Late Magic Marvin goals win the game for Harriers

The Harriers went down by an early goal at Dartford today but incredibly they put that glitch behind them and went on to win the game 2-1 with a double from the man of the moment, Marvin Johnson.  With less than a minute on the clock the home team scored direct from a corner when Ryan Hayes put his side in front.  It took until late on in the second period for the Harriers to draw level with a trademark run across the goal from Johnson and then with just five minutes left the in demand striker struck with a shot from the edge of the area to push the Harriers up into fifth place in the league.

We started the game with two changes to the side that lost so poorly against Forest Green three days ago.  Aman Verma had a reoccurrence of his back injury so Callum Gittings took over while Akwasi Asante came in for his first start to replace Reece Styche who was moved to the bench.  On the bench in place of Reece Hales was the former Academy youngster Luke Maxwell.

On a decent pitch - a ploughed field is decent compared to Aggborough - the game started with the aforementioned shock opening goal for the hosts when they earned a corner straight from the kick off that was taken by Hayes.  Somehow it evaded the Harriers defenders, and Danny Lewis, to nestle in the back of the net.  It took a while for the Harriers to get a grip on the game with Dartford getting two further chances to add to their lead but within twenty minutes we were dictating the pattern of play without really threatening the home sides keeper Derren Ibrahim.  Johnson had a chance that was saved easily and then Jack Byrne tried his luck with a header that went wide of the post.

The half ended with no further problems and we went into the break feeling that the game could well be turned around easily enough just by being a little sharper in front of goal w=and a tightening up at the back.

The second period started a little more pleasingly than the first without any threat on goal from the hosts.  It took until six minutes for us to attempt any kind of pressure on their goal but eventually that was to come from Jordan Tunnicliffe when he headed wide from a corner.

With no real breakthrough in sight Gary Whild made his first change of the day by bringing on Jamie Spencer for his second appearance in a matter of days.  Craig Reid was the one forfeited for the former Redditch hitman and that signalled a new attacking intent from the Harriers with Marvin Johnson sending in a shot on goal from twenty yards out that the Darts keeper saw coming all the way.

Marvin then forced a corner with a cross intended for Spencer that, luckily for the hosts, was put behind for a corner.  Spencer, himself, did connect with a cross a few minutes later and almost scored his first goal for his new club but his powerful header was somehow tipped onto the bar by Ibrahim.

The goal we had all been waiting for arrived at long last with just ten minutes of the game to go.

Marvin Johnson set off on one of his mazy runs down the wing leaving defenders flailing in his wake, cut across the face of the goal and then neatly lobbed the ball over the on-coming keeper.  We needed a second goal now.

It came just six minutes later when some nice moves from Jack Byrne and Spencer played in the wonderkid to shoot from the edge of the area and give the Harriers the lead for the first time in the game and one that we were to keep until the end.  But only thanks to Danny Lewis.

With the seconds ticking away Dartford launched one last assault on goal to try and force the draw.  With the home side awarded a late corner Danny somehow managed to fling himself at a header from Mat Mitchell-King that looked to be ready to bulge the back of the net but somehow he got himself to it and punched it away to be cleared further upfield by the Harriers defence.

The Harriers held on without further worries and finally the whistle went on another three away points for us.  We now have a break from league football for a week due to our Trophy game against Altrincham at Aggborough next Saturday.  Let's hope that the pitch will be slightly more playable by then.

 Goal for Dartford: Hayes 1
 Goals for Harriers: Johnson 79, 85

REFEREE:

Mr D Cook Portsmouth