The Harriers have their third meeting of the season with AFC Telford Utd tomorrow and with honours equal we'll be wanting to gain the upperhand and put the record in our favour. We last met in the FA Trophy in early December and won that one 4-0 to progress into the 2nd round where we came up against Ebbsfleet Utd last weekend and won that admirably too with a 3-0 scoreline. Our first meeting with Telford this season came just a month into the season when, on a warm summers evening, we lost by a single goal at the New Bucks Head in a game that saw us have the lions share of the possession but couldn't get the ball in the net.Since that evening we have improved beyond belief and risen from sixth place after that game to the second place we're in now. Telford, on the otherhand, have struggled to get their act together but last week won their first game since November by beating Curzon Ashton at home by a 3-1 scoreline after trailing to an early Curzon goal. That win saw them rise a few places to fifteenth in the table.
They're taking advantage of this January window by bringing in players in an effort to climb the table further. So far Eddie Jones and Lewis Hayden have arrived on loan from Solihull while Henry Cameron and Luke Higham have come on loan from from Blackpool. A few days before young midfielder Tony Donaldson arrived on loan from Doncaster Rovers. John Paul Kissock, who played in our Trophy game, also had his loan from Ebbsfleet extended until the end of the season. Going the other way was Dan Preston who has gone out on loan to Hednesford Town.
They'll be without Ben Bailey tomorrow due to his serving of a second installment of a red card offence.
Our injury list consists of Zaine Francis-Angol (right) and Sam Hornby with both out for another couple of weeks yet - ZFA with a hamstring and Hornby with an ankle injury. There is also another update regarding Jared Hodgkiss with the latest news that he is now back in full training but still some way off.
There has been no activity on the January window for us this week following the arrival of Josh Ezewele last week. He marked his first appearance for us with a well taken opening goal last Saturday after slipping past the sleepy Fleet defence to slot the ball home in the smallest of gaps under their keeper. Could he do it again tomorrow?
This is a game that we need to win (no slacking at the back there please) because our nearest rivals all have games they could win or get a point from. Fylde are at struggling Curzon while Chorley have an easy looking three points at home to doomed Altrincham. Salford are at Halifax who had a great big win at Tamworth last Saturday while Darlington and Stockport will be fighting it out between themselves for three points.
With us nine points behind the leaders, and now well into the second half of the season, we need to start making ground on them. Dropping points at home against Telford would be un-thinkable but not the end of the world. It'll just feel like it.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
T Palmer, A Palmer, Hodgkiss, Hancocks, Ezewele, Lowe, Williams, Carter, Knights, Osborne, Evans, Thomas, Tunnicliffe, Francis-Angol, Croasdale, Gnahoua, Truslove, Austin, A Brown, McQuilkin, N'Gwatala, Taylor, Dieseruvwe, Waite.
AFC Telford Utd from:
Montgomery, Broome, Edge, Havern, Dielna, Hibbert, Kissock, McCarthy, Higham, McCone, Rea, Reynolds, Royle, Donaldson, Jones, Hayden, Samuels, Wilson, Lilly, Cameron, McCarthy, Osei.
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