Gateshead will be wanting to start positively too after their season was ruined by a sub-standard pitch that saw the cancellation of their home games over Winter and being forced into playing all their remaining home games away from the International Stadium. They also seem to have been spared any censure from the Football Conference for that catastrophe.Hopefully Gateshead have now got those problems sorted and can complete a season without and side issues.
Their manager, Anthony Smith, has been busy in the transfer market bringing in players that should improve the side. Two of those are former Harriers loanees in strikers Adam Boyes and Colin Larkin while alongside them should be, the love him or loathe him, Richard Brodie.
Still with them is former Harriers keeper Adam Bartlett while other new faces include Marcus Maddison (Newcastle Utd), Luke O'Brien (Oxford Utd) and Josh Walker (Scunthorpe).
We'll have our own fair share of new faces too but only one will be expecting to start tomorrows game. Lee Fowler (left) has been bought in from Doncaster to replace both Keith Briggs, now at Halifax, and James Vincent, now at Inverness, while Jamie Tolley (Mansfield), James Dance (Luton) and Dior Angus (Solihull Moors) should see places on the bench.
The other newcomers are central defender Jamie Grimes who has now signed a contract with the Harriers after coming in on trial from Bedford Town at the end of last season. Joe Lolley signed a contract a few weeks ago after impressing on trial while Tyrone Williams has made the step up from the Academy side but has gone out on loan already to Sutton Coldfield.
Finally Michael Gash is now with us permanently after coming in on loan from Cambridge Utd for the run in at the end of last season. His goals helped us to get into the play-offs and we can now look to plenty more coming from him and his partnership with Anthony Malbon.
Neither side should have any injuries at this stage of the season (unless we have both bought in lame ducks) and should be at full strength for the opening game of what promises to be an interesting season for us. Can we go one better than last and gain that top spot? Can we manage to win our opening game for once?
Tomorrow we find out.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
Lewis, N Vaughan, L Vaughan, Grimes, Dunkley, Demetriou, Gowling, Tolley, Storer, Fowler, Jackman, Lolley, Angus, Dance, Johnson, Malbon, Gittings, Gash, Blissett, Rowe.
Gateshead from:
Bartlett, Nixon, Magnay, O'Brien, Chandler, Curtis, Clark, Larkin, Turnbull, Hatch, Brodie, Cummins, Boyes, Brown, Tait, Baxter, Walker, Marwood, Smith, Ramshaw, Maddison.
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