Cambridge United 2(1) v (0)1 Kidderminster Harriers

Football Conference National - Abbey Stadium - 12 August 2008

Attendance: 3008

Individual Stats
Cambridge
Shots
Fouls
Off.
v Kidderminster
Shots
Fouls
Off.
 
On
Off
For
Ag
     
On
Off
For
Ag
 
Danny Potter 6 0(3) 0 0 0 0[1] Adam Bartlett 6 0(4) 0 0 0 0
Dan Gleeson 5 0 1 2 0 0[2] Paul Bignot 5 0 0 1 0 0
Anthony Tonkin 6 0 0 0 0 0 [3/23] Michael Bowler 5 0 0 1 1 0
Phil Bolland 5 0 0 0 0 0 [5/6] Luke Jones 5 0 0 1 1 0
Wayne Hatswell 5 0 1 0 0 0 [6/5] Mark Creighton 5 0 1 3 0 0
Paul Carden 5 0 0 0 2 0 [15/4] Andy Ferrell 5 0 3 1 2 0
Robbie Willmott 5 0 0 0 0 0 [18/10] Russ Penn 6 1(1) 0 2 0 0
Jon Challinor 5 0 0 3 0 0 [10/8] Darryl Knights 5 0 1 0 1 0
Lee McEvilly 8 3(1) 1 1 4 1 [9/11] Justin Richards 6 1 2 0 0 3
Mark Beesley 6 2(2) 2 1 1 0 [7/9] Matthew Barnes-Homer 6 1(1) 2 1 0 0
Felino Jardim 6 1(1) 0 0 3 1 [20/7] Simon Russell 7 1(1) 0 0 0 0
Josh Coulson      [12/16] Martin Brittain 5 0 1 0 2 0
Ben Farrell      [16/17] David McDermott 5 0 1 0 0 0
Gavin Hoyte      [17/18] Martin Riley     
Chris Jones 5 0 0 0 0 0 [19/20] Dean Bennett 5 0 0 0 0 0
Darren Quinton      [23/12] Dean Coleman     
Team Stats
  Fouls Conceded Offside Corners Shots On Shots off
Cambridge 10 2 6 6 5
Kidderminster 7 3 4 4 11
GOALS
Cambridge Kidderminster
27 Lee McEvilly  90 Justin Richards 
61 Lee McEvilly    
Formations
Cambridge
   Potter  
Gleeson Bolland  Hatswell Tonkin
     
Willmott Challinor  Carden Jardim
     
  McEvilly  Beesley 
Kidderminster
   Bartlett  
Bignot Jones  Creighton Bowler
   Ferrell  
Penn    Russell
   Knights  
  Richards  Barnes-Homer 
SUBSTITUTIONS
Cambridge Kidderminster
82 Jones Willmott Jones to right midfield. 59 Brittain Knights Brittain to right midfield, Penn to right central midfield, Ferrell to left central midfield.  Now 4-4-2.
     73 McDermott Russell McDermott to left central midfield, Ferrell to left midfield.
     90+ Bennett Penn Bennett to left central midfield, McDermott to left midfield, Ferrell to right central midfield.
BOOKINGS
Cambridge Kidderminster
Challinor 70 Time Wasting
Jardim 77 Foul
Carden 90+ Foul
  Ferrell 45 Foul 
Referee: Andy Halliday (London)
Match Report by St@tto

Cambridge finally laid to rest their Harriers hoodoo, recording their first victory over them since September 1959, with a solid all-round performance that was too strong for a young Harriers side still finding its feet.

There were changes to the Harriers line-up from the side that had drawn with Lewes in the opening fixture of the season three days earlier; on-loan left back Lee Baker had a knee injury and was left out, Paul Bignot came in for his first start of the season and Dean Bennett dropped down to the bench in favour of Matthew Barnes-Homer.

A frenetic opening period saw both sides playing at a hundred miles an hour in the first fifteen minutes but with little end product to show for their endeavours.  On 17 minutes Andy Ferrell was on hand to clear the danger after Adam Bartlett had flapped at Felino Jardim's left wing cross, and shortly afterwards was clearing up again after Bartlett had punched clear Lee McEvilly's header.

At the other end Harriers finally threatened when Simon Russell got clear on the left and slipped the ball inside to Darryl Knights, taking on one of his former clubs, who helped it on to Barnes-Homer who swiveled on the edge of the penalty area and hit a shot straight at Danny Potter in the United goal.  Harriers were made to rue the missed opportunity a minute later; possession was lost in midfield, Jon Challinor slid the ball through the inside-left channel to Mark Beesley who got into the penalty area and saw his low cross-shot parried by Bartlett to McEvilly who was left with an easy finish to open the scoring.  Before the break Harriers should have been level; Russ Penn hit a long range shot that Potter could only parry, the ball ran to Russell who had most of the goal to aim at but hit his shot straight at the stricken keeper.

Early in the second half Harriers went Route One in an attempt to get back on level terms; Bartlett's long clearance was chested down by Justin Richards to Knights who hit a 30-yard shot just wide of Potter's right-hand post.  McEvilly was a thorn in Harriers' side all evening and could have doubled the advantage on 58 minutes with a 25-yard free-kick that beat the wall but also beat the post, albeit by a matter of inches.  On the hour he did manage to grab his second goal of the night; Jardim got free on the left, his cross found the burly striker completely unmarked in the penalty area and he was able to plant a firm header into the back of the net.

By now Harriers' heads had started to drop; plenty of endeavour was gaining them no reward and they appeared incapable of getting themselves back into the game; Richards should have done better than head Ferrell's left wing cross wide of the near post.  Back at the other end United continued to look dangerous and Beesley whistled a header narrowly wide of the near post from Anthony Tonkin's left-wing cross.

Right at the death Harriers pulled a goal back; David McDermott's shot from the edge of the penalty area, through a crowd of legs, was turned in by Richards for his second goal of the season to spark a last-ditch bout of attacking in stoppage time from the visitors but United were able to weather the storm to maintain their 100% start to the season.