FA Trophy 2nd Round Replay: Stockport County 3 Kidderminster Harriers 0
Kidderminster Harriers netted two late goals to force this replay at Edgeley Park with the winners being drawn away to Vanarama National League side Maidenhead United, but there was to be no repeat as poor finishing put paid to the Trophy hopes as they went down 3-0 to Stockport County..
Illness and injury decimated the Harriers squad who were forced to make four changes to the starting line-up, Elton Ngwatala, James McQuilkin, Joe Ironside and Lee Vaughan along with Andre Wright and Tom Palmer were missing, although Ironside and Vaughan were listed on the bench with two academy players Tom Smith and Harry Stratford.
Harriers were wasteful after a dominating first half display, Dan Bradley and Liam Truslove both went close on more than one occasion, in fact Harriers could have been four up in the opening twenty minutes.
But as on Saturday Harriers paid for their errors, Stockport built down the right before playing the ball into Jason Oswell, the striker steadied himself before playing in Rhys Turner and the winger calmly drove the ball across Brandon Hall into the bottom right corner of the goal on 25 minutes.
It could have been worse for the visitors who, after spurning yet more chances, almost conceded another goal ten minutes before the break, the lively Oswell, thwarted by Hall’s point blank save.
Harriers pressed again after the break Bradley saw an effort deflected wide, Mani Sonupe fired wide as he raced onto a near post flick from Declan Weeks’ corner.
Try as they might Harriers could not find a breakthrough, Sam Austin forced a save from Ian Ormson, Weeks sidefooted over from 18 yards and James Pearson shot narrowly wide all to no avail.
On 74 minutes Stockport made the tie safe, Ben McKenna jinxing into the box to drill a low shot that took a deflection off Pearson and over the stranded Hall.
That knocked the stuffing out of Harriers, Bohan Dixon wasted two chances late on before giving a somewhat distorted look on the scoreline as Pearson brought down Darren Stephenson and Dixon sent Hall the wrong way from the resultant spot kick.
Stockport County: Ormson, Thomas, Duxbury, Ball, Clarke, O’Halloran, Winter, Oswell (Downing 90), Dixon, Turner (McKenna 60), Stephenson (Etches 90). Subs Not Used: Hinchcliffe, Whitty
Kidderminster Harriers: Hall, Pearson, Austin, O’Connor, Horsfall, Croasdale, Weeks (Ironside 61), Truslove, Brown(Smith 90), Sonupe, Bradley (Vaughan 75). Subs Not Used Stratford.
