Kidderminster Harriers 3-0 Peterborough Sports (National League North)
After missing out on non league day last weekend (due to international duty), I'm back to bread and butter today as I head off to Aggborough, home of Kidderminster Harriers who are currently the form team flying high in the National League North.
Kiddy are second behind Scunthorpe having won eight of their last nine league matches (drawing the other) as Phil Brown's side stamp their mark on a promotion race that looks to be going down to the wire.
Scunny last week beat another title rival Chester in front of over 8,000 fans at Glanford Park, a record for the sixth tier of English football, they are two points ahead of Kidderminster with only one automatic place for promotion into the National League next season, whoever finishes second will have to make do with the playoffs.
Peterborough Sports are mid table, nothing really for them to play for but pride and points for places, too far from the playoff race they ain't going down either, the Turbines player manager who plays today at centre half, Michael Gash, used to be a goalscoring striker for Kidderminster.
I'm out the door for midday, across the M42, M6 and M5 looping over Birmingham. The Worcestershire town famous for its textiles in years gone by is a bit of a long winded location to get to for me. An hour and half but ending with some country roads through pastures green, I'm through the stunning village of Belbroughton, then Harvington and Stone before finally reaching Hoo Road for little after 1:30pm, parking up about as near as I can get to the ground without having to pay, and without annoying the locals who have up blue 'no football parking' signs outside their houses.
The Venue
I'm walking past the Kiddy Winks Day nursery who I think are missing a trick not opening their car park for a few quid. Into the courtyard of the Main Stand to realise it's ten to two and they haven't even opened the turnstiles yet.
There's catering trucks and cars for sale in the courtyard, a barista coffee station ahead of entrance, the doors finally open at 2pm and a small queue of fans head in, I follow with a scanned ticket the club sent me by email on Friday morning.
Inside it really is of League Two quality this place. Holding over 6,000 each stand is large, modern looking, equal in height and length. Two seated stands across the pitch, two standing at each end, the left side packed with home support ahead of kick off, singing and swaying like they would in the 1960s, the opposite side has just eighteen who made the trip from Peterborough.
The Game
Phil Brown's side take it to their opponents early doors. It's not pretty but both teams play with high intensity to get it away from their own goal as quickly as possible, to press and probe the opposition in their final third.
I've noticed Kiddy's eleven includes six 30 plus players today. One impressing is journeyman Tope Obadeyi who's resume has seventeen different clubs in 21 separate spells. He's been racing down the left like a young seventeen year old before he's found in the open by another thirty plus pro, David Worrall on loan from Barrow has an age to get a cross in from the right, he floats a lovely ball into the box and Tope can't miss.
That goal settles some nerves but it's hardly a classic, the home side grafting against a team that is gritty, but dangerous on the break. They have pace in Michael Gyasi and a few young loanees add dynamism, but Kidderminster's experience pulls through, they know the game, know the level, and are certainly a level above their opponents today.
The Score
At half time I'm sniffing and sneezing from a bit of hayfever I've picked up so make no attempts to talk with anyone as I'm not in the mood.
No changes at the break, it's more of the same as Kidderminster press with more of the ball, Peterborough look to break, on occasion Gyasi gets released, but it's the away team who fall into the trap of sending too many players forward. Gash wins a header on half way but Hemmings is quick to react, he finds Worrall who slides in Brown and with the Sports defenders trudging back windmill arms behind him, the Harriers midfielder breaks the lines to run in on goal and dink over the keeper.
Within a few minutes Brown adds a third after good work by Kouhyar, a good day for the leggy midfielder who stabs home his second of the match, a sixth of the season, he's played really well today. Kidderminster have played really well and cruise through the last twenty as a laid back looking Phil Brown often smiles with the fans who join in with the odd joke behind him.
The Stars
26-year old Zak Brown may have stole the show with his deep running from centre field but other top performers from the home side come largely from the 30 plus category, Amari Morgan-Smith won the sponsors man of the match to the applause of his manager upon announcement, he battled brilliantly with the Sports centre halves and won his fair share of flick-ons, put himself about and was a perfect target man for the Harriers runners. One of which, Ashley Hemmings did well in a neat role as number ten, elegantly strutting with the ball forwards, Tope Obadeyi down the left flying, on the right, from deep, David Worrall possessing a wand of a right foot, David Davis in front of the back line offering an experienced calm head.
Defensively on occasion they were tested, but Christian Dibble's goal never breached, Reiss McNally at centre half was good next to Kyle Morrison, Caleb Richards at left back did well, whilst late on, Joe Foulkes returned after injury to come on off the bench, he's a right back I really like, still only 21 he still has time for a top career.
As for Peterborough, well plenty of youngsters on loan who looked to have potential. The tall Jamie Pardington on loan from Lincoln City doing ok in goal, the pony-tailed Alfie Atherton on loan from Sheffield United working hard in midfield, whilst eighteen year old Sam Straughan-Brown with bright blonde hair had something about him, he took most of the set plays, looked decent on the ball and is currently on the books of Doncaster Rovers.
In midfield, Hugh Alban-Jones is a neat footballer and one of my favourites in the Turbines team, whilst Michael Gyasi's game seems to have come in with experience, now 25 he's as quick as most but is starting to become more powerful with better hold up play, a striker for this level and perhaps above for a good few more years I bet.
The Verdict
I wondered if Kidderminster's veterans would have the legs to beat Peterborough, they proved it was easy enough, but do they have the legs to go the distance? I'm not sure of their balance, but I am sure they have a team playing for their Manager and in Phil Brown (and Neil McDonald) they are lead by two experienced task masters who have what it takes to take them back up to the next level, staying their would mean they need to invest in youth, even if they miss out on promotion this season, they may still have to invest in youth.
Peterborough rely on those locally around them to help them out when needed, a good side with good players, a good management duo in Michael Gash and Luke Steele, but they are punching way above weight already with a thin squad, my concern is the loan market might not always pay dividends? They'll be ok this season, but will need to keep chopping and changing in the summer to just keep their head above water next, a thankless task for a small football club who's trying to mix it with the big boys.
The Teams
Kidderminster Harriers: Christian Dibble, Caleb Richards, Reiss McNally (Paul Downing 79), David Worrall (Joe Foulkes 72), Amari Morgan-Smith, Ashley Hemmings (Riley Reynolds 75), Zak Brown (Ben Beresford 79), Maz Kouhyar, Kyle Morrison, Tope Obadeyi, David Davis.
Peterborough Sports: Jamie Pardington, Elliot Putman, Ryan Fryatt, Kaine Felix, Hugh Alban Jones (Ben Challinor 88), Alfie Atherton (Mark Jones 60), MJ Kamara (Jonas Mukuna 75), Michael Gyasi (Tyler Winters 88), Michael Gash, Matthew Bondswell (William Van Lier 61), Sam Straughan-Brown.
3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 29th March 2025, Aggborough Stadium, Kidderminster (att 2,825).
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