly ruled the call out and the Harriers got away with it.  What comes around....

Our second goal wasn't long coming though and it came the way of Magic Marvin.  Kyle Storer played a cross field pass to the feet of Marvin to take on towards the the Hyde keeper before smashing the ball across the face of his goal and inside the far post.

Minutes later and the game was put beyond doubt but not to bed.

A calamitous defensive error from Kelvin Lomax was pounced on by Malbon who then played it on for the better placed Morgan-Smith.  His shot was well parried by the keeper but only as far as James Vincent who also saw that blocked by the on form keeper.  It eventually returned back to Malbon who this time took the chance himself to bury the ball for his second goal of the day and his third in a week.

After going seventeen games without scoring he has now scored three times in two games and long may it continue.

He was denied his hat trick ten minutes later following the arrival on the field of Greg Pearson.  The on loan Grimsby man had only been on the pitch a few seconds when Johnson again sent the ball across the face of the goal for Malbon to take a touch on it but when it hit the foot of the post Pearson was ideally placed to knock it into the net for his first goal in Harriers colours.

Just after Malbon picked up a slight knock and rather than let him carry on he was withdrawn in favour of Ryan Rowe.  He almost made it five goals but his shot was once again saved by a superb Dilo.

Without any further action the game eventually ran out of time and the Harriers ended with a comfortable and emphatic 4-0 victory.  Elsewhere in the League Forest Green won by a single goal against Gateshead at The New Lawn to remain in third place and that's where we'll be heading on Tuesday evening for a very important six pointer.  If we can keep up this goal scoring form then we could, hopefully, be going above them come ten o'clock on Tuesday night.

It's not far.  You have no excuse not to be there.  Get there!

 Goals for Harriers: Malbon 20, 58 Johnson 55, Pearson 67

REFEREE:

Mr R Martin Weston super Mare