For reports from August to 16th November 1996 click here
For reports from 13th January 1997 to 22nd February 1997 click
here
For reports from 1st March 1997 click here
If you ever visit Kidderminster Harriers Football Club you must visit the Supporters Club at the rear of the ground where the atmosphere is welcoming, the beer is very reasonably priced and the food is excellent. When you are in the ground, remember to have at least one of the home made pies for a game to remember even if your team lose - as did Hednesford.
The game opened in impressive fashion with both defences being tested. In the first minute Hughes for Kidderminster raced clear inside the penalty area but was beaten by an excellent tackle by Comyn. Hednesford hit back almost immediately when new signing Hemmings tricked his way past Bignot and fired in a low cross that was put out by Brindley. From the corner Comyn saw a fiercely struck right-foot shot blocked at the expense of another corner.
Keeper Steadman was called to make his first serious save when he had to tip Devine's attempted cross over the bar. At the other end Doherty was next to try his luck with a 25 yard shot that flew a foot over Cooksey's bar. Cooksey was then called on to palm away a header from Weir with Carty completing the clearance.
Hednesford looked dangerous briefly when Street raced after Cooksey's long clearance but Steadman was aware of the danger and raced from his line to put the ball to safety.
Devine was lucky to escape a booking after 27 minutes following a clumsy challenge on Bignot. Hednesford seemed content to sit back and try to release O'Connor whenever possible and it was O'Connor who next threatened Kidderminster after racing clear of Brindley to pull back an inviting cross towards Russell but his fellow front runner could not finish off and the danger ended when Russell was judged to have fouled Weir. Kidderminster skipper Yates came close to breaking the deadlock after 34 minutes when neat build-up play between Bignot and Webb gave Yates a chance to volley but the ball went inches wide with Cooksey helpless.
Hemmings was a constant menace down the left and only crude obstruction By Bignot stopped him creating a challenge . O'Connor wasted a golden chance after 40 minutes when after latching on to Carty's through ball he lost his footing when he was clean through. This was not the only time that a Hednesford player lost his footing, perhaps manager Baldwin could use some of the money made from last weeks extortionate increase in the Keys Park bars prices to buy some new studs.
The home side made an impressive start to the second half as they set about trying to get the all important breakthrough. The first goal nearly arrived on 50 minutes when Doherty curled a free kick from the edge of the area but Cooksey pulled of a brilliant one-handed save to keep the score level. However the battle finally came down in Kidderminsters side when Yates got the all important first goal after 69 minutes and then Hughes added a killer second goal on 86 minutes. This would have finished many lesser teams but Hednesford continued to fight and were successful in retrieving one goal on the 89th minute when Lambert found the net in a goal mouth scramble.
Hednesford : Cooksey, Carty, Russell, Simpson, Comyn, Collins, Devine, Lambert, Hemmings, Street, O'Connor. Subs: Essex, Brant, Lake
Kidderminster : Steadman, Bignot, Prindiville, Weir, Brindley, Yates, Webb, Wiletts, Hughes, McCue, Doherty. Subs : Olney, Casey, Deakin
Hednesford's away record took another dent at Twerton Park tonight when the Pitmen lost their heads and three points.
After a poor first half when two Mark Davis goals had seen the second-from-bottom Romans take a surprise lead Hednesford came out determined to set things straight.
Centre forward David Harnett put the Pitmen on the right track within seven minutes when he latched onto a lapse by home keeper Mark Hervin and lashed the ball into the net from ten yards.
But soon the Hednesford straight back was throttled. After an innocuous challenge had seen City awarded a free kick in the 71st minute, midfielder Lambert was booked for dissent by substitute referee Richard Maynard and was then red-carded when he continued his protest.
Ten-men Hednesford threw everything at the home side in a desperate quest for the equaliser but even keeper Scott Cooksey's appearance in the opposition penalty area in the final minutes couldn't salvage a point.
