Kidderminster Harriers 2(1) v (0)0 Rushden & Diamonds

Football Conference National - Aggborough - 24 March 2008

Attendance: 1477

Individual Stats
Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Rushden
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Chris MacKenzie      [1/30] Dale Roberts     
Jeff Kenna     [2] Curtis Osano     
Alex Jeannin      [22/27] Abdou El-Kholti     
Gavin Hurren     [4] Phil Gulliver     
Mark Creighton      [5/26] Michael Corcoran     
Dean Bennett      [19/17] Andy Gooding     
Russ Penn      [10/16] Tom Shaw      
Darryl Knights      [24/23] Conal Platt     
Iyseden Christie      [23/10] Charles Ademeno     
Matt Barnes-Homer      [21/14] Michael Rankine     
Simon Russell      [7/8] Curtis Woodhouse     
Brian Smikle      [14/5] Chris Hope     
Michael McGrath      [15/7] Jon Challinor     
Andy Ferrell      [17/11] Andy Burgess     
Paul Bignot      [18/15] Lee Tomlin     
Dean Coleman       [13/18] Marcus Kelly     
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Kidderminster 19 5 7 5 3
Rushden 11 3 3 4 4
GOALS
Kidderminster Rushden
15 Iyseden Christie    
50 Mark Creighton    
Formations
Kidderminster
   MacKenzie  
Kenna Hurren  Creighton Jeannin
   Bennett   
Penn    Russell
   Knights   
  Christie  Barnes-Homer  
Rushden
   Roberts  
Osano Gulliver  Corcoran El-Kholti
   Gooding   
  Shaw  Woodhouse 
   Platt   
  Ademeno  Rankine  
SUBSTITUTIONS
Kidderminster Rushden
74 Smikle Knights Smikle to right midfield, Penn to attacking midfield. 69 Tomlin Ademeno Tomlin to striker.
86 McGrath Barnes-Homer McGrath to striker. 81 Challinor Shaw Challinor to attacking midfield, Platt to right central midfield.
     82 Kelly Woodhouse Kelly to left central midfield.
BOOKINGS
Kidderminster Rushden
Hurren 40 Foul
Creighton 63 Foul
  Tomlin 90+ Dissent 
Referee: Steve Rushton (Staffordshire)
Match Report by St@tto

Harriers finally recorded their first 'double' of the season after a goal in each half saw off Rushden and Diamonds at Aggborough to go with the 1-0 win at Nene Park earlier in the season.

At Aggborough Harriers have now won three games in a row without conceding a goal, this win lifts them back above The Diamonds and into 14th position in the Conference.  Mark Yates made one change to the side that lost at Exeter at the weekend, Darryl Knights returning to the starting line-up in place of Andy Ferrell with Dean Bennett dropping back into the defensive position vacated by Ferrell.

Harriers started the game brightly and could have taken the lead after eight minutes when Simon Russell's corner from the left found skipper Mark Creighton at the far post but he saw his header crash against the crossbar.  On the quarter hour mark Alex Jeannin's deep left-wing cross picked out Iyseden Christie at the far post whose header was pushed around the post by Rushden keeper Dale Roberts.  From the resultant corner the inevitable goal came, Russell's cross finding Christie at the far post who volleyed in his tenth goal of the season.

Knights was involved before the break as Harriers continued to dominate the game; chasing a long ball out of defence he pulled it back to Russell on the left who shot narrowly wide of the far post with Roberts well beaten.

After the interval Harriers were still on top against a disappointing Rushden side.  After 48 minutes god work by Russ Penn on the right wing set up a good chance for Matt Barnes-Homer but he missed his kick and the visitors were able to clear.  Moments later, however, Harriers were on the attack again with Christie making a dangerous run through the inside-right channel only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle by Abdou El-Kholti.

The second goal arrived in due course; another right-wing corner played short was knocked back to Jeff Kenna who swung a good cross into the penalty area to be met by the head of Creighton who marked his 100th appearance with a glancing header to record his fifth goal for the club.

With a comfortable two-goal cushion Harriers eased off the pressure a little and didn't press on and add to their advantage.  They were rarely threatened at the back, however, and Rushden's best chances both came from free-kicks by Andy Gooding but Chris MacKenzie was equal to them and was able to maintain a clean sheet for the eighth time in 18 games.