Kidderminster Harriers 0(0) v (0)2 Fleetwood Town

Football Conference National - Aggborough - 9 March 2012

Attendance: 2341

Individual Stats
Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Fleetwood
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Tony Breeden      [31/1] Scott Davies     
Lee Vaughan     [2] Shaun Beeley     
Mickey Demetriou      [22/13] Alan Goodall     
Luke Jones      [4/5] Steve McNulty     
Mike Williams      [3/6] Nathan Pond     
Jack Byrne      [11/26] Peter Cavanagh     
Lee Hendrie      [34/19] Gareth Seddon     
Dan Bradley      [30/18] Jamie McGuire     
Steve Guinan     [9] Richard Brodie     
Anthony Malbon      [27/33] Jamie Vardy     
Marvin Johnson      [28/14] Andy Mangan     
Tom Marshall      [6/10] Magno Vieira     
Ryan Rowe      [10/11] Peter Till     
Nick Wright      [14/23] Kieran Charnock     
Callum Gittings      [18/27] Lee Fowler     
Dean Lyness      [21/34] David Stevenson     
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Kidderminster 12 1 6 3 8
Fleetwood 15 2 5 5 1
GOALS
Kidderminster Fleetwood
   53 Andy Mangan
   61 Richard Brodie
Formations
Kidderminster
   Breeden  
Vaughan Jones  Williams Demetriou
     
  Bradley  Byrne 
   Hendrie  Johnson
  Guinan  Malbon 
Fleetwood
   Davies  
Beeley McNulty  Pond Goodall
     
Seddon McGuire  Cavanagh Mangan
     
  Brodie  Vardy 
SUBSTITUTIONS
Kidderminster Fleetwood
67 Wright Johnson Wright to left wing, Malbon to right wing. Now 4-2-3-1. 32 Fowler Seddon Fowler to right central midfield, McGuire to attacking midfield, Mangan to left wing, Vardy to right wing.  Now 4-2-3-1.
76 Rowe Guinan Rowe to striker. 79 Vieira Brodie Vieira to striker.
89 Gittings Hendrie Gittings to attacking midfield.     
BOOKINGS
Kidderminster Fleetwood
Malbon 43 Foul  Brodie 79 Dissent 
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
Match Report by St@tto

Despite being the better team for an hour Harriers were beaten as Fleetwood showed why they are league leaders.

The game was absorbing throughout the first half without ever springing to life, or having the drama of the corresponding fixture last season. Harriers, who welcomed back Mickey Demetriou, Dan Bradley and Steve Guinan to the starting line-up, had most of the possession and more of the chances but couldn't make the breakthrough before the interval.

Midway through the first half Harriers opened up the visitors when Lee Vaughan was allowed to run through the inside right channel into the danger area; his shot was blocked, as was Guinan's follow-up.  When the ball was half cleared as far as Demetriou his cross to the far post was inviting but not quite in time for Marvin Johnson to control and he could only steer his shot into the side netting.

Things might have been different for Harriers had Bradley's shot four minutes before the break that hit the post gone in instead of spinning outwards, or Guinan been able to steer the rebound past Scott Davies to give Harriers a half-time lead.  As it was the chance wasn't taken and the teams went into the break all-square after Jamie Vardy's shot in the last minute of the half was held low down by Tony Breeden.

Six minutes after the break Harriers had another good chance to break the deadlock and change the course of the game but Anthony Malbon was unable to reach Marvin Johnson's low cross when any touch would have had the ball in the back of the net.  Within a couple of minutes Fleetwood were ahead; Vardy and Lee Fowler, who had come on as a first half substitute, combined with the latter setting up Andy Mangan who lashed in a shot from outside the penalty area that left Breeden rooted to the spot as it flew past him.

Harriers were still in the game at this point but they had the stuffing knocked out of them on the hour when Town doubled their lead; Harriers failed to clear Alan Goodall's corner from the right, both Fowler and Mangan were able to hit the ball back into the danger area and Richard Brodie hooked the ball in with the help of a deflection off Lee Vaughan.

At two down Harriers' heads dropped and they were unable to find a way back into the game, their standard of performance dropping from its earlier levels. Fleetwood were able to comfortably control the remainder of the match,  ensuring that Harriers were kept at arm's length.  When Harriers did find a way through, though, the crucial difference between the sides - that Fleetwood took chances that came their way - became apparent again as first Guinan headed weakly at Davies from Lee Hendrie's cross and then Bradley hit a shot from distance that went over the bar.

The victory lifted Fleetwood even further clear at the top of the table, increasing the gap over second-placed Wrexham to eight points.