Altrincham 0(0) v (1)1 Kidderminster Harriers

Football Conference National - Moss Lane - 27 January 2007

Attendance: 1116

Individual Stats
Altrincham
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Stuart Coburn 5 0(2) 0 0 0 0 [1] Scott Bevan 7 0(3) 0 0 0 0
Steve Aspinall 5 0 0 1 1 0 [2] Jeff Kenna 7 0 0 0 0 0
Andy Scott 5 0 0 0 0 0 [22/11] Michael Blackwood 7 0 0 0 1 0
Karl Munroe 5 0 0 3 1 0 [17/6] Stuart Whitehead 7 0 0 1 1 0
Peter Band 5 0 0 3 1 0 [4/5] Mark Creighton 6 0 0 0 3 0
Val Owen 5 1 0 0 0 0 [8/4] Gavin Hurren 5 0 0 0 0 0
Robbie Lawton 5 1(w) 1 2 1 0 [7/18] Brian Smikle 6 1 3 1 0 0
Lewis Chalmers 5 1(1) 1 3 1 0 [14/7] Jake Sedgemore 6 0 1 0 0 0
Colin Little 5 1(1) 0 4 0 1 [9] Andy White 5 0 1 2 3 1
Joe O'Neill 5 0 0 0 1 1 [12/26] James Constable 6 1(1) 2 1 5 2
Warren Peyton 6 2(1) 1 0 0 1 [11/15] Simon Russell 5 0 3 0 2 0
Rod Thornley 5 0 0 1 0 0 [10/14] Luke Reynolds 5 1(1) 0 0 1 0
Peter Thompson 5 0 0 0 0 0 [16/17] Michael McGrath 5 0 0 0 0 0
Pat McFadden       [18/19] Scott Eaton      
Chris Senior 5 1 0 0 0 0 [19/27] Dean Craven 6 0 0 1 1 0
Stephen Rose       [20/13] Steve Taylor      
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Altrincham 6 3 4 7 3
Kidderminster 17 4 4 2 11
GOALS
Altrincham Kidderminster
      
Formations
Altrincham
   Coburn   
Aspinall Munroe   Band Scott
     
Lawton Chalmers   Owen Peyton
     
  Little   O'Neill  
Kidderminster
   Bevan   
Kenna Whitehead   Creighton Blackwood
     
Smikle Sedgemore   Hurren Russell
     
  White   Constable  
SUBSTITUTIONS
Altrincham Kidderminster
46 Thornley Owen Thornley to right midfield, Lawton to left central midfield. 12 Craven Hurren Craven to left central midfield.
71 Senior Scott Senior to left midfield, Peyton to left back. 66 Reynolds White Reynolds to striker.
81 Thompson O'Neill Thompson to striker. 90+ McGrath Craven McGrath to left central midfield.
BOOKINGS
Altrincham Kidderminster
    
Referee: P. Quinn (tbc)
Match Report by St@tto

Harriers unbeaten run now stands at eleven games having now won the last eight; the last time that they achieved that feat was in September and October 1993 with a run that began their charge towards the Conference title.

Brian Smikle's 13th minute goal was enough to win the game, it was his first in a Harriers shirt although it should have been his second; after just six minutes Jeff Kenna's searching pass down the right wing had picked out James constable who pulled the ball back to the near post where Smikle fired his shot across the face of goal.  The goal again followed good work by Constable who battled his way through the heart of the home defence before getting in a shot that was turned in from close range by Smikle.  Harriers had been  hampered already by the loss of Gavin Hurren to injury after 11 minutes, his replacement was surprise new signing Dean Craven, newly arrived as emergency cover from AFC Telford United.

The home team had a lot of possession, particularly with the wind at their backs in the first half, but they didn't really threaten Scott Bevan in the Harriers goal until shortly before the break when a corner from the right was only half cleared and fell to Warren Peyton who shot was held just under the bar by the Harriers stopper.  Soon afterwards they went close again after Bevan had dropped a cross under pressure but both Stuart Whitehead and Michael Blackwood got back to cover and clear off the line in the ensuing scramble.

The game was never pretty, the blustery wind preventing good football by either side, and a determined performance by the home team stopped Harriers from fully getting into their stride.  Smikle could have shifted the balance of power further towards harriers on the hour mark when, following a good run by Michael Blackwood on the left wing set up Andy White, his shot was deflected to Smikle who lashed the ball over the bar from close range.

At the other end Robbie Lawton almost leveled the scores when his low shot beat Bevan and came back off the post and then moments later Bevan flapped at a corner from the right but Jake Sedgemore got back to clear Colin Little's shot off the line.  In the closing minutes of the game Harriers sub Luke Reynolds had a good shot tipped over the bar by Stuart Coburn that would have settled the result.  Instead Harriers were forced to hang on a little longer as first a last-minute shot from Lewis Chalmers was fired straight at Bevan and then in stoppage time Little, chasing a long ball, held off Kenna before getting in a sharp shot that Bevan tipped over.  Constable had the last chance of the game when put clear of the home defence he fired narrowly wide across the face of goal.