It has been exactly a month ago now since Kidderminster Harriers last played a game at Aggborough and on that occasion we lost 2-1 at home to lowly Dartford FC. Tomorrow we'll be facing another struggling team when we play Braintree Town in what should be a rare outing for them. We just have to make sure that they don't return to London with a similar points haul as their neighbours south of the Thames.This game will be Braintree's first game played since January 11th when they lost 1-0 at Woking and before that their last home game was at the end of December when they beat Tamworth 2-0. The reason for the long gap between games is mainly down to the continual waterlogging of their ground, a ground built on clay and so no drainage. The lack of away games is also down to the bad weather with other clubs having to call games off but not to the extent that Town have.
The Harriers fans will be hoping too that we can get some kind of result tomorrow and let's face it only one result will do. Victory, three points and a stay of execution for the under pressure Andy Thorn.
With a run of poor results, and an ever widening gap between the Football League and us, Thorn needs to get the Harriers back into winning ways as soon as he can and the defeat of Braintree looks to be his best chance out of the next three games. Following tomorrow we play Woking at home on Tuesday evening and then a big game at Cambridge next Saturday.
We'll have to gain these victories without Lee Vaughan (right) with him serving a two game ban and also Michael Gash after he pulled out of the Lincoln game last Saturday with a hamstring injury. Danny Lewis, who supposedly had a virus for that game is now possibly out with a continuation of the infection as is Danny Jackman with a hamstring injury.
We have no dedicated cover for Vaughan and just Amari Morgan-Smith or Freddie Ladapo for Gash so it looks likely that Callum Gittings will move into the back row while Josh O'Keefe will take his or Jackmans place in midfield. Chey Dunkley returned to the side last week after a long wait on the sidelines so I expect him to continue alongside Josh Gowling while Mickey Demetriou will stay at left back.
Up front we have other options with Ryan Rowe 'impressing' again in training but not getting picked and Anthony Malbon also being considered after the pounds suddenly 'dropped' off him following a public slagging of his supposed weight problems in the press, by the manager. I would be tempted not to play them together because as we found under Steve Burr it never did work. It's just a shame that someone mis-guidedly sent Nathan Blissett out on loan last Friday
Braintree don't release team news.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
Lewis, N Vaughan, Grimes, Dunkley, Williams, Demetriou, Gowling, Storer, O'Keefe, Jackman, Byrne, Johnson, Riis, Malbon, Morgan-Smith, Cieslewicz, Rowe, Aloi, Ladapo, Gittings.
Braintree Town from:
McDonald, Hamann, Peters, Habergham, Isaac, Paine, Quinton, Davis, Marks, Holman, Sparkes, Daley, Carney, Massey, O'Connor, Mensah, Wells, Griffiths, Cox, Mulley, Laurent.
Talk about the game here
Links to Braintree Town websites here
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