Spennymoor Town 1 Kidderminster Harriers 1 - Report
Kidderminster Harriers, already assured of a play-off place for promotion to the National League, made the trip to Harrogate to take on fellow promotion chasing Spennymoor Town and came away with a share of the spoils from a 1-1 draw.
With the Brewery Field pitch being deemed unplayable following an inspection on Monday afternoon, Spennymoor hastily arranged to use the CNG Stadium to ensure the fixture went ahead.
Harriers made one change to the side that defeated Tamworth on Saturday, Lee Vaughan returned after suspension to replace Kennedy Digie who dropped to the bench.
Spennymoor’s F A Trophy run and the postponements at their home ground were embarking on their first of six games in eleven days, five of which are ‘home’ fixtures, as Harriers looked to make it five successive league wins.
Harriers started brightly but Mani Sonupe saw his effort cancelled out for offside after just eight minutes before Elton Ngwatala forced a save from home keeper Dan Lowson.
James McQuilkin grazed the home bar with a dipping 30 yard free kick and Sam Austin drilled a twenty yard strike that Lowson did well to palm away.
On the stroke of half time the home side should have taken the lead, Glen Taylor fed the ball down the right for Ryan Hall whose right wing cross was swept goalwards by Mark Anderson but Brandon Hall diverted the ball onto an upright and collected the rebound.
It was the home side who started strongly in the second period, a wicked swerving effort from Glen Taylor crashed against the left hand upright before Hall made a second block.
Elton Ngwatala eased the visitors concerns, a thirty yard drive crashing into the net via the underside of the bar on 57 minutes put the visitors ahead.
Mani Sonupe had two further opportunities to extend the lead but Dan Lowson was equal to his efforts.
On 73 minutes a ball into the box caught Harriers flatfooted and Ryan Croasdale’s challenge on Anderson resulted in a spot kick which Glen Taylor duly dispatched past Brandon Hall via the left hand upright to draw Spennymoor level.
Joe Ironside spurned a late chance to take the three points for the Harriers looping his header over the Spennymoor bar.
Spennymoor: Lowden, Griffiths, Mason (Hall 36), Tait, Curtis, Chandler, Lowry, Johnson (Lowe 70), Anderson, Ramshaw, Taylor. Subs: Dixon, Porter, Fewster
Kidderminster Harriers: Hall, Vaughan L, Austin, O’Connor, Horsfall, Croasdale, Weeks, Ngwatala (Taylor 82), McQuilkin, Sonupe (Brown 71), Ironside. Subs: Waring, Digie, Vaughan N (g/k).
