Below par Harriers get a rare draw

The Harriers were the makers of their own wrong doing as they slumped to a score draw with Woking.  The sharing of the points means the gap at the top is reduced to one point, with Mansfield having played three games less than the carpet men and also winning at home to Nuneaton this evening.

The game started bizarrely with the Harriers on top and pushing the Woking defence back.  Anthony Malbon and Marvin Johnson were the notable shooters, but nothing troubled the suspect Woking 'keeper Seb Brown.

With almost a quarter of an hour gone the Harriers centre back Josh Gowling finally broke the deadlock.  Kyle Storers corner was whipped in quickly and heading expert Gowling was on hand to direct the ball past the many defenders and Brown in the Woking goal.

Things were going the Reds away and, despite a wayward John Nutter cross, Danny Lewis had nothing to do for the opening twenty minutes.  The Carpet Men pushed on to try and extend their lead through Michael Gash when a ball was whipped in from the left and he rose in the area but his free header went just wide of Browns goal.

Despite the Harriers dominance a defensive mix up put the visitors back on level terms.  A harmless Woking ball over the top was aimed towards Lewis by centre back Chey Dunkley but his header lacked power and which then forced Mickey Demetriou to bring down Bradley Bubb, who had capitalised on the back pass, in the area and the referee awarded Woking a penalty.  Bubb stepped up himself and squeezed it past Lewis.

The goal seemed to kill all attacking intent from the Harriers as they seemed to lack the creativity and confidence to reclaim the game.  The Reds also had to put up with some Woking pressure although they didn't threaten Lewis' goal at all.  Despite this Dunkley almost had a chance to put the Harriers in the lead but his shot was well blocked as the half simmered out.

Woking achieved the first chance of the second half a few minutes in as target man Jay Stockley rose to convert a header goalwards, but it was brilliantly saved by Lewis who somehow managed to hook it out of play.

The half looked to be starting how the first ended until ten minutes in when the Harriers regained the lead.  Kyle Storer placed a ball into the box from a free kick and it was put back across the goal by Gash with Malbon on hand to tap it in.

However less than a minute later the newly earned lead was scratched off when the sleepy Harriers defence was punished by Billy Knott.  He walked through the midfield, danced through the defence and fired from range to score all too easily past Lewis.

Steve Burr replaced Storer for Keith Briggs and Jackman for the in-form Danny Pilkington and, as on Saturday at Southport, the arrival of Pilkington sparked up the Harriers attack.  Briggs also came on with a willingness to shoot from range and duly obliged as he hit one on the outside of his boot from twenty yards out, but it only grazed the outside of the post.

Pilkington then had his turn to go close, twice.  He firstly hit a peach of a free kick, but keeper did well to turn it away.  Then he hit a looping shot from range but it bounced over off the top of the crossbar.

Conference top-scorer Gash then had his attempt to make it 3-2, but he also failed in finding a winner.  He first saw a header come off the line from a Woking defender then he did well to win a free kick on the edge of the area, which he took himself.  He hit it just over though and it didn't look to be the Harriers night.

In the dying seconds Ryan Rowe, on for Johnson, charged through after a last ditch ball over the top.  He just about obtained possession and was bundled over in the Woking box.  The referee though must've been looking the other way, or thinking too hard about his long trip back to London on the team coach to notice and the game finished two apiece.

This was a big blow for our hopes in the title race, but a good point in the play-off push.  The top place is still ours this evening but results must start going in our favour if we are to remain top in a month's time.

Starting with Braintree at Aggborough on Saturday our game must be won and both Mansfields and Wrexhams games must be drawn or better still both end in losses to the two clubs.  Here's hoping.

 Goals for Harriers: Gowling 13, Malbon 55
 Goals for Woking: Bubb 22 (pen), Knott 56

REFEREE:

Mr J Hopkins Essex