Harriers only get a draw at Aldershot

Kidderminster Harriers climbed back into the play-off spaces tonight but it was done by default following a lifeless draw at struggling Aldershot and two late goals at Macclesfield that gave them a win over Barnet allowing us to leapfrog them into fifth place.  We could have been sitting in fourth spot if we had managed to muster something approaching a goal at the Recreation Ground.

There was no place for Kyle Storer in the team following his two game ban and also Michael Gash was missing through illness, in his place came Nathan Blissett.  Adrian Cieslewicz was still out injured but the option of playing Marvin Johnson instead, following his impressive cameo against Barnet on Saturday wasn't built on.  Amari Morgan-Smith moved out wide instead while Josh O'Keefe was replaced by Jack Byrne.

On the bench the Harriers manager, Gary Whild, opted to go with a defensive look and as well as O'Keefe there was the right sided defender Tyrone Williams hoping to make his debut for the club at some point.

The game itself was poor with neither side looking to build on good results over the weekend or maybe they were not capable of doing so.  The Shots Brett Williams let an early chance to score go begging when he shot well over in the opening minutes with the goal at his mercy while later on we had two half chances to open the scoring ourselves through Amari Morgan-Smith and Josh Gowling but both their headers went over the bar.

The game was very scrappy and again, for a team with promotion aspirations, we failed to impose ourselves on the game at all.  Anthony Malbon had a chance go wide of goal too but the main talking point of the game was the incompetent refereeing that saw Blissett booked for winning a header and numerous infringements not given to the Harriers but immediately given when it was in the hosts favour.

It was Aldershot that finished the half the strongest with two chances to go into the break leading.  Adam Mekki hammered in a shot that Danny Lewis stopped easily and then Bradley Bubb directed a header wide.

The second period wasn't much of an improvement on the first and the first action of note came from Mekki again when he put one past the post just minutes into the half.  We almost gifted them a goal too when Lee Vaughan almost diverted the ball past Danny Lewis but the keeper was alert to the danger and stopped it from going in.

With Blissett still getting too much hassle from the referee he was taken out of the game by Whild and Nick Wright was sent on in his place.  Almost straight away it reaped benefits when he drifted past the Shots defence and sent a shot come cross skimming across the face of the goal but there was no one there to stick out a toe and poke it over the line.

The game died for a while, a long while, as subs were made and players shuffled around looking busy without any end product.  It took until the last quarter before anything really happened.

Malbon had a shot on goal but it was going a bit high until AMS got a foot to it and sent a overhead kick goalwards that went over the bar once more.  For Aldershot Jordan Roberts, a sub who had come on earlier, sent a header towards the goal but again Safe Hands Lewis collected it easily enough.  And that was all the action we were getting.

The point had already put us up to sixth place before the game began but those late goals for Macclesfield against Barnet probably gave rise to the biggest cheer of the night as we slipped into fifth place.  We now need to go one better and beat struggling Southport at home this coming Saturday afternoon but to do that we need to show a bit more inspiration than we have been of late.

REFEREE:

Mr R Whitton Essex