Chesterfield 1 Kidderminster Harriers 3 - Report

at league champions Chesterfield who surrendered a 54 game unbeaten home league sequence as

goals from Ashley Hemmings, Zak Brown and Matt Preston, took Phil Brown’s side to within a

point of Wealdstone who sit just outside the relegation zone.

Kidderminster Harriers were looking to bounce back after the home defeat to promotion chasing

Altrincham, with just four games remaining to produce the results that would see them avoid

relegation back to the National League North after just one season at non-league’s highest level.

Champions Chesterfield were also looking for a response after losing 2-1 at York City, just a week

after securing the league title and a return to League Two.

Chesterfield boasted the leagues best home record amassing 57 points from a maximum 63

requiring two goals to break their record of league goals scored in a season.

Harriers took the game to the visitors and broke the deadlock on five minutes, Christian Oxlade-

Chamberlain launched a long throw from the right, Reiss McNally kept the ball alive and Ashley

Hemmings fierce drive took a deflection off a home defender to give the visitors an early lead.

In a game of few chances, Amari Morgan-Smith tested the home keeper again from a re-cycled

Oxlade-Chamberlain long throw midway through the half.

Christian Dibble kept the visitors ahead when he blocked an effort from Armando Dobra as

Chesterfield started to probe at the visitors defence after 28 minutes.

Jeff King fired a free-kick that Dibble tipped over the bar before the Champions levelled, Harriers

centre-back Matty Preston slicing a deflected right wing cross from Bailey Hobson past Dibble on 31

minutes.

Harriers came out in the second half in more determined mood, Zak Brown forcing the visitors ahead

three minutes after the break, Ryan Boot blocking the midfielder’s initial effort but he remained

composed to strike home the rebound.

Matt Preston atoned for his earlier error with a coolly taken strike as his low drive struck Boot’s left

hand upright before the ball nestled in the opposite corner on 58 minutes.

Boot was by far the busier keeper as Charlie Weston and Ashley Hemmings forced the home keeper

into another series of blocks and with time running out Reiss McNally directed a near post header

narrowly wide as Harriers took an important three points towards preserving their National League

status.

Chesterfield: Boot, Palmer, Freckleton (Curtis 75), Clements, Naylor, Jones (Banks 62), Mandeville,

King, Dobra, Hobson (Berry 59), Quigley. Subs Not Used: Oldaker, Cook.

Harriers: Dibble, Penny, McNally, Preston (Kpekawa 86), Richards, Brown, Weston, Hemmings (Bellis

90), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Morgan-Smith, Robinson (Griffiths 79). Subs Not Used:Lambert,

Emmanuel-Thomas.