Match preview Vs Peterborough Utd    FA Cup 3rd rd replay

The new Harriers manager, Andy Thorn (below), will be taking his charges to Peterborough tomorrow evening in an attempt to finish the job his predecessor Steve Burr started and hopefully progress to the 4th round of the FA Cup and a prestigious tie at Premiership Sunderland.  That original 3rd round game was two weeks ago and saw the Harriers hold their League 1 counterparts to a scoreless draw even though we came close to going out that afternoon when a late onslaught by Boro saw them hit the crossbar three times and cleared off the line three times in the space of seconds.

On Saturday, in his first game in charge, the Harriers beat Salisbury City 3-0 at Aggborough thanks to a hat trick from the, possibly, soon to depart Joe Lolley.  Joe was in talks with our opponents tomorrow about a big money move there but that seems to have bitten the dust in favour of a similar value move to Huddersfield Town.  The Yorkshire club have no doubt clinched the deal by offering better personal terms and also the attraction of playing in the Championship, eventually.

Before that we have first call on his services though and we'll be hoping that the Iceman can give us another hat trick to say au revoir to the Harriers fans with.

We'll be without Callum Gittings for this game after he chipped a bone in his shoulder the other week.  He played through the pain barrier in the original game but got injured before halftime with a hamstring tweak and will now be missing for up to a month.  We shouldn't have any other injuries although Amari Morgan-Smith turned his ankle during the pre-match warm up but managed to play through most of the game until he was subbed late on.

Peterborough will be without the suspended Lee Tomlin after he picked up two yellows, hence a red, at Swindon on Saturday.  That was his second red card of the season, just like his Rushden days then, and he will also miss their league game against Tranmere Rovers next Saturday.  Hogan Ephraim has now completed his three game ban and will be available for selection.

Midfielders Tommy Rowe and Danny Kearns are fit once more after missing the original game while Kgosi Ntlhe, who did play at Aggborough, has recovered from the chicken pox so could be available it 100% fit.  Craig Alcock is out with a calf injury.

Forwards Nicky Ajose and Kyle Vassell and centre half Peter Grant are all cup-tied.

With the promise of a trip to Sunderland being more exciting to our way of thinking, rather than from Boro's point of view, I think the Harriers will really be up for this game and add in the bonus of playing on a, hopefully, better pitch than our quagmire then I think we could surprise a few people.  If I was a betting man I'd be tempted.




Harriers from:
Lewis, N Vaughan, L Vaughan, Dunkley, Demetriou, Gowling, Dyer, Storer, Fowler, Jackman, Lolley, Angus, Byrne, Johnson, Malbon, Morgan-Smith, Gash.

Peterborough from:
Olejnik, Day, Ntlhe, Brisley, Bostwick, Swanson, Payne, Kearns, Assombalonga, Tomlin, McCann, Rowe, Anderson, Newell, Mendez-Laing, Knight-Percival, Ephraim, Coulson, Little, Conlon, Marshall, Jeffers, Carthey.

Talk about the game here

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