Harriers maintained their perfect League record with their second win in a row spoiling Darlington's party as
11600 people turned up to celebrate the opening of the new Reynolds Arena.
In a quite opening period which often had the air of a pre-season game, Harriers had the best of the play and
created the best of the goalscoring chances. After just four minutes Dean Bennett escaped on the right
wing and played the ball in to Bo Henriksen, restored to the starting line-up after missing the midweek trip
to Ipswich through injury, and the Dane turned and rifled a shot into the side netting at the near post. At
the other end Darlington best chance of the half arrived after ten minutes, a left wing corner was punched clear
by Stuart Brock only as far as Neil Maddison on the edge of the penalty area who hit a rising drive over the
bar and into the Harriers fans behind the goal.
Harriers still looked the most likely to score and seven minutes later Henriksen had another chance, this time
Andy Collett in the home goal pushed his effort away for a corner. Just after the half hour mark the
home team felt that they should have had a penalty when Barry Conlon ran into the penalty area challenging
with Craig Hinton. The Harriers man won the tussle hooking the ball away so Conlon threw himself to
the ground in an outrageous dive and referee Atkinson waved play on. Two minutes before the interval
The Quakers created another good opening, Ryan Valentine crossed from deep on the right to the far post where
conlon could only direct the ball into the side netting.
After the break Harriers stepped up a gear, Andu Bishop came on to replace John Williams and was soon in the
thick of the action receiving a pass from Henriksen and hitting a first time shot from just outside the penalty
area tht Collett did well to save. After 51 minutes Collett came to Darlington's rescue again, Sam
Shilton saw space open up in fron t of him as he ran at the defence and hit a low shot with his "wrong"
foot that the keeper just managed to turn away.
Within seconds play had switched to the other end and the home team had a corner on the right, the ball was
played deep to the far post where Conlon rose well and headed back across goal but Shilton was on hand to
clear off the line and then Maddison's follow-up shot was saved by Brock.
The opening goal was not long in coming, Bishop was upended by Craig Liddle just outside the penalty area in
the inside left channel. Danny Williams stepped up to take the free-kick and blasted a shot that burst
through the defensive wall and into the roof of Collett's net. Six minutes later the lead was doubled,
Scott Stamps intercepted a Darlington attack and played the ball forward, Bishop received it with his back to
goal 30 yards out and he turned and hit a dipping shot over the despairing reach of Collett and into the net
off the crossbar.
Staring at a two-goal deficit Darlington heads dropped and from then on there was only going to be one winner
of the game. Sixteen minutes from the end Bishop latched onto a chipped pass from Danny Williams cut
inside his marker and curled a shot towards the top corner that Collett managed to keep out. Four minutes
later Kenny Coleman was allowed a clear run through the home defence on the right and crossed to the far post
where Bishop was again on hand but headed just wide from six yards out. Darlington did manage to give
Harriers one late scare in the last minute, substitute Chris Hughes beat Stamps off the ball and had a clear
run at goal but he played to ball square to Mark Sheeran who fired weakly at Brock.
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