Hednesford suffered the full force of manager John Baldwin's anger after the game. The players were ushered away from Twerton Park after a full-time roasting with Baldwin declaring "I won't put up with this type of performance", Baldwin was seething at "school boy defending" and "there were just too any poor individual performances on the night. It was by far and away our worst performance of the season and probably one of the worst since we were promoted to the Conference"
Hednesford : Cooksey, Russell, Hemmings, Simpson, Comyn, Collins, Lake, Lambert,Harnett, Street, O'Connor. Subs : Essex, Dandy, Devine.
Bath : Hervin, Cross, Scott, Brooke, Davey, Harrington, Honor, Paul, Davis, Penny, Wyatt. Subs : Walker, Withey, Mogg.
Hednesford started brightly in the first minute when Lawrence broke away down the right and sent over a teasing centre that was scrambled clear for a corner.
Stalybridge should have taken the lead on four minutes when, from a free kick, centre half Hall headed wide.
Lawrence again broke free on the right before sending over a cross that left O'Connor with a simple tap-in from inside the six yard box.
The game burst into life midway through the first half with referee Bassingdale becoming the game's central figure. Stalybridge keeper Williams was called into action when he had to kick over an attempted clearance from his team-mate Boardman; but from the resulting corner, Williams was at the centre of the action for all the wrong reasons. He was clearly annoyed with something that had gone on in the crowded goal mouth but voiced his opinions too strongly and was sent off for dissent in front of an astonished crowd who voiced their opinion of the referee with the usual chanting.
The removal of the keeper forced Stalybridge into a reshuffle with fullback Coathup taking over in goal.
The Pitmen finally got a deserved second goal right on the stroke of half time. Lawrence was the man on target finishing off a sweeping move that he had started on the half way line. He neatly laid a clearance to O'Connor who then advanced down the right before slipping the ball to Hemmings who tricked his way past one challenge before firing in a low cross which O'Connor stepped over and Lawrence drilled a right foot shot wide of stand-in keeper Coathup.
Stalybridge pulled a goal back after 55 minutes when Lambert was adjudged to have handled just outside his own box and Arnold stepped up to fire home the resulting free kick to give Stalybridge a lifeline.
Stalybridge could have snatched a dramatic equaliser on 69 minutes when Trott found himself with a clear sight of the goal but sliced his attempted shot wide.
It was hard to believe that for most of the game Stalybridge were playing with only ten men as they played with vitality and enthusiasm that was sadly lacking in Hednesford.
Hednesford : Cooksey, Russell, Hemmings, Comyn, Essex, Collins, Lake, Lambert, Lawrence, Devine, O'Connor. Subs : Dandy, Harnett, Broadhurst.
Stalybridge : Williams, Powell, Coathup, Hine, Boardman, Hall, Burke, Jones, Trott, Arnold, Charles. Subs : Challender, Howard, Bine.
Conference leaders Kidderminster emphatically ended Hednesford's interest in this years Spalding Cup at Keys Park tonight.
The injury-hit Pitmen began the match without seven first team regulars and were further handicapped by the dismissal of defender Steve Essex after 61 minutes.
Hednesford did start brightly and within five minutes Joe O'Connor had already created a good chance but as the game developed into a midfield battle it was the visitors who took control.
After 16 minutes Kidderminster took the lead when veteran striker Paul Davies converted a cross from former Villa player Ian Olney. Harriers continued to threaten the Pitmen with striker Kim Casey and Olney both going close before Neil Cartwright made it 2 - 0 from a Casey cross.
Hednesford were struggling to make any impact on the game with their moves too extravagant and long passes continually intercepted by Harriers tight defence.
Kidderminster consistently exposed huge holes in Hednesford's defence and a mistake from Tony Hemmings enabled Casey to score the third after 25 minutes. Cartwright then rounded off a superb first half for the visitors when he grabbed his second, and Kidderminster's fourth, ten minutes before the interval.
After the break Harriers made it 5 - 0 when the lively Marcus Bignot crossed for Olney to score after 59 minutes. It then went from bad to worse for Hednesford when key defender Steve Essex was sent off after 61 minutes for his second bookable offence.
