Rushall Olympic 1 Harriers 1

The Harriers final friendly of pre-season ended in stalemate at Rushall Olympic earlier today with our only goal coming from Nathan Blissett in the first half.  This time next week we would have played Gateshead in the opening game of the new season and hopefully we'll be celebrating a win and our first points of the season coming slightly earlier than the ten games we had to wait last time out.

With many Harriers fans expecting Steve Burr to start with the probable side that would be starting next week they had a slight disappointment when it was again an experimental side that had Jamie Grimes starting again and Callum Gittings playing as a left back in an effort to find cover for Mickey Demetriou if he ever got injured.

There was a start for newest signing Joe Lolley while Rushall had Dele Adebola playing for them after the former Wrexham man, from last season, had been training with them last week.  He played but failed to make any impression.  Also there now is the former Harriers defender Gavin Caines.

It was the Harriers that threatened first through Dior Angus but his volley went wide.  The home sides' response was to go and score a few minutes later.  The goal came from the former Hednesford midfielder Carl Palmer when he skipped past the Harriers defenders to slot the ball beyond the reach of Nathan Vaughan.

Fifteen minutes later the Harriers drew level through Blissett when he collected a cross on his chest, bought it down and hammered it into the back of the net.  He could have added a second minutes later but saw his effort blocked after being set up by a combination of Dior Angus and Joe Lolley interplay.

HT: Rushall Olympic 1 Harriers 1

The second half saw the Harriers introduce an almost fully changed side into the fray with only Jamie Grimes, Callum Gittings and Jack Byrne remaining from the starting eleven.

It was the hosts that started this half the stronger with good chances falling the way of Mitchell Tolley and Josh Craddock both going close to beating Danny Lewis, now in goal for the Harriers.  Later in the half Kyle Storer hit the post after curling his shot around the Pics keeper while Craig Bannister blazed over the bar from around three yards out.

The game just petered out following that with the Harriers, and the players, not wishing to pick up any injuries with a new season on the horizon.

Harriers 1st half team:
N Vaughan , L Vaughan, Gittings, Grimes, Gowling, Angus, J Tolley, Byrne, Blissett, Lolley, Johnson.

Harriers 2nd half team:
Lewis, Dunkley, Grimes, Demetriou, Byrne, Gittings (Rowe), Dance, Fowler, Storer, Gash, Malbon.

Rushall:
Solly, Bottomer, Wood (Martin), M Tolley, Caines, Turner, Palmer, Downes, Adebola, Mugisha, Craddock.

Subs: Walker, Bannister, Spink, Stephens, Thompson, Ravenhill, Gemmell.