FA Cup: Cheshunt 1-2 Kidderminster - Report

They knocked out their lowly National League South hosts with valuable goals from Ashley Hemmings and Ethan Freemantle.

The win earned Harriers £5,625 in prize-money to add to the £3,375 they picked up for ousting lower ranked Tamworth at home in the previous round.

Victory over Cheshunt keeps Aggborough manager Russ Penn’s glory-seekers on track for what they hope will be the kind of run they experienced last season when they reached the fourth round proper before suffering a heartbreaking home defeat against Premier League West Ham United.

The win also extended Kidderminster’s unbeaten run to six matches.

Harriers made three changes from the side which drew 1-1 in a National League North clash at Buxton the previous Tuesday.

Alex Penny, Yusifu Ceesay and Ben Margetson were all drafted into the starting line-up while on the bench was 25 year old midfielder Scott Burgess, a new on loan capture from York City.

Included on the current injury list are Joe Foulkes, Nat Knight-Percival, Tom Owen-Evans, Jack Bearne, Nathan Lowe and Jack Tolley.

The first ever meeting between the two clubs was only a couple of minutes old before the visitors forced the first corner of the game, but it came to nothing.

Two minutes later, however, Harriers raced into the lead when good work by Freemantle set up the opportunity for Hemmings to knock the ball past goalkeeper Joe Rose and into the back of the net. It was his third goal of the season.

Stunned Cheshunt tried to make a rapid response and it was not long before they had an effort cleared off the line by Hemmings.

But Harriers were soon back up field and Caleb Richards unleashed a strong drive which Rose held before Gabby Rogers had a shot pushed away. The resulting corner led to Penny having a close range header blocked by Rose’s legs.

Cheshunt gave the visitors cause for concern shortly before the half hour mark when goalkeeper Tom Palmer did well to save a swerving shot from distance by Brandon Adams.

Keziah Martin fired well wide from 30 yards and Margetson headed over from a corner as the first half drew to a close.

Kidderminster made a bright start to the second period and Ceesay pushed forward only to see his angled shot across goal fail to trouble Rose.

Their efforts, however, were rewarded on 51 minutes when Freemantle notched his fifth goal of the campaign following a mistake by Rose which allowed Rogers and Hemmings to engineer the chance for the Harriers front-runner to add to his tally.

Battling Cheshunt hit back to score three minutes later when substitute Mo Camara was given the opportunity to head home following a corner.

But it was not enough to stop Harriers from safely moving through to the next round.

Kidderminster: Palmer; Penny (Leak, 72), Margetson, Pearce, Richards; Martin, Byrne; Hemmings, Ceesay, Rogers (Brown, 72); Freemantle (Morgan-Smith, 86). Subs not used: Emery, Lissimore, Hewett, Burgess.

Referee: Abigail Byrne.