Kidderminster 0-1 Scarborough - Report

The high-riding visitors clinched a hard earned victory thanks to a late goal from substitute Jake Charles.

The defeat left Aggborough chief Russ Penn troops in eighth spot in the table and still in touching distance of getting back into the play-off places for the first time since late October.

The setback, however, denied Aggborough chief Russ Penn’s troops the chance to gain revenge for their 4-2 defeat at Scarborough in early November.

Kidderminster were unchanged from the side which secured their first home win since last October by beating struggling Blyth Spartans 3-1 the previous Tuesday.

Caleb Richards, Joe Foulkes and Joe Leesley remain on the injury list.

Harriers were awarded a free kick in the second minute which resulted in Ashley Hemmings seeing his 25 yard effort being pushed away by goalkeeper Joe Cracknell for a fruitless corner.

Another couple of Kidderminster corners followed shortly afterwards, but both came to nothing.

Harriers looked lively up front in the opening exchanges and a promising build up led to Hemmings breaking away on the left flank, but his long range effort flew high and wide.

Another good move minutes later involving Alex Penny and Tom Owen-Evans engineered the opportunity for Jack Bearne to fire in a low shot which was blocked on its way to goal.

Scarborough were not finding it easy to penetrate the Aggborough rear-guard, but forced a corner just after the half hour mark which proved unproductive.

Harriers lost defender Penny to injury on 35 minutes and was replaced by Kyle Morrison, who earlier in the week moved to Kidderminster on loan from AFC Fylde until the end of the season.

Just before the interval the visitors captain Michael Coulson fired in a shot which was safely gathered low down by Aggborough goalkeeper Tom Palmer while at the other end Krystian Pearce headed over a cross from Shane Byrne.

Harriers launched the second period with a well struck 30 yard free kick by Hemmings which was not far off the mark.

The Seadogs responded shortly afterwards with an inswinging corner by Colville which was headed away from under the bar.

Harriers soon returned up field and the alert Cracknell was called on to push away a long range free kick by Hemmings which found managed to find its way through a crowded goalmouth.

The hosts were indebted to Palmer on 69 minutes when he dived to save at the feet of Charles, who turned his close range follow-up shot just wide of the target.

Battling Scarborough, however, snatched a precious winner when Charles netted from close range in the 81st minute after latching on to a deflected cross.

Kidderminster: Palmer; Pearce, McNally (Brown, 86), Knight-Percival; Penny, Byrne, Lissimore, Hemmings; Owen-Evans, Bearne (McGlynn, 67); Morgan-Smith. Subs not used: Dibble, Brown, Freemantle.

Scarborough: Cracknell; Weledji; Gooda, Qualter, Burton; Maloney, Glynn (Greenfield 79), Colville, Wiles, Coulson (Charles, 67); McGuckin (Watson, 88). Subs not used: Jackson, Heslop.

Referee: Niall Smith.

Attendance: 2,242 (108 away fans).