A performance of real grit and determination, with a dash of quality at the right moment, saw the Lions through to the first round of the Emirates FA Cup at the expense of full-time Vanarama National League North side, Kidderminster, writes Ivor Timmis.
A vocal Guiseley contingent got behind the side from the outset, but it was Harriers who dominated the early exchanges and, to be fair, the entire first half. Amari Morgan-Smith was a threat in the air and the tricky Maz Kouhyar was a thorn in the right side of our defence with some penetrating runs and dangerous crosses.
The Lions could not gain meaningful possession and had to resort to Liam Ridehalgh long throws from the left back position to get the ball forward. Harriers made a number of openings, but Joe Cracknell was equal to the task.
There was a real scare when Adriano Moke was dispossessed in midfield and the Harriers broke forward incisively, but Ashley Hemmings fired wastefully over the bar.
There was soon a further chance for Kiddy when Kouhyar went past Ollie Brown and Lebrun Mbeka, the latter hauling him down on the edge of the area to earn a yellow card. Hemmings’ effort from the free kick was feeble.
The Lions finally broke forward and a lovely jinking run by Joe Ackroyd found John Lufudu but his cross was over-hit. Mbeka then got on the end of a Will Longbottom free kick but his diving header did not trouble Christian Dibble in the Kiddy goal.
The 32nd minute brought what was arguably the game’s turning point. Kouhyar broke into the area and played a low cross; Mbeka slipped and the ball caught his trailing arm. The usual debates about natural posture and intent, but the referee pointed to the spot. Hemmings tried a stuttering run-up but Cracknell was unmoved and saved easily.
A post-match interview revealed that pre-game research by Cracknell and goalkeeper coach Danny King played an important role in the save.
Two well worked Kiddy set pieces led to shots fired narrowly wide of the Lions’ goal, while a break saw Lufudu volley over a Ridehalgh cross. 0-0 at half time and it is fair to say that the Lions had ridden their luck.
In the second half, Kiddy continued to dominate possession, but, as Mark Bower later revealed, a couple of tweaks at half time led to Kiddy making far fewer openings. In his post-match interview, Kiddy manager Phil Brown praised the Lions’ ‘resilience’.
Brown got the better of danger man Kouhyar to the point where the latter was (perhaps surprisingly) substituted.
The Lions began to grow into the game and Alex Penny earned a yellow when he manhandled Lufudu to the ground as he sped past him.
Jake Lawlor miscued a volley when a Longbottom free kick found him unmarked beyond the far post. The best Kiddy had to offer was a near post shot by Kouhyar which Cracknell saved smartly.
On 77 minutes, LRidehalgh underhit a back pass but Cracknell was alert to the danger and cleared safely.
By this time, Lufudu had switched to the left and had already shown that he had the beating of Joe Foulkes. Kiddy did not heed the danger and a driving run by the Guiseley winger took him into the area. A low left foot cross found Longbottom a couple of yards out. For a moment he appeared to have skied it over but the top of the net rippled to release pandemonium in the Guiseley section.
We braced ourselves for a Kiddy onslaught, especially when seven minutes added time were announced, but it never materialised.
The Lions, with subs Jack Emmett and Sam Bentley prominent, grew in stature while Kiddy wilted, their long balls, as Phil Brown acknowledged, easy meat for Lawlor and Mbeka.
The Lions almost added a second when Emmett was put through by Longbottom but Dibble saved well.
When the final whistle went, there were jubilant scenes as players joined fans in celebration of a heart-warming victory. The media team glowed all the way home in Colin Robertson’s car.
In an earlier interview, Mark Bower lamented that he had never had a good FA Cup run. ‘The times they are a-changin’.
Kidderminster Harriers 0-1 Guiseley AFC | Saturday 12th October 2024 | Nethermoor
Attendance: 2299, including 126 travelling fans
Team: 1. Joe Cracknell, 2. Ollie Brown, 3. Liam Ridehalgh, 4. Prince Ekpolo, 5. Lebrun Mbeka (C) , 6. Jake Lawlor, 7. John Lufudu, 8. Adriano Moke (67′ Emmett), 9. Gabriel Johnson (82′ Bentley), 10. Joe Ackroyd and 11. Will Longbottom.
Subs: 12. Freddie Westfall, 13. Danny King (GK), 14. Jack Emmett, 15. Sam Bentley, 16. Sam Walters, 17. Max Dickinson and 18. Feyi Afuape.
