Harriers Chatter

TWG85 wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 9:57 pm Just what the doctor ordered.

Can't say Chris Williams' words carry much weight with me. Find the man to be rather joyless, pedantic & low-energy. Not a good combo in a football commentator. And I'd add seems to have misguided expectations on what to expect from the level.

Agreed.

@Harry211, it's not Pravda at all. He's just unreasonably negative in my eyes, with a tine that suggests he knows better than those in the dugout (always a dangerous tone for any journalist to adopt, as I'm sure we can both appreciate from our shared background). He should be objective - he can say when we aren't playing well of course, but it's the way he says it and how it comes across.

As TWG says, he has unrealistic expectations for the level. Teams come here and make it difficult, they set up to stop us playing. Of course we aren't going to look like Brazil every week up against that!

Tonight sounds like a great win, a hoodoo side out away and it's great to see a striker back on the score sheet at last

That goal should go to Seb. AMS didn't get a touch although he was soon on his feet to claim it. I was right behind the flight of the ball and AMS was close but no cigar.

Initial thought is how did we lose to Marine so badly in the away fixture?

Southport seem like a much better team, proved by doing us a favour against Radcliffe. Weird.

Far from perfect tonight but light years ahead of the dross of a spectacle on Saturday.

Murray is likely to feel vindicated now - but…

Waldron didn’t do a lot. Morgs much better when he came on. Still the best we’ve got!

Walker had the most absent game I’ve seen.

Devine showing how to put the ball in the net, Obi scoring a header (has he scored a header yet?) and good work by Seb to set up Morgs.

I feel more positive about Saturday now.

TrialistA wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 10:26 pm That goal should go to Seb. AMS didn't get a touch although he was soon on his feet to claim it. I was right behind the flight of the ball and AMS was close but no cigar.

I did wonder…

Thought we started really slowing tonight and was worried it was going to be more of the same from Saturday. Thankfully, once we got the first, Marine opened up a bit and it created gaps that we could exploit.

TrialistA wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 10:26 pm That goal should go to Seb. AMS didn't get a touch although he was soon on his feet to claim it. I was right behind the flight of the ball and AMS was close but no cigar.

I respectfully disagree.

I too was behind the flight, at the front of the North Stand, perhaps 15 yards from where AMS was. Not only did I see the slight deflection, which IMHO was enough to take it inside the post, when the cross may otherwise have hit the post or gone just wide, but I also *heard* the faint glance off AMS’s head.

How can a 4-0 win be so unconvincing, and to quote someone else rather "joyless, pedantic and low-energy"?

Before Marine mutated into arguably the worst team at Aggboro' this campaign, the two teams traded limp aimless balls across the field width, the visitors having the temerity to have the first shot on goal, which Dibble parried.
With Marine set up with two banks of four it had all the hallmarks of another of those depressing wades-through-treacle, and with Harriers content to tip-tap across the back three for interminable periods of the game I was already frustrated -and a little concerned.

It seemed players, coaches and supporters collectively could hardly raise interest in proceedings before from nowhere a Foulkes cross from the right dribbled through the box to an overlapping Devine on the left who buried the chance thankfully. Marine shrunk further into their shell and we continued in our undaunted efforts to get the ball back to our back three from the very edge of the opposition penalty area. Maybe I just don't understand modern tactics?

So 2-0 at half time.......as a side note can someone tell me what purpose the little group of gardeners clutching brand new forks wondering aimlessly around the pitch at half time serve? Are they paid to stand around talking? Financially I don't know what we will survive on in future years but I know what we can do without right now......

The second half trudged wearily on, Waldron stood on his own as our wide men surged purposely backward to pick out the imperious Dibble. Ironic cheers ensued every time he set up another relentless attack. You can't blame us.

Things picked up when for one glorious moment in the second half I thought the ref was about to book the Marine goalkeeper for time-wasting, but alas he thought better of it.

Nice header from Obi for the goal; for me a better potential centre forward than the strikers we currently have. (Discuss)
As usual Seb Thompson was brought on late to be relegated to an isolated wide left role, when we cried out for a committed presence down the middle alongside the thud and blunder that is AMS.

yes, four goals and three points, but for me not good enough.

