Redditch Utd 1 Harriers 1  (4-1 pens)    WSC semi final

Harriers, the holders, crashed out of the County Cup tonight when they failed to score a single penalty in a game that ended 1-1 in normal time.  Redditch had taken the lead on the stroke of half time through Luke Shearer after the Harriers had failed to get past the Redditch keeper.

The hosts held the upperhand early on as Robbie Bunn and James Molyneux had both tested Dean Snedker in the Harriers goal.  We fought back with chances falling for Dan Sweeney and Jake Green with Keyon Reffell sending his header just wide of the upright.  Sweeney again came close with a stunning shot that beat the keeper, Josh Moreton, but cannoned back off the crossbar.

Redditch replied in the worst possible way for us though when Shearer forced Snedker to parry his shot but the ball ran loose and ended up in the net.

After the break we came under more pressure when Snedker saved us by keeping out a shot from Molyneux once more after the Redditch strike got behind the Harriers defence to put a shot away.  The host continued in the same vein with Troy Baker trying his luck as Gary Whild responded by making line-up changes.  Jordan Harrison came on for Adam Dawson and then soon after Craig Reid made way for Gurjit Singh.

With just a few seconds left on the clock the Harriers struck to equalise.  The dangerous Dan Sweeney robbed a defender of the ball and swept past, leaving him in his wake, to fire the ball home and send the game to penalties.

As is well known we aren't too good at competing in penalty shoot outs and today proved no different.  Both sides missed their first with Joe Clarke sending ours straight at the keeper but when Jake Green repeated the feat it looked like we were on our way out.  So it proved when Singh sent his spot kick well wide and with Redditch burying their third it was game over.

Utd will now meet Worcester City in the final at Aggborough on Saturday while we travel down to Evesham for the third place play off game.

Harriers:
Snedker, Jones, Westwood, Clarke, Tunnicliffe, Vincent, Dawson (Harrison), Green, Reid (Singh), Reffell, Sweeney.

Subs: Singh, Hales, Harrison, Digie.