Kidderminster Harriers 0 Solihull Moors 1 - Report

The Moors triumphed in front of the television cameras thanks to a first half goal from Matty Warburton.

Boss Russ Penn’s troops have now gone seven matches without a win.

Kidderminster made one change from the side which drew 1-1 against Rochdale at Aggborough seven days earlier with striker Gerry McDonagh coming in for Ashley Hemmings.

Hemmings was included on the bench along with defender Krystian Pearce following his return from international duty with Barbados.

Still on the casualty list are Matt Preston (calf) and Shane Byrne (knee).

Facing each other in the first competitive encounter between the two clubs, Harriers made an encouraging start and an early teasing cross from Caleb Richards found Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, who directed his downward header wide.

Shortly afterwards Oxlade-Chamberlain tried his luck with a shot from distance, but his mis-hit effort flew well off target.

Watched by a 3,000-plus crowd, Solihull grabbed their all-important goal on the quarter of an hour mark when a free kick by Jamey Osborne was headed on by Mark Beck for Warburton to add the final touch.

Stunned Harriers quickly set about trying to repair the damage and a fierce drive by Barry Maguire was deflected over the bar by Gus Mafuta for a corner which came to nothing.

Warburton and Beck fired wide for the visitors who worried the hosts by forcing two successive corners which proved unproductive.

Kidderminster responded in the closing minutes of the first half with a menacing free kick into the danger zone by Joe Leesley which found Alex Penny whose header was well clawed away by under pressure goalkeeper Tommy Simkin.

Harriers engineered an opening in the early stages of the second period, but Jack Lambert headed over while well positioned in front of goal.

The Moors, whose head coach Andy Whing used to be in charge of the Aggborough club’s under 23s, were soon back up field with Warburton screwing the ball off target following good work by Osborne.

Harriers, however, kept plugging away and Lambert had a shot well stopped by Simkin which was followed shortly afterwards by an Amari Morgan-Smith header going wide.

Substitute Hemmings broke away shortly after replacing McDonagh, but his delayed shot was blocked in a well timed tackle by Richard Stearman.

Simkin then pulled off a fine diving save to tip over a powerful shot from Oxlade-Chamberlain as Harriers battled away in vain to snatch what would have been a deserved equaliser.

Kidderminster: Dibble; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Penny (Brown, 69), Knight-Percival, McNally, Richards; Leesley, Lambert, Maguire (Phillips, 80); McDonagh (Hemmings, 61), Morgan-Smith. Subs not used: Pearce, Brown, Lissimore.

Solihull: Simkin, Clarke, Osborne, Morrison, Maycock (Newton, 84), Beck, Warburton (Stevens, 82), Mafuta, Stearman, Benn, Craig. Subs not used: Kelly, Brogan, Hall.

Referee: Aaron Jackson.

Attendance: 3,016 (506 away fans).