Analysis: A glorious chapter closes but Kidderminster Harriers story far from finished

That is how far away Kidderminster Harriers were to beating West Ham and pulling off the greatest upset in FA Cup history.

Everyone inside Aggborough knew it, from the supporters who let out one final roar of encouragement as the clock ticked into stoppage time, to the camera crew positioning themselves just to the side of the home dugout, waiting to catch the reaction of boss Russ Penn when the final whistle blew and his team ascended to sporting immortality courtesy of Alex Penny’s 19th-minute goal.

Then Declan Rice latched on to a pass from Pablo Fornals, cut inside the challenge of Matt Preston and in the next movement hammered a right-footed shot over the lunge of Lewis Montrose, above the hand of Luke Simpson and into the roof of the net.

Around 35 minutes later came a second, arguably even crueller blow when Jarrod Bowen tapped home with virtually the last kick of extra-time to give the Hammers undeserved relief and deny Harriers the final hope of progressing through a penalty shoot-out.

There was a numbness to the mood as home players left the field to a standing ovation and even several hours later it will have been difficult for fans to know just how to feel, after a day in which their club won everything but the match.

“Pride and disappointment” was how Penn described it, yet while no doubt honest the words still feel inadequate describing the cocktail of conflicting emotions when such a rare and seismic achievement appears to be within reach, only to be snatched away.

The consolation for Penn and his players is they will not have long to dwell on it. Next Saturday brings a trip to Telford and the resumption of the season’s main course in National League North, the challenge now to ensure the heartbreak doesn’t linger and impinge on their primary goal of promotion.

Nothing in the character of this Harriers team suggests that should be a concern. Their toughness was no more evident than in extra-time on Saturday, as they rallied from the sucker punch of Rice’s equaliser and came so close to making the Hammers sweat in a shoot-out. Then there is the fact they took 16 points from a possible 21 in seven matches between the third round win over Reading and Saturday. If they weren’t distracted while the big event was approaching invitingly on the horizon, it seems unlikely they will do so now it is receding in the rearview mirror.

But what gives the most confidence is the fact Harriers are simply a very good team and as Saturday proved, one with considerable depth too. Penn made five substitutions across the course of the 120 minutes without significantly reducing the quality of the XI on the pitch.

In Geraldo Bajrami, meanwhile, the head coach has discovered another option in midfield. The former Blues under-23s captain, who plays with a clove of garlic in his sock for good luck, had been used as a centre-back in all but one of his previous matches for the club yet was a revelation in the middle of the park. Together with Mark Carrington he made sure nobody in a West Ham shirt had time on the ball during the opening half.

Combined with Amari Morgan-Smith’s impressive hold-up play and the general assuredness of the home side in possession, it ensured the general pattern of play was far more even than you would expect in a contest between two teams separated by five divisions and 113 league places.

And then there was Preston, the player who wasn’t even on the club’s books three weeks ago but who took a deserved man-of-the-match prize for his colossal performance in the heart of defence. Quick on the ground and dominant in the air, the Walsall academy product always appeared one step ahead of West Ham’s attackers. He was everywhere, repelling everything until Rice, with a quick shift of feet, eventually got the better of him.

Could Preston have done better in that moment? He asked the question himself during post-match interviews but any criticism of the defender would be seriously harsh. Rice’s goal was the first Harriers had conceded in almost 450 minutes since his debut. Extending his initial two-month loan from Solihull Moors until the end of the season is now high on the agenda.

You suspect too, that Preston will only be too happy to stay on. After all, the bigger story of this Cup run – and why feelings of pride will eventually overwhelm pangs of disappointment – is that Harriers are finally, once again, a club on the up. Millions now know it.

Contrast the scene on Saturday with last season, when they were dumped out of the Cup in the second qualifying round at Alvechurch.

The prestige of becoming the first team from the sixth tier to beat one from the top – and equalling a club record by reaching the fifth round – might just have eluded Penn’s men.

But just like Graham Allner’s heroes of 1994, many of whom were in attendance on Saturday, their place in Aggborough folklore is already assured.

The last time Harriers lost in the Cup to West Ham they rebounded from the disappointment by winning the league. That is the opportunity now also available to the new generation. One glorious chapter might have closed but their story, you sense, is some way from finished.