Harriers fail in front of goal once again

The very slow rebuilding project continued as Harriers were stuck in deadlock with a strong Grimsby side.  The game started at a fast tempo with an, in form, Grimsby midfield getting the best of the early contest.

On twelve minutes Grimsby probably should have had a penalty as Aswad Thomas found his run slowed by a pulled shirt but the dramatic dive and roll that then followed made it almost impossible for the referee to give it.

Despite looking the more dangerous the Mariners continued to struggle to make any real chances apart from a firm, but misplaced, header from Frankie Artus after sixteen minutes.

Soon Harriers attacking threat had become reduced to hopeful (*read 'hopeless') hoofs from Lee Vaughan for Richard Peniket to desperately try to turn into chances.  At the other end Grimsby were starting to show why they'd started the season so strongly with some slick free flowing football leaving the Harriers back four stretched but fortunately still solid.

Finally, just before the half hour mark, Harriers started getting back into the game.  On thirty two minutes a strong run by Vaughan ended in a cross narrowly edging past Danny Pilkington's outstretched head.

Two minutes later Vaughan was at it again after another storming run opened up enough space to carve out a strike, unfortunately inaccurate.  Some more encouraging work then set up Keith Briggs to shoot from distance forcing the Grimsby goalkeeper, James McKeown, into a smart stop.

Within five minutes of the start of the second half Grimsby fans stood in silent shock, discombobulated at how they weren't ahead.  Aswad Thomas darted into the Kidderminster box and cracked a cross in that could only be half cleared by Vaughan for Joe Colbeck to smash into the underside of Nathan Vaughans bar.  A crazy wall of humans dived at the deflected ball but the final shot was slotted wide.

The game started to heat up with Mickey Demetriou keeping the Grimsby keeper on his toes.  Coming on as substitute, Marvin Johnson then took around forty seconds to make an impact on the match with a burst of acceleration down the wing, opening out space for a cross which James Vincent could only glance wide.

Grimsby came back strongly.  Substitute Greg Pearson controlled a long ball perfectly but could only fire into Vaughan's side netting.

Harriers then went up to the other end and almost grabbed the winner but Briggs couldn't beat the goalkeeper with a close range header.

The game then slowed, as Harriers looked to hold on to their first clean sheet for 179 days, with much help from newest signing Josh Gowling, who I think in three appearances has yet to lose a header.

But the game had one last shock in store.  With three minutes of stoppage time to go Grimsby had one last assault on the home team's woodwork but Colbecks strike left the crossbar shaking once more.

The game then petered out, with just enough time for Ryan Rowe to get booked for a strong challenge from behind.

So the search for that first win continues, but the sight of a solid defence that aren't using every break to argue with each other will be very reassuring after the disaster of August.

REFEREE:

Mr K Johnson Somerset