KIDDY SLICED OPEN BY CLINICAL CARVER

By Adam Matthews

STAR MAN: Josh Hmami (Southport)

ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ ·

Oct 23, 2022

A GOAL in each half was enough for Southport to seal three well-deserved points against Kidderminster Harriers.Niall Watson and Marcus Carver were on target for the Sandgrounders as they buried any memories of last season’s 6-0 defeat at Aggborough.Harriers should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when Ethan Freemantle threaded the perfect ball through to Yusifu Ceesay, but his effort was blocked by keeper Tony McMillan.The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute. Jack Doyle’s throw was flicked on by Adam Anson and Watson poked past Tom Palmer from close range.Harriers sought a way back after the break and debutant loanee Joe Starbuck forced McMillan into action five minutes after the restart.It was Southport though who deservedly doubled their lead. Josh Hmami crossed for Carver who, with the outside of his right foot, slid the ball past Palmer despite the efforts of Tom Leak.Carver should have put the game safe when he danced through only to shoot wide of the upright from well inside the box.Harriers couldn’t force their way back and were met with a chorus of boos from the home supporters at the final whistle.

Harriers grounded by Sandgrounders

Report: Dan Harper

Just four days after a poor showing up in AFC Fylde on Tuesday the Harriers were once again guilty of a dire showing, this time being the worst yet, as Southport visited and defeated Harriers 2-0.

On the contrary, it would be the home side that would start the better of the two sides. After winning the ball on the edge of the area Ethan Freemantle played it through to our ineffective centre forward, Yusifu Ceesay, in the seventh minute only for his effort to be smothered by Tony McMillan, the Southport keeper.

The Lancashire based referee then made our game more difficult by booking three players in quick succession: Shane Byrne, Tom Leak and Ceesay turning our game into a situation that made the players reticent to tackle. Southport seemed to take advantage of that.

What followed then was a period of almost no action until disaster struck for the home side in the twenty ninth minute following a knock-on from a long throw-in Niall Watson converted from close range past a helpless Tom Palmer which triggered Aggborough to turn into a toxic cauldron. This was the breaking point and fans started turning against the management and players with chants of ‘We are F****** sh*t’ being just one of many.

The Harriers attempted an instant response with the best chance coming in the thirty second minute when Ceesay held onto the ball and teed it up for Scott Burgess but his shot was a weak side footed effort and was easily blocked. The home side went into halftime a goal behind as boos rang around Aggborough towards both the management and the referee. The atmosphere was at its worst in years.

HT: 0 – 1

Both sides emerged after half time and following what would have been an inevitable telling off from the management the home side reacted slightly when in the fifty first minute new signing Joe Starbuck weaved forward firing a shot which McMillan in the Southport goal saved low.

Following a switch in the formation after the substitution in the fifty seventh minute which saw Shane Byrne make way for Gabby Rogers a flurry of chances from corners came which saw the longest period of Harriers pressure throughout the entire game.

It was in the sixty first minute, however, that levels of anger amongst the Harriers faithful became incredible as Marcus Carver, on his birthday, doubled the lead for the away side and send the travelling fifty supporters into jubilation. the goal made the Harriers now lose any confidence, however small, gained from the momentum beforehand.

Southport should have made it three in the sixty ninth minute when Carver once again found space and fired an effort on goal only for him to somehow pull it just wide, as Palmer charged him down, and hit the side netting much to the home side’s scares.

Nothing much of note followed as the game came to a close but this leaves massive questions that need to be asked as effort was of a minimum and tactics once again questionable. Change is needed somehow, although on the other hand, with it being so early on is it worth a gamble?

In terms of the man of the match that is deserving of no one, lessons must be learned and soon. Harriers will once again be at home on Tuesday when they look to change their fortunes as they host tough opponents consisting of promotion hopefuls Chorley who will be bringing another local, to them, referee along with them.

FT: 0 – 2

Goals for Southport: Watson 28, Carver 61

The Harriers Online MotM is: For the second game running: No one!

Kidderminster 0 Southport 2

Match Report

Oct 22, 2022

It was only back in April that Southport left Aggborough on the back of a 6-0 defeat. What a difference we saw today after a superb performance saw the visitors leave with a 2-0 win.The third of four consecutive away games and most people felt this would provide the stiffest test but The Sandgrounders passed it with flying colours.Goals from Niall Watson who is in the form of his life at the moment and Marcus Carver sealed what was, in the end, a relatively comfortable win.Watson’s goal came on 29 minutes, another excellent cornerr from Josh Hmami was flicked on by Adam Anson and Watson was on hand to cleverly fire home.Kidderminster rarely threatened the Southport goal in the first half and the visitors went in to the break 1-0 up.The home side did come out with more purpose in the second period but Southport were dangerous on the break and were restricting Kidderminster to speculative shots and crosses into the box.Carver sealed the victory in the 62nd minute with a lovely finish after a fine break away which saw the ball turned in by Josh Hmami and run loose to him and he made no mistake.Southport looked as good as we have seen this season and the win moves them up into 9th place.

Media MOTM Plenty to choose from today, James went for Charlie Oliver with Rob going for Josh Hmami.

Take your pick.

Attendance 2301 with officially 50 away . It’s the first win in front of a crowd over 2000 since the 2016/17 season.