The Harriers commence their home programme tomorrow evening with the visit of Alfreton Town to Aggborough. Following our 0-0 draw at Lincoln on Saturday we'll now be hoping to build on that against a team that lost 3-1 at home to Woking on the same day.We were without Jack Byrne on Saturday after he pulled up in training on Friday with a hamstring injury. It's not thought to be too serious, hopefully, and he could be playing again by the end of the month. It's to be hoped that Jack isn't rushed back with his previous history of being injury prone. Aman Verma (right) deputised for him at Sincil Bank and will continue to do so against Alfreton.
Hopefully we'll have no further un-expected injuries tomorrow but we could still be without Josh O'Keefe after he missed the game with a couple of knocks. Marvin Johnson returned from a few pre-season problems with a second half display at Lincoln that changed the team from a shambles into a fighting force that finally overshadowed the hosts poor effort. He replaced the out of sorts Ahmed Obeng after he began to look slightly overawed about playing in such a large stadium and not the Dog and Duck ground that he had been used to at his previous clubs.
Alfreton will be arriving at Aggborough without their manager Nicky Law. He has been banned from attending their games for a six game period. This is due to an unknown incident in a game at the end of last season. His place on the bench will be covered by the assistant manager Russ O'Neill.
Town will have their latest signing on show against us. Striker Massiah McDonald has re-joined the club after playing for them between the 2005 and 2008 seasons. And yes, he's not the Massiah, he's just a naughty boy.
They have a trio of former Harriers with them. Dan Bradley is one well known one even though he originally left them at the end of last season to join Barnet but got homesick and returned home just before the season began. Duane Courtney also plays for them now after leaving relegated Tamworth at the end of last season but didn't play on Saturday due to injury. Tom Shaw is the third one there and has been for a few years now.
The other interesting close season signing made by them is that of the former Hereford Utd captain Luke Graham. He was a target of the Harriers but decided not to join us and to stay with beleaguered Hereford instead. We all know now what a mistake that was and now it's probably too late for him.
This is a game that I'm expecting to win and win comfortably. Alfreton have had a miserable pre-season and the season proper didn't start the way expected from them. It would be good to get our season up and running with a bang.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
Lewis, Singh, Hodgkiss, Green, Storer, Dunkley, Gowling, Grimes, Williams, O'Keefe, Obeng, Johnson, Verma, Blissett, Gittings, Gash, Reid, Styche, Hales.
Alfreton Town from:
Stewart, Wood, Rowe-Turner, Courtney, Graham, Smith, Hicks, Stevenson, Clayton, Bradley, Howell, Shaw, McFadzean, Sheridan, Keane, Gray, Macdonald.
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