Within a minute of Essex's dismissal, Davies scored Harrier's last goal - a close range effort from another cross by Bignot. Hednesford found little consolation from their only goal, a penalty scored by Richard Dandy, after Dave Harnett was brought down by Paul Webb.
With a performance like this it is no wonder that only 333 people attended to watch Hednesford - I wonder how many of this number were from Kidderminster ? A poor turn out for Hednesford no doubt reflecting their dismal appearance on Saturday against Stalybridge. How many of those missing are really injured and how many are only frightened of being injured before next Saturdays Blackpool game - no doubt they will all miraculously recover for that !
Hednesford : Brant, Carty, Hemmings, Broadhurst, Essex, Collins, Dandy, Lake, Harnett, Devine, O'Connor. Subs : Palmer, Yates, Unitt.
Kidderminster : Rose, Bignot, Willetts, Webb, Yates, Deakin, Casey, Olney, Davies, Cartwright. Subs : Willis, Shepherd, Riley
(Check out the photo's taken at Blackpool by their official photographer, Phill Heywood, including the winning goal. Details of how to buy photo's given.)
A historic day for Hednesford town began at Keys Park when seven coaches gathered to
transport the Travel Club to Blackpool. This convoy way joined on the route by numerous
minibuses and cars creating a ribbon of black and white along the M6 motorway full of
Hednesford fans who wanted to be able to say of this special occasion that "I was
there"
In the Blackpool ground the atmosphere was festive as the Hednesford fans filled the
spaces allocated for visitors. Because their own support appears to be so little Blackpool
should look into allowing more space for their visitors including some of the seating
rather than having visitors caged in with hints of "Hillsborough"
In the game itself Hednesford found themselves pinned in their own half for long periods
of the match and were thankful for an inspired performance from keeper Scott Cooksey.
Hednesford made an encouraging start to their first ever appearance in the second round of
the FA Cup and were more than a match for their Second Division opponents. Indeed it was
the Conference club who had the game's first effort on goal, Collins found Russell with a
superb crossfield pass and the winger neatly laid the ball into the path of Lake who saw
his 20 yard drive pushed away for a corner by Blackpool keeper Banks.
The only trouble Hednesford found themselves in early on came when a careless throw from
Cooksey gave possession to Thorpe but his low centre was hacked clear by Comyn. Hednesford
then caused more flutters in the home defence when a long throw from Lake was flicked on
by Essex but the homeside managed to scramble the ball clear.
After a quarter of an hour Blackpool had their first real opportunity when some slack
Hednesford marking enabled Malkin time and space to turn inside the box, but to
Hednesford's relief he dragged a left-foot shot well wide of the target, a problem that
Blackpool found many times during the match.
Blackpool were now starting to look livelier with Hednesford having to deal with a series
of crosses aimed at the powerful Malkin and Ellis. Ellis was the next home player to try
his luck but saw Cooksey competently deal with his volley.
Blackpool increased the tempo and started to take a grip on the game with Cooksey's goal
under threat again and again and the Pitmen struggling to clear their lines. Malkin and
Ellis were causing the Pitmen's defence all sorts of problems and the two combined again
after 23 minutes wiith Malkin wasting a golden opportunity to give Blackpool the lead when
he volleyed wide from eight yards.
Hednesford had appeared to have weathered the early Blackpool pressure and caused the home
side a nervous few minutes with Russell and Hemmings both breaking free down the flanks to
send over some dangerous looking crosses.
Blackpool were becoming increasingly frustrated and that boiled over in the 34th minute
when Onwere became the first player cautioned after a dreadful two-footed lungge on Lake.
As half time approached, the home side twice went close to scoring. First Ellis kicked his
way past Essex and Simpson and sent in a teasing centre which was headed tamely wide by
Thorpe. It was Ellis again who caused Hednesford another nervous moment when after showing
good strength to retain possession he thundered a 25 yard shot that Cooksey tipped onto
the post before the ball agonisingly rolled across the face of the goal and out for a
corner.
