County rumbled
COUNTY slipped to consecutive home defeats with a lastgasp 2-1 loss to Kidderminster Harriers at Edgeley Park on Saturday.
Matty Warburton’s eighth goal of the campaign had given The Hatters a well-deserved lead on the stroke of half-time, but two second-half goals from Harriers striker Joe Ironside punished a sloppy second half by Jim Gannon’s men – and left County well off the pace in the National League North play-off race.
Gannon made a big call on the day, opting to change his winning side which had claimed just a second away win of the season last weekend at Nuneaton – with winger Ben McKenna replacing holding midfielder Sam Walker, as The Hatters shifted into a 4-1-3-2 formation against a Kidderminster side which has yet to hit the heights of last season.
The Harriers finished second in the National League North last campaign before losing out to Chorley in the play-off semi-finals, but the loss of several key players at Aggborough has seen John Eustace’s side falter in 15th position so far this season.
And with the Hatters coming into the tie on the back of a solid away win, Saturday afternoon appeared to be County’s best opportunity to claim a rare win over their visitors for the first time in five years.
In bitter conditions at Edgeley Park, neither side could claim to have played particularly flowing football in the first half, although the hosts were undoubtedly in the ascendency well before Warburton’s deft opener.
Leading goalscorer Jason Oswell headed a Dan Cowan cross into the ground and over Harriers stopper Brandon Hall, before Scott Duxbury attacked from the opposite flank and saw his fizzed effort cleared unwittingly off the line by his own captain Michael Clarke.
As has so often been the case this campaign, The Hatters were enjoying the better of the opening exchanges with nothing to show for it – and just as high-flying Blyth had done two weeks prior, the visitors again started to settle into proceedings.
Elton Ngwatala fired wide of Ian Ormson’s goal, but Kidderminster were finding solace more by way of keeping possession and suppressing the hosts attacking threat than providing any particular threat of their own.
But County did eventually break through the Kidderminster defence on the stroke of half-time – Ormson’s pinpoint kick was flicked on by Oswell, and with goalkeeper Hall sprinting inexplicably out of his area, Warburton rolled the ball cleverly under the body of the Harriers stopper.
As well as their eventual one goal lead, The Hatters also boasted a mammoth ten corners by the interval to their visitors none.
But, as has been the case several times this campaign, The Hatters failed to keep their high intensity showing up for the duration and despite a number of half-chances after the break, the visitors were afforded the opportunity to get themselves back into the game.
Captain Ryan Croasdale thundered a strike from long range against the post for the away side, before the equaliser came in sloppy fashion.
Duxbury showed fullback Sam Austin down the right and into the corner, but failed to prevent the cross coming in from the pacey 26-year-old. Austin’s cross looped up off Duxbury and into the area, and with defender Chris Smalley leaping to challenge forward Ironside, Ormson inexplicably came rushing out to punch clear the cross – allowing Ironside the