Express & Star

Peterborough 2 Kidderminster Harriers 3 - match report

A wonder strike from Joe Lolley earned Kidderminster Harriers a stunning FA Cup win at League One Peterborough United.

Published

In what could be his last game for the club before an expected move to Huddersfield Town, Lolley got the winner with 14 minutes remaining when he beat home keeper Bobby Olejnik from 25 yards out.

Tommy Rowe had earlier put the hosts ahead but goals early in the second half from Michael Gash and Jack Byrne turned the game on its head.

Britt Assombalonga put the hosts level from the spot but Lolley had the final say on an historic night for Harriers.

The Aggborough side will now travel to Premier League Sunderland in the fourth round after a magnificent display.

Andy Thorn's side were more than a match for their hosts throughout the night and after a first half in which they trailed to a sloppy goal, brought the game to life courtesy of Gash and Byrne's goals which came in the opening six minutes of the second half.

Assombalonga's leveller meant little as Lolley won it two minutes later.

Thorn named an unchanged side to the one which beat Salisbury 3-0 on Saturday in his first game in charge.

After a quiet opening from both sides, Harriers Lee Fowler had the first attempt of the game but shot wide from just inside the box after pouncing on a loose ball.

Lolley then fired into the arms of Olejnik from a Michael Gash cross, while Shaun Jeffers nodded over at the other end.

Harriers were perhaps the better side but on 24 minutes fell behind to an incredibly sloppy goal. Danny Kearns' cross looked to have been overhit but was not dealt with by keeper Lewis and Rowe bundled the ball home at the far post.

The visitors looked shell-shocked for a while but gradually began to work their way into the game and after Byrne was inches away from connecting with a Jackman cross, Morgan-Smith wasted a great chance to level when he could only fire straight at Olejnik from just inside the box after being played in by Gash.

Lolley drilled a shot over and saw another blocked. But it was the hosts who ended the half stronger and Lewis had to claw away a Knight-Pecival effort while Jeffers was twice off target from close range.

Harriers needed a spark and got it within three minutes of the restart. Jackman delivered a pinpoint cross and Gash arrived unmarked to head past Olejnik and send the away support into rapture.

Posh came back and Little struck the post within a minute of the restart but suddenly Harriers were ahead.

Lolley broke down the right and found Byrne on the edge of the box, who had time to pick his spot and fire past Olejnik and into the bottom corner.

Posh boss Darren Ferguson threw on Grant McCann and Danny Swanson as the hosts hunted a leveller and the latter forced Lewis into a diving save as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

They did get level when Assombalonga was brought down by Vaughan and stepped up to send Lewis the wrong way from the spot.

But within two minutes Harriers lead was restored in stunning fashion. Lolley cut in from the right wing and fired an unstoppable shot inside Olejnik's near post from 25 yards out.

Jeffers headed over from six yards as the clock ticked down and the increasingly desperate hosts pushed forward.

But in truth they never came close to ruining the fairytale as Harriers secured a deserved win.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.