A great result but not the best performance.. Agreed, Marine looked really poor tonight and we could easily have scored six. However, too often there were too many sideways and backward passes played at snails pace. This gives the opposition plenty of time to get many players behind the ball. We tend to be very predictable. Defence was solid tonight and will certainly need to be on Saturday. COYR.

Started off slowly tonight backward passes not much going forward for the first 15 minutes. Then we got better. Devines goals excellent. Obi great header and then AMS if it did touch his head!. All round much better performance than Saturday. Marine didn't offer anything. Walker struggled tonight I thought but never lack of effort. Davis had a great game as did obi. They had 4 strikers . No goals though! Pleased for AM as some on here sorry to say are desperate for him to fail. I'm sure of it. The only thing I will say is he has started doing a lot of shrieking again. He had stopped this but I think frustration getting the better of him. Anyway great win on to managerless Wealdstone. Will be an interesting selection for that one

Marine seemed much limited than Southport but had the first shot on target after 17 mins. Up to that point I felt like we were a side who’d been told to play with a higher tempo but there was still some fear and a lack of movement in the final third.

Look. We won 4-0 so let’s not be too negative! Dibble had to make some good saves which is not ideal but the game never felt in danger. We beat a top half side comfortably and have halted a winless streak. It’s a funny league.
I continue to enjoy watching Obi, Kalambayi, Evans, Joe and Devine play. A solid fivesome.

Very much enjoyed Amari’s sub appearance. There’s life there yet. Hemmo showed flashes imo.

Disappointing crowd but well done to those that got behind the lads.

Saturday is a chance to relax in some ways, hopefully followed by another three home points next Tuesday.

Let’s enjoy a four nil win without being too negative!

Didnt go, didnt even listen to mr half empty on h and w either. Early night for me after a brilliant but heavy 24 hrs in milan enjoying the san siro. Recommend it before they start knocking it down
Never heard of a lethargic 4-0 win but marine are no mugs and this will do wonders for confidence. Ams first striker to score since Gyasi and Kurt v Chorley in november.
This win sets us up nicely for saturday

As others have said, not the greatest performance BUT......

At least we did not lump the ball forward to a non-existent centre forward which seemed to be the tactic on Saturday. The net effect was that the ball stayed in our defence for long periods (much to the frustration of the "get it forward" brigade). Yes it was pedestrian at times but Marine were happy to play 11 behind the ball (so much for 4 strikers) so patience had to be a virtue.

Marine looked lightweight all over the pitch and their defence was suspect. It was one of those (rare) games when it was fairly easy to spot which was the full time side. They could not cope with our physicality. That said, credit to Dibble for a couple of excellent saves.

As regards individuals, I thought Waldron put in a good shift (without looking like scoring). Not sure about the tactic of playing Walker inside Foulkes but the crucial first goal was created from that wing so perhaps it was enough to confuse Marine.

In the second half, we didn't get out of second gear - but we didn't need to. Hopefully saved some energy for Saturday.

TomLong78 wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 10:53 pm

TrialistA wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 10:26 pm That goal should go to Seb. AMS didn't get a touch although he was soon on his feet to claim it. I was right behind the flight of the ball and AMS was close but no cigar.

I respectfully disagree.

I too was behind the flight, at the front of the North Stand, perhaps 15 yards from where AMS was. Not only did I see the slight deflection, which IMHO was enough to take it inside the post, when the cross may otherwise have hit the post or gone just wide, but I also *heard* the faint glance off AMS’s head.

We'll have to agree to disagree.
We can't be too far apart, where we stand.
Having said that, I don't think that AMS is the sort of bloke to claim a goal if he knows he hasn't touched it.
Let's just enjoy a goal scored.

Very enjoyable evening and wondering even more if Devine shouldn’t play as a proper striker ?
Thought Marine looked ordinary on the night for some reason but credit to the team and Mr Murray for giving us a nice 4-0 win.
Shout out of the referee too
Best I have seen for a long time