Stafford 1 Kidderminster 0
Stafford will take the most encouragement from this game between two sides that competed against each other in the Blue Square Premier last season.
Stafford will take the most encouragement from this game between two sides that competed against each other in the Blue Square Premier last season.
A disjointed game saw Kidderminster dominated the first half but fail to convert their chances. Stafford got through plenty of defensive work in this period.
After Kidderminster manager Mark Yates made wholesale changes with eight players being replaced, Stafford, who made only two through injury, took the opportunity to make the running.
Reputed Walsall target Russ Penn had the first shot for Kidderminster and set up the second for on-trial David McDermott.
In fact, Stafford goalkeeper Danny Alcock was called upon a number of times in the first period, most notably when he tipped over an angled shot from Andy Ferrell on 38 minutes.
Rangers' defender Alex Gibson was also needed to head off the line from Justin Richards.
The other incident of note in the first period came when Luke Jones and Nick Wellecomme suffered a nasty clash of heads early on, with neither returning to action.
Yates made his substitutions on 55 minutes, with Marco Addagio coming on against his former club. One of the subs, trialist Martin Brittain almost made an immediate impact. He was played in by Brian Smikle but his shot was well saved again by Alcock.
Then Stafford came into the game for the first time, with a snap shot from David McNiven and a low volley by new signing Dave McPherson both testing keeper Adam Bartlett.
Another new Stafford signing, former Hucknall midfielder Bobby Wilson, had a purple patch in the 82nd minute. After flashing a header wide, he scored the winner two minutes later with a lovely strike.
McPherson flicked on a free-kick from Andre Frances and Wilson, with his back to goal, turned and flicked the ball into the net.
Five minutes later he almost doubled the lead. He just could not get control of a long pass from Wayne Daniel, when he would have been free if he could have controlled it. Addagio then headed over for Harriers late on.
Stafford: Danny Alcock, Andre Francis, Alex Gibson, Stuart Pierpoint, Wayne Daniel, Nick Amos, Bobby Wilson, Dave MacPherson, David McNiven, Nick Wellecomme, Mike Vickers. Subs Used: Lindon Dovey, Tom Ingram.
Kidderminster: Adam Bartlett, Andy Ferrell, Mark Creighton, Luke Jones, Simon Russell, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Russ Penn, Justin Richards, Dvid McDermott, Dean Bennett, Mike Bowler. Subs used: David Knights, Paul Bignot, Brian Smikle, Michael McGrath, Martin Brittain, Marco Addagio, Sam Foley, Dean Coleman, Aaron Griffiths.
Referee: Ian Scarr (Birmingham)
Attendance: 250