Hednesford suffered a blow right on the stroke of half-time when midfielded Devine limped
off injured and was replaced by Harnett. As the referee blew for half time the homeside
walked off to a chorous of boos from the crowd.
The second half began in lively fashion with both sides causing the opposing defences
problems. It was the home side who found themselves under pressure two minutes after the
restart when some neat build-up play between Simpson and Russell sent Lake rising into the
box and it took a last ditch tackle to block his attempted cross. Then it was Blackpool's
turn to attack with dangerman Ellis finding Barlow on the left but Russell showed great
pace to track back and block the attempted cross.
Hednesford's plucky resistance nearly came to an end after 52 minutes when Philpot left
Essex trailing in his wake before picking out Malkin with a well-placed centre which was
headed goalwards only to see Cooksey produce a wonderful one-handed save to push the ball
away for a corner.
Blackpool were now starting to overrun their non-league opponents as the Pitmen were
bombarded by a constant stream of crosses from Thorpe and Philpott. Fortunately for
Hednesford, Cooksey was playing the game of his life with Essex and Comyn also performing
heroicly.
Surprisingly Blackpool's manager, Garry Megson, took off the dangerous-looking Malkin
after 65 minutes and replaced him with Andy Preece.
The Pitmen found themselves under insense pressure but did manage to break out of their
own half on a few inspired occasions.
It seemed that it was going to be a draw, the terraces were filled with whistleing as the
game went into injury time when a pass back to the Blackpool keeper Banks had to be kicked
clear only to land at the feet of Harnett who crossed it to Russell. Russell rounded a
Blackpool defender and shot at goal, it was touched by Banks onto the far post to bounce
off onto the feet of a ready O'Connor who tapped the ball into the net. The visitors
corner terraces errupted with a deafening explosion of cheers. The next couple of minutes
seemed hours as Blackpool bombarded Hednesford in a desperate attempt to equalise but it
was too late the whistle was blown, the game was over, Hednesford had done the impossible,
former FA Cup winner Blackpool was out of the FA Cup for another year and "I was
there".
Hednesford : Cooksey, Russell, Collins, Simpson, Essex, Comyn, Hemmings, Lambert, Lake, Devine, O'Connor. Subs : Lawrence, Dandy, Harnett.
Blackpool : Banks, Thorpe, Barlow, Dixon, Lydiate, Bradshaw, Banner, Onwere, Malkin, Ellis, Philpott. Subs : Preece, Parks, Carden
A heroic display of goalkeeping thwarted Hednesford's bid to make up ground on the
Vauxhall Conference's leading pack.
As a blast from the Arctic froze the souls brave enough to venture out to Keys Park on the
last Saturday before Christmas, Gateshead's keeper Steve Harper snuffed out any hopes of a
Pitmen victory.
Harper, on loan from Newcastle United where he is third choice behind Shaka Hislop and
Pavel Srnicek, made three stunning saves which lit up an otherwise soulless stalemate.
In only the 12th minute, Pitmen's on-loan striker David Holmes must have thought he was
set to impress the Hednesford management with a goal, but having latched onto Andy Comyn's
through ball, his effort was scooped away by Harper at point blank range.
Midway through the second half, Keith Russell's wickedly swerving free kick from near the
corner flag was palmed out from the top corner. Then, with just two minutes to go, Joe
O'Connor, put clear by Holmes, also had the misfortune to come up against Harper's
inspired close-range reactions.
That put the seal on a luckless afternoon for O'Connor, who had earlier headed Russell's
goalbound volley over the Gateshead crossbar in an ill-fated attempt to decieve Harper.
Although Stuart Lake did his best to put some spark into the Pitmen, their reshuffled side
never really got into gear in the bitter conditions. For once, Tony Hemmings failed to
make any inroads along the flanks and he could have no complaints about being substituted
in the second half.
Things could have turned out even worse, it ex-Blues midfielder Kenny Lowe had taken
advantage of a howler by a linesman. Lowe was at least ten yards offside when the ball
landed at his feet in the 72nd minute, but justice was done when he lobbed keeper Cooksey
and missed the target.
