Brackley Town 3 Kidderminster Harriers 1 - Report

Mark Yates side, fresh from defeating another promotion contender Spennymoor Town last weekend, failed to reach that performance and in doing so lost ground on the sides chasing a play-off place and extending their campaign beyond the end of the regular season.

Harriers were missing three key and influential midfielders for the trip to St James Park, Billy Daniels suffered an injury in training, Ed Williams returned from England C duty with a knock and Milan Butterfield was on International duty with Bermuda.

Brackley were immediately on the attack and tested the visitors defence, almost immediately Harriers buckled.

Given every opportunity to clear their lines, the visitors poor clearances being returned time and again, Harriers Joel Taylor misdirected a clearing header straight to the un-marked James Armson and he finished with a rasping right foot volley to open the scoring on 4 minutes.

Brackley were a constant threat, Carl Baker and Ellis Myles went close to adding to that scoreline inside the opening 10 minutes.

Despite further home pressure they could not add to that lead and on 37 minutes they paid for that as Joe Ironside was adjudged to have been caught by Connor Hall and the Harriers striker dusted himself down to net an equaliser from the penalty spot via the inside of the keepers left hand upright.

Brackley dominated for long periods of the second half but controversy surrounded the Saints second goal, Carl Baker’s 71st minute corner was headed goalwards by Shane Byrne and Lee Ndlovu steered the ball into the net from a yard out.

Harriers protests went unrewarded and Brackley finished the game as a contest on 78 minutes, substitute Luke Fairlamb jinxed his way into the Harriers box and Liam McAlinden’s attempted tackle resulted in a trip leaving Shane Byrne to round off the scoring, drilling the resultant penalty into the roof of the Harriers net.

Byrne hit a post and Fairlamb saw an effort deflected into the side netting as Brackley finished the stronger and gain the three points to strengthen their play – off aspirations.

Teams:

Brackley Town: Lewis, Myles, Murombadzi, Hall, Dean, Byrne, Armson (Fairlamb 78), Walker (Prosser 86), Lowe (Nti 90+1), Ndlovu, Baker. Subs Not Used: Jeffers, Jackson.

Kidderminster Harriers: Hall, Austin (Weeks 58), Taylor, Horsfall, Flowers, Johnson, Penn, Chambers, Ironside (Richards 84) , McAlinden, Thomas . Subs Not Used: Stratford, Higginson, Palmer.