Kidderminster boss Russ Penn emotional after FA Cup heroics
Emotional boss Russ Penn admitted to being almost lost for words after Kidderminster Harriers knocked Reading out of the FA Cup.
Captain Sam Austin and Amari Morgan-Smith got the goals as non-league Harriers came from behind to stun the Championship strugglers 2-1 at a packed out Aggborough.
George Puskas had fired the Royals in front late in the first half but Harriers, of the National League North, were deserved winners of the third round tie.
Penn is dreaming of drawing Wolves, his boyhood club, in the fourth round.
He said: “I'm stuck for words. I'm so proud of the players and the football club.
“We know it's a one-off, up against a Championship side and we've exceeded expectations.
“At half-time, we said it's about staying in the game, and when we got the equaliser, it felt like there was only going to be one winner. We've got plenty of heart.
“We had our objectives for this season and this was one of them.”
All eyes are now on Sunday’s fourth round draw. Wolves host Sheffield United earlier that afternoon.
Penn said: “I'm a Wolves fan but never as a footballer I never played there. So selfishly I''d love to play there, but they've got a tough game tomorrow.
“But Wolves, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea - it's mad to even be talking about these clubs.
“We want to be a League club and that's our overall objective. But these are the days that will never leave the memories of these players.”
The one sour note on a day was a mass pitch invasion following the full-time which threatened to turn nasty when a large group of Harriers supporters confronted the travelling fans.
Furious Reading boss Veljko Paunovic claimed the safety of his players had been put at risk.
He said: "We understand the excitement. I was very worried for their safety because it was too close and aggressive. The safety of all of us was put in jeopardy and even worse things could have happened.
“It was challenging, it wasn't safe and it wasn't very nice to hear what people were saying to our players and the rest of our staff.
“We understand the world we are living in, it happens. It's just insults but it's not nice because you don't know when someone will overstep the boundaries and do something else. It was bad.
“I thought the best thing was to run inside but I thought I couldn't leave my team out there so I went to bring the players inside quickly and tell them not to respond.
“Tom Dele-Bashiru was insulted so I tried to say 'don't do anything'. I don't know if this is how it should be.
“I don't want to make a case of it but I don't think this is how it should be.”
