Harriers fail to reward the fans with a goal

A near-sub zero November night saw the Harriers move into the play-offs with a poor performance against York at Aggborough.  The side saw Chris McPhee move back up front to replace Marc Williams who has now gone back to Wrexham and Jack Byrne filled in his position.  New loanee signings Craig Lindfield and Mitchell McPike were on the bench in place of Jamile Matt and Nick Wright who has reportedly had a bust-up with boss Steve Burr and walked out on the club.

In truth the first and second halves were nearly as drab and dull as each other without many chances that deserved to be goals.  In the first half Keith Briggs was the first to have any notable effort with a shot from outside the area that got through to Morris who couldn't add anything to the effort which was going well wide.

The best chance of the half and the game fell to Chris McPhee who, following a Gittings ball over the top, executed a bicycle kick that hit the top of the bar before going out.

York created some chances, including a header from Michael Rankine who jumped with Danny Lewis and landed on the goalkeeper, but the header that was going goalbound was cleared as far as Robbie Weir whose lob went wide.  Luckily as Lewis was laid prostrate on the floor.

Apart from the substitution of Dave Hankin in the 20th minute for a head injury - seeing the introduction of Callum Gittings - little else occurred of any note.  We did start to dominate the play more but without really testing Michael Ingham in the City goal and eventually the whistle went for half time.

The second half, as previously mentioned, had the same feel as the first with Briggs having a chance early on which was fruitless.  Harriers fans did have something to cheer about, albeit momentarily, as a turn and shot by Jack Byrne didn't have enough power on it and the onrushing McPhee swept in from the right and with the outside of his boot placed a shot into the right side of the goal.  The linesman on the East Stand side adjudged McPhee to have been offside and the goal was chalked off.

We then saw the introduction of David McDermott for City and soon after his arrival onto the pitch he saw a shot from outside the area hit the right hand post and go wide.

This was in a period of possession for the 'The Minstermen' and they pressed Harriers who were under the cosh but, to their credit, official man of the match Tom Sharpe and the defence defended the goal well and kept out the Yorkists.

McPike and Lindfield came on in the 78th minute but offered little to the Harriers cause as the former, even with only twelve minutes on the pitch, looked out of his depth.  Both players are debutants though and need to be given a fair crack of the whip before they are judged.

The game finished with neither side breaking the deadlock and the Harriers taking a point from a game they lost earlier in the season in the FA Cup.  That point takes them a point above Fleetwood Town as we moved into the play-offs and long shall we remain there!

REFEREE:

Mr S Burt Northamptonshire