Kidderminster 1 Chesterfield 3 - Report

The Spireites clinched a hard earned victory with a brace from Ollie Banks and stoppage time goal by Will Grigg.

Zak Brown was on target for lowly Harriers with his first goal of the season.

Watched by a bumper crowd of 3,913, the defeat leaves Aggborough boss Russ Penn’s men with just one home victory in the league so far this season in nine outings.

To add to their woes Harriers had defender Reiss McNally sent off in the tense closing stages.

Kidderminster made a couple of changes from the side which drew 1-1 at Altrincham in mid-week.

Twenty three year old winger Ryan McLean, a new loan signing from AFC Wimbledon, was drafted in for his debut while Bailey Hobson, who is on loan from Chesterfield, was ineligible to play against his parent club.

Brown was back in the starting line-up in place of Kieran Phillips.

Harrriers, hosting the Spireites for the first time since the two clubs were in the Football League 23 years ago, produced an early threat when a long kick by goalkeeper Christian Dibble found Alex Penny who released Brown for a run on goal which ended with his low cross being safely gathered by visiting ‘keeper Ryan Boot.

Chesterfield responded with an effort by Grigg which was smartly saved by Dibble whose opposite number Boot was in action a minute later to keep out a shot from McLean after a brief spell of sloppy defending by the visitors’ rear-guard.

Soon after Ryan Colclough fired wide before the visitors went into the lead in the 21st minute.

Barry Maguire lost possession and allowed Tom Naylor to dash forward before setting up Banks to score with an angled shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Harriers hit back with an equaliser four minutes later when a dangerous free kick by Sammy Robinson was headed back across goal by McNally for Brown to nod home from close range.

Both sides battled away tirelessly for the rest of the free-flowing first half but were unable to fashion a clear-cut effort on goal despite one or two near misses.

Chesterfield started the second period on the front foot and Dibble was quickly called on to save from Grigg before Mike Jones had a goalbound follow-up shot blocked in front of goal.

Harriers had a chance to put the visitors under pressure soon afterwards, but Brown wasted a decent opportunity to lift the ball past Boot.

Chesterfield had strong appeals for a penalty turned down before they regained the lead on 67 minutes when Banks scored again after a scramble which involved a save by Dibble and another effort being cleared off the line.

Harriers were reduced to ten men on 83 minutes when McNally was given his marching orders for two yellow cards.

Chesterfield wrapped up the points with a stoppage time header by Grigg following a cross by Naylor.

Kidderminster: Dibble; Penny, Pearce, McNally, Richards; Robinson (Hemmings, 64), Maguire (Phillips, 71), McLean (McDonagh, 77), Oxlade-Chamberlain; Brown, Morgan-Smith. Subs not used: Preston, Lissimore.

Chesterfield: Boot, Mandeville, Williams, Grimes, Freckleton, Naylor, Jones, Dobra (Jacobs, 73), Banks (Oldaker, 93), Colclough (Berry, 78), Grigg. Subs not used: Palmer, Curtis.

Referee: David McNamara.

Attendance: 3,913 (1,531 away fans).