Harriers storm into a big first half lead

The Harriers stormed into an incredible 3-0 lead in a six minute spell at Woking today to give them an unexpected half time lead.  Goals from Reece Styche, Michael Gash and Kyle Storer had put us into what should have been an un-assailable lead but it was obvious that Woking would come back out for the second half and try to regain some face by possibly scoring a late consolation goal.  Instead they grabbed one early in the half through Scott Rendell and later on through Jack Marriott to set themselves up for an onslaught on the Harriers goal.

Thankfully some inspired keeping from Danny Lewis kept us in the game at the end despite the referee, Rob Whitton, finding six minutes of extra time from somewhere.

We started the game with just the one change, Jamie Grimes missing through injury so Aman Verma stepped in for him.  Straight away that would have given us a more attack minded side and so it proved.

It was the, un-beaten at home, Woking that were to start the game at a pace when after less than a minute the dangerous Scott Rendell sent a header goalwards but Danny saved it easily.  Rendell came closer a few minutes later when he just missed out on connecting with Marriotts low cross into the box.

Suddenly the game came to life, from a Harriers perspective, when we turned it on its head and rifled in three super goals in a short space of time.

Reece Styche opened the scoring with his second goal for us when he slammed home from a few yards from goal after the ball was headed in towards him by Michael Gash.  Four minutes later and our score could have been doubled when Marvin Johnson had his volley saved by Ross Worner in the hosts goal but that didn't matter because in the next move for the Harriers the ball did end up in the net after Kevin Nicholson whipped in a free kick for gash to finish with aplomb.

We finished our scoring for the rest of the game when Kyle Storer lashed in a strike from well outside the area.  It took a deflection on the way in off a defender and left Worner stranded but as long as it went in who cares.

Shell shocked Woking didn't have a clue what to do next and started to take it out on the Harriers players with some petty fouls and attempts to get them into the referees book.  He didn't need any help in that department though and booked Gash for trying to persuade a Woking player to give the ball back to Danny Lewis after it had been played out to treat an injured Styche.

The half finally came to a close with the Harriers going into the dressing room with a well earned three goal lead.

As we all expected Woking came out with the intention of putting their wrongs right.  Within three minutes of the re-start they had pulled back one goal through Scott Rendell when he rose un-marked at the far post to send a powerful header beyond the reach of Danny Lewis.

The home team saw then that they could have a chance to get something from the game and continued to attack the Harriers goal in search of a second.  Rendell could have grabbed a second but he was offside as he steered the ball across the face of the goal but following that our defence saw the danger and tightened up to limit their chances.

Gash had a goal ruled out for offside and then he hit the woodwork with a header soon after.  Just after that Gary Whild opted to split up what had been a successful pairing up till then and took off Reece Styche and replace him with Craig Reid.

Rendell also had a goal ruled out when he handled the ball into the goal.  An offence for which he should have received a red card but instead it was deemed worthy of just a yellow by the London based referee.

We completed our substitutions after that by bringing on Nathan Blissett for Gash and then soon after Callum Gittings came on for Marvin Johnson.  Again we had sacrificed a winning front line and again we seemed to want to invite the opposition on to us.  Woking also made their subs in the eighty third minute, all three at the same time, and it was soon after that change that they added their second goal.  One of the subs, Adam Newton, crossed the ball over to an, again, un-marked Marriott to head the ball home and give his side a a glimmer of hope that they could actually get a point from the game.  At the end of normal time they were given a chance to do so when the referee added a further six minutes of added time on.

It was heart stopping stuff for the travelling fans, and those listening in at home, with Woking mounting an onslaught in search of their equalising third goal.  Thankfully Danny Lewis was in fine form and in the third minute of added time stopped the ball on the line after Marriott tried to bundle it home and then he saved his best till last when he somehow got a hand to Mike Cestors last gasp header to earn us a richly deserved three points and to move us back up the table into eighth place.

On Tuesday evening we have another tough away game at Wrexham and with both sides winning today then it should be a good, competitive game that hopefully we can return from with all three points again.

 Goals for Woking: Rendell 49, Marriott 88
 Goals for Harriers: Styche 21, Gash 26, Storer 29

REFEREE:

Mr R Whitton Essex