Harriers pick up their first away win of the season

The Harriers broke their away day duck at Dover today with an early second half goal from Jack Byrne giving them the lead.  A lead they were to hold on until the end of the game.

With Gary Whild unable to attend the game through illness it was Mark Creighton that took charge of the side in his absence and named just two changes to the team that started the game against Chester last Monday.  Jamie Grimes was an enforced change due to the sending off of Chey Dunkley against Chester while Callum Gittings dropped to the bench in favour of Aman Verma.

The first half was something of a damp squib with not much action for either side.  With Dover recovering from a 6-1 drubbing at Woking last week it was obvious that they would tighten up at the back and that was how it turned out with five at the back.  It was up to the Harriers to break them down if they wanted to get their away season started.

The home side were the first to see a glimpse of goal even though it was from twenty Five yards out.  Tom Bonner, on loan from Cambridge Utd, sent his shot from outside of the area just past the post.  Nathan Elder came closer a few minutes later when his header went over the bar and we were still waiting for any kind of attempt on goal from the Harriers.

That was to change soon after when, first, Jack Byrne played in Nathan Blissett but he sent his shot over the bar and then Craig Reid should have scored when he swooped onto Kyle Storers pass and volleyed in a ball that the Dover keeper could only just grab hold of.

That was the Harriers best spell of the half and the game settled back into its comfort zone with only a further chance just before the break that fell for Byrne again but his shot was well intercepted by Chris Kinnear Jnr.

The second half was only a few minutes old when Josh Gowling picked up his second yellow card of the current campaign for a tough foul on Barry Cogan.  A few minutes later and we had gone into the lead.  A lead that we were to keep until the ninety minutes were up.

The Harriers surged upfield and from Storers cross Jack Byrne chested the ball down and struck it fiercely into the back of the net and send the travelling fans into song.  Just after the goal the referee, Dean Treleaven, had to give the whistle to his fourth man due to an injury.

Dover tried to get back into the game but weren't finding much joy from the solid Harriers defence and the temporary manager decided to bring on Michael Gash for Nathan Blissett in an effort to grab a second goal.  Dover countered that with a change of their own with a striker, Christian Nanetti coming on for a defender, Tom Wynter.

Nanetti had a chance to score but his shot was blocked by Storer and he tried again a minute later when he tried a shot from the angle that tested Danny Lewis in the Harriers goal, but not too much.  Further changes took place for both sides without any real sign of any further goals.

With the minutes ticking down Craig Reid had his last chance of the game when he curled a free kick around the Dover wall that went just the wrong side of the post.  A minute later and Reece Styche came on for him.

The game then drifted to its conclusion with the Harriers continuing their unbeaten run and their first three points on the road this season.  Next up is high flying Gateshead at Aggborough next Saturday and that will surely be a test of the Harriers defensive abilities.

 Goal for Harriers: Byrne 51

REFEREE:

Mr D Treleaven West Sussex