Harriers' injury hit squad suffered another setback in their quest for promotion when they were beaten by
the only goal of the game by promtion rivals Lincoln City at Sincil Bank.
The promised aerial bombardment by the home team duly arrived as The Imps threw or kicked the ball forward
at every opportunity. After just four minutes a throw in from the left dropped into the heart of the
Harriers penalty area and was only cleared as far as Richard Butcher who blasted a shot just wide from 30
yards or more.
Lincoln took the lead after 15 minutes, Chris Cornelly held off the challenge of Adie Smith as he raced
across the face of the penalty area and got in a sharp shot on the turn that Fraser Digby could only
parry. Again his defenders let him down as they were slow to react to the loose ball and Shayne Bradley
followed up to last the ball home.
In the opening half-hour Harriers were unable to get hold of the ball and try to get themselves back into
the game. Lincoln attacked quickly, trying to expose Harriers' offside trap with balls over the top
and the visitors were forced onto the back foot. After 24 minutes Cornelly and Bradley combined again,
Cornelly crossing from the left but an unmarked Bradley at the far post could not control it and fired high
and wide into the back of the stand behind the goal.
Three minutes later Harriers had their best chance of the half, Danny Williams had time to pick his spot
from 25 yards but Alan Marriott in the Lincoln goal just managed to pluck his shot from under the bar. As
the half drew to a close Harriers got into the game more, eight minutes before the break Sean Parrish and
Andy Bishop exchanged passes on the edge of the penalty area but the Welshman drove his shot over the bar. Two
minutes before the break Lincoln almost doubled their lead, Digby came a long way from goal to punch but
failed to connect and Bradley's goalbound header was cleared off the goal line by Hinton.
In the second half Harriers dealt better with Lincoln's tactics and the game became more even. It was
the home team, however, who came closest to scoring next. Paul Mayo raced clear on the left and hit a
thunderous shot from 25 yards that left Digby rooted to the spot but fortunately for Harriers it cannoned
back off the crossbar and and Simon Yeo's follow-up header was cleared off the line by Lee Ayres.
Lincoln continued to create the best chances throughout the game, Mark Bailey curled a free kick just wide
from 25 yards and later on got one on target but Digby held it well. Harriers grew stronger as the
game drew to a close, Bishop managed to get a shot in on the turn that Marriott held at the foot of his
near post and three minutes from time Drewe Broughton got on the end of Smith's right wing cross but shot
straight at Marriott from the edge of the penalty area. In stoppage time a Parrish header that was
drifting wide was sliced over the crossbar by Richard Butcher for a corner, but that was Harriers' last
chance of an equaliser. Harriers suffered another blow in the dying moments when a late challenge by
Daniel Webb on Lee Ayres left the defender requiring lengthy treatment on a stretcher at the side of the
pitch, the challenge left a gash on his leg that later required five stitches.
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