Express & Star

Kidderminster Harriers 4 Chester 1 - Report and pictures

Mark Yates’ first match back as boss of Kidderminster Harriers ended in a welcome 4-1 home National League North victory against play-off rivals Chester FC.

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It was a triumphant return to the Aggborough ‘hot-seat’ for Yates, a former Harriers player who also managed the club between 2006 and 2009.

After falling behind to a goal from ex-Kidderminster campaigner Akwasi Asante, Yates’ troops stormed back to win with well taken goals from Declan Weeks, Joe Ironside, Craig Johnson and substitute Ed Williams.

After two successive home defeats, it was Harriers’ first victory at Aggborough since New Year’s Day when they triumphed 2-1 against Hereford.

Kidderminster, whose first loss of the season was a 3-1 setback at Chester on September 18, made a number changes from the side which lost 1-0 at home to Alfreton Town in their previous outing.

Goalkeeper Brandon Hall, midfielder Milan Butterfield and defenders Sam Austin and Joel Taylor were all called up into the starting line-up while leading scorer Ed Williams was on the bench following his lengthy spell on the casualty list.

Harriers made a promising start and forced an unproductive corner, taken by Weeks, inside the opening couple minutes.

Blues’ goalkeeper Grant Shenton then had to claw away a dangerous cross into the danger area by Sam Austin.

The visitors made their presence felt in the 12th minute when Hall was put under pressure by George Waring, who had a couple of loan spells at Aggborough including a handful of matches this season. The towing striker’s challenge on the Aggborough keeper led to the ball eventually going out for a corner which proved fruitless.

At the other end front-runner Ironside tried his luck with a shot from distance, but the ball sailed high over the bar.

Shortly afterwards a slick move between Taylor and man-of-the-match Liam McAlinden led to the ball whizzing across the face of goal with Ironside just being unable to add the crucial final touch.

On the half hour mark Nick Clayton-Phillips threaded his way through the visiting rear-guard before firing in a low shot which was not far off target.

Harriers, however, were rocked in the 36th minute when a deflected through ball by Anthony Dudley set up the opportunity for Asante, back in action after injury, who expertly steered the ball past Hall.

Yates’ men drew level five minutes later with a sweetly struck shot by Weeks after the chance had been created by a cross from McAlinden which was headed down by Ashley Chambers.

They then stormed into the lead on the stroke of half time when Ironside headed home from close range following a perfectly placed corner by McAlinden.

Harriers soon set about trying to extend their hard fought lead in the second half and went close in the 53rd minute when Milan Butterfield, in the starting line-up for the first time, side-footed just wide from just outside the penalty area.

Not long afterwards McAlinden sent over a teasing low cross which Ironside just failed to latch on to in front of goal.

Harriers made it 3-1 on 71 minutes when Weeks and McAlinden engineered the chance for Johnson to notch his first goal for the club.

Williams, on for Clayton-Phillips, completed the scoring after 86 minutes when he drilled the ball home from fully 25 yards. It was his 12th goal of the season.

Teams

Kidderminster: Hall; Austin, Horsfall, Johnson, Taylor; Butterfield, Weeks, Clayton-Phillips (Williams, 71); Chambers (Truslove, 85), Ironside, McAlinden (White, 90). Subs not used: Weaver, Higginson.

Chester: Shenton; Thomson, Livesey, Howson, Waters; Dudley, Roberts, Burton, Mahon; Asante (Mooney, 78), Waring (Marsh-Hughes 67). Subs not used: Smalley, Murray, Brown.

Referee: Ryan Atkin.

Attendance: 1,769 (323 away fans).