KIDDERMINSTER H 1 WOKING 1

Kidderminster Harriers 1 Woking 1
17 November 2007

Giuseppe Sole?s sweetly-taken goal in the 85th minute rescued what had seemed an unlikely point for the Cards at Aggborough this afternoon in a game in which the Harriers had had most of the possession and Woking had fallen behind to a ?soft? penalty ?earned? and converted by Justin Richards before the interval. The Harriers will be kicking themselves for not taking all three points, while Woking will rejoice in yet another hard-earned point on their travels.

Adam Green replaced the suspended Danny Bunce on the left side of the defence and 17 year-old Ross Worner started again in goal in place of the injured Nick Gindre. Matt Pattison was once more played in a right wing-back role, with Goma Lambu ahead of him.

In front of the Setanta cameras Woking started fairly brightly, winning two early corners, but Ross Worner was soon called into action, coming well off his line to punch away a hanging cross, as the Harriers? mobile front line began to get into gear, and then blocking a downward header.

Woking responded with several minutes of sustained attacking play, with Marvin Morgan executing a sharp turn before shooting well wide of the far post. Too often, though, as the half progressed, moves broke down through misplaced passes, Bradley Quamina being a particular culprit. However, a quick free-kick from Jay Gasson led to two more corners, from the second of which Goma Lambu shot high and wide.

From about the mid-point of the half the Harriers began increasingly to pen the Cards in their half. McGrath shot well over, with Justin Richards free outside him, before being brought down in the ?D? by Goma Lambu. Fortunately, the free-kick too sailed over the bar. The Woking defence continued to stand firm, with Paul Lorraine making a couple of excellent headed clearances, before Ross Worner ? now clearly suffering from a thigh strain ? blocked James Constable?s shot after Justin Richards had played him in.

Woking?s only response at this stage was a back header from Marvin Morgan, which MacKenzie took comfortably under the bar, and a weak effort from Jay Gasson.

The Harriers? breakthrough, when it came in the 37th minute, was somewhat fortuitous. As a high ball came into the box, Justin Richards appeared to nudge Tom Hutchinson sufficiently to force him to attempt to head the ball above Justin, who promptly crashed to the ground like the proverbial sack of potatoes. Quite a few referees wouldn?t have given the penalty, but Mr Hooper did, booking Tom in the process, and Justin converted with ease.

The danger now was that a demoralised Woking might quickly concede a second, and the Harriers did indeed come close just before half-time. Tom Hutchinson blocked an effort from Richards, Smikle headed wide from a corner and then Ross Worner got down superbly to smother a shot from James Constable, who had cleverly snaked into the area.

Half-time: Kidderminster Harriers 1 Woking 0

The second half started fairly quietly, with the Harriers continuing to have most of the play, and often passing nicely, but rarely threatening the Woking goal. For the Cards, the only notable feature was a surging run and shot from Matt Pattison. Frank Gray seemed to take this as a signal to push Matt further forward. Goma Lambu came off, replaced by Jerome Maledon, and Liam Marum replaced Joe Gatting, who had not had much joy again up front.

The changes did not seem to make a great deal of difference, and it was Kidderminster who threatened once more as both Justin Richards and Brian Smikle failed to get efforts on target. At the other end, Marvin Morgan showed attacking intent but too often wasted possession by holding onto the ball for too long or, one occasion, by crossing it into an area where there was no Woking player in sight.

Ross Worner demonstrated his bravery in the 70th minute by coming out to block a ball even though collision with Smikle was almost inevitable. Fortunately, both players recovered after treatment. Ross then held on cleanly to a low free-kick.

In the 77th minute Frank Gray threw on Giuseppe Sole in place of Bradley Quamina. Woking began to spring into life but not before Justin Richards had shot wastefully once more. A decent passing move saw Gez?s shot blocked on the edge of the area. Another attack broke down as Marvin Morgan could not hold the ball up and a flicked pass from Matt Pattison went astray. Kidderminster looked to take advantage on the break as the Cards pressed forward but then the unexpected happened. A high ball was played into Gez, with his back to the goal a few yards out. In one move, he killed the ball cleanly, turned the defender and shot left-footed past the despairing MacKenzie to give the Cards the equaliser.

Those TV viewers who had turned off their sets during a rather soporific second half then missed ten minutes of end-to-end play as both sides went for a second goal: Woking suddenly boosted by the equaliser and the Harriers realising that they were in severe danger of conceding two points. A Harriers? effort flew off the top of Paul Lorraine?s head and narrowly over the bar, while a Woking break saw Gez and Liam just thwarted by the Harriers? defence. Matt Pattison flung in two crosses; Marvin Morgan and Kevin James tried a wall-pass routine; and the Harriers went close with a header before the referee signalled that the hectic four minutes of overtime were over.

This was a game which the Harriers should have won in view of all their possession but all credit to Woking for sticking to their guns right till the end. Frank will be very pleased with another away point but will know that we still have a lot of work to do, especially in creating more chances.

Woking: Ross Worner, Paul Lorraine, Tom Hutchinson, Jay Gasson, Matt Pattison, Goma Lambu (Jerome Maledon, 56) Bradley Quamina (Giuseppe Sole, 77), Kevin James, Joe Gatting (Liam Marum, 56), Marvin Morgan

Subs not used: Matt Ruby, Matt Gray

Booked: Tom Hutchinson

Attendance: 1426

My MOTM: The vote has to go to Ross Worner (pictured), who, apart from a couple of fluffed kicks, did everything right, including making a couple of fine saves, and overcoming a thigh strain too. Not bad for a 17 year-old making only his second first team start! An honourable mention too to Paul Lorraine, unfairly criticised of late in my view.