Hednesford :- Cooksey, Russell, Collins, Simpson, Comyn, Fitzpatrick, Hemmings, Devine, Holmes, Lake, O'Connor. Subs : Street, Lawrence, Dandy
Gateshead :- Harper, Watson, Ord, Robson, Wrightson, Kitchen, Dixon, Dia, Thompson, Lowe, Rowe. Subs : Pearson, Lagaville, Thornton.
Telford's ground "Buck's Head" was not the place to be if you were looking
for a Christmas cracker or a bit of festive fun and that was no fault of the players.
Quite simply this match should not really have been played on a frozen surface that
Telford Tigers ice hockey team would have found more to their liking.
The pitch made the game a lottery with players unable to turn sharply or change direction
quickly. Telford gave a debut to on-loan Albion reserve striker Michael Rodosthenous and
he marked his debut with a stunning goal.
After a fairly uneventful opening 30 minutes, Rodosthenous turned and volleyed home from
well outside the area to give Telford the lead. They dominated the rest ot the first half
and Hednesford were fortunate not to find themselves two down when Rodosthenous headed
home a Jon Purdie cross only to have been adjudged offside.
The Pitmen did look brighter after the interval although manager John Baldwin must be a
little concerned with his side's failure to create many goalscoring opportunities. The
side is full of potential scorers but they have only netted more than twice in league
games on only two occasions this season and have only scored 29 goals in 21 Conference
fixtures. Baldwin's team were not at their best but must be credited with sticking to
their task and pinching a point when all seemed lost.
With the game in injury time, Stuart Lake's long throw was handled in a crowded penalty
area and the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot. Keith Russell confidently
tucked the ball into the bottom corner to earn the Pitmen a share of the spoils.
This draw stretched the Pitmen's unbeaten run for four games and with only one goal
conceded in those games. If they can find some sparkle in front of the goal they could yet
match last year's top three finish.
Hednesford :- Cooksey,Russell, Collins, Simpson, Comyn, Lake, Hemmings, Lambert, Holmes, Street, O'Connor. Subs : Fitzpatrick, McNally, Devine.
Telford :- Jones, Ashley, Fowler, Wilcox, Kearney, Niblett, Challinor, Robinson, Gray, Rodosthenous, Purdie. Subs : Langford, Ecclestone, Turner.
Southport, without a win in seven games, began well with former England international
Peter Davenport making his managerial debut seeing his side get off to a dream start as
their confidence was boosted when they took the lead after only seven minutes. A centre
from the right by Martin Clark saw Andy Farley let the ball run on to the better-placed
Andy Whittaker who side-footed home from close range.
Southport's hopes suffered a severe setback in the 20th minute when midfielder Brian
Butler was taken to hospital to have 15 stitches in a badly gashed knee after a clash with
Paul Carty.
After that Southport lost their earlier rhythm and Hednesford had several excellent
chances to equalise before the interval. Alex Jones twice cleared off the line in quick
succession from Bernard McNally and Stuart Lake. Lake also hit the bar early in the second
half before equalising in the 53rd minute. A centre from the right by Gary Fitzpatrick
bounced awkwardly in the penalty area and Lee Anderson, who had replaced the injured
Butler, was slow to react, giving Lake the chance to loop the ball over the head of keeper
Billy Stewart.
Lambert's decisive 64th minute goal also came from a Fitzpatrick centre, the Hednesford
skipper having ample time and space to head the ball wide of Stewart from eight yards.
Hednesford :- Cooksey, Fitzpatrick, Collins, Simpaon, Essex, McNally, Lake, Lambert, Russell, Carty, O'Connor. Subs : Devine, Lawrence, Holmes.
Southport :- Stewart, Farley, Rogers, Horner, Jones, Butler, Clark, Whitaker, Mayers, Blakeman, Sharratt. Subs : Anderson, Turner, Davenport.
Copyright � 1996 Dennis Dixon
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