Harriers back in action but can only draw

The rustiness was on show for the Harriers at home to Woking today as they made their first appearance back at Aggborough since January 17th when they lost against Macclesfield.  With games called off due to the state of the pitch' and opponents in cup action, we had been without a game for some time until the midweek game at Stourbridge in the Worcester Senior Cup where Gary Whild was forced to play the full first team due to that lack of games.  He opted to start with the same eleven today.

That eleven included home debuts for Dominic Knowles; recently signed on loan from Burton, Danny Wright and the legend that is Lee Hughes following his signing for us from Forest Green a few weeks ago.  In the Stourbridge games both Hughes and Wright scored our two goals and the fans arriving at the ground were expecting more of the same to push us back towards the play-offs after slipping away in recent weeks.

As it was a poor game was served up and that was possibly due to the lack of games blunting the edge a little.  In the first half it was Woking that were dictating the play with some good passing on the poor pitch but ironically it was the Harriers who looked the more likely to score with the chances we were being given due to the visitors urge to get forward at every opportunity.  It was the spurned chances that were to be our downfall.

Woking started the game the strongest and had already had chances to score before we got a chance for ourselves.  Charles Banya, on loan from Crawley, had their first attempt on goal when his shot went across the face of the goal but none of his team mates could get a touch on it.  He had a second chance later on when he hit the post while in between Aaron Wildig saw his shot for the Harriers saved by Jake Cole.

Knowles missed an easy chance to open his account with the Harriers but scuffed his shot in front of an almost open goal and then Danny Wright got the ball in the net for the Harriers.  It was ruled out for pushing by the finicky referee who penalised most minor fouls by a red shirted player then let go similar fouls committed by the visitors.

The Harriers finally breached the Woking defence in the thirty eight minute of the game when Hughes ran onto Dominic Knowles' pass into the area.  In typical Hughes fashion the ball went arrow like into the back of the net.

We tried to build on the lead but failed to get near to the Woking goal again in this half.

We would have been expected to crack on this half and go for goals but sadly we looked inept.  With Hughes tiring and Danny Wright not at the races we seemed to be missing a pacy winger who could take players on.  With Marvin Johnson no longer with us that would have been up to Keyon Reffell or Ahmed Obeng to provide but they were both on the bench and not out on the field.  Later in the half our midfield was taken off to bring those two widemen on so we still looked un-balanced as a team.

Woking were to control most of this half through the useful looking John Goddard and Yemi Odubade.  Both of these were at the heart of everything that Woking tried to do in getting back into the game.  In contrast their number nine, Scott Rendell, looked uninterested through most of the game and rarely got a touch of the ball.  If he had been anywhere near what he can be capable of then we would have been dead and buried.

Danny Lewis was looking after us but he could only last out for so long until the equalising goal came.

Minutes after Knowles had been replaced by Ahmed Obeng a moment of panic in the Harriers defence left Danny exposed with Odubade closing in on him.  His stabbed at effort went in off a deflection and the visitors were level.

Gary Whild chose that moment to change things around a bit more and on came Reffell for Aaron Wildig and that was a mistake.  We were now without a decent midfield and we began to wilt a bit more but for some strange reason Woking seemed happy to sit back and take the point.  Reffell and Obeng began to see the ball more and more even if it was being hoofed over the top to them.

Our best chance after that was when Obeng raced free of his defender and pushed the ball over to the surging Danny Wright but his shot lacked enough power and the Cards keeper reached down easily to stop it going in.

The game fizzled out to it's conclusion without any further action from either side.  They both looked to be happy enough with the points shared.

I just wished we could get that excitement back.

 Goal for Harriers: Hughes 39
 Goal for Woking: Odubade 68

REFEREE:

Mr R Joyce County Durham