Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Brave Kidderminster Harriers gave Second Division Brentford a fight to the final whistle, but bowed out of the LDV Vans Trophy after gifting the London side two poor goals to lose the third round tie 2-1.

With just 16 fit players, Harriers went to a 4-5-1 formation with Bo Henriksen suspended.

They were one down within four minutes. Jay Smith was given plenty of time and space to cross into the box and Scott Marshall headed home from close range.

They were further behind 20 minutes later after Drewe Broughton, a former Brentford player, failed to challenge for a header on the halfway line.

This allowed Jamie Fullarton to play a delightful ball through to Kevin O'Connor, who composed himself and drilled home from inside the box.

But Harriers made a game of it and only a superb save from Bees 'keeper Paul Smith kept out Danny Williams' 35-yard drive.

Harriers were back in the match in the 51st minute when the Bees defence fell asleep. Sam Shilton's cross into the box saw Broughton unmarked at the back post to head home.

Kidderminster should have been level a few minutes later when the Bees defence was asleep again but Sean Parrish somehow headed over the bar from a yard out.

Brentford almost killed the game off from Martin Rowlands played in 17-year-old Jay Tabb. However Stuart Brock did well to block Tabb and then ten minutes later he denied Rowlands at the near post as the match came to its conclusion.

Harriers boss Ian Britton said: "I thought we were unlucky not to get the second goal. How Parrish has missed, I will never know. It was harder to put it over the bar then to put it in the net.

"In the second half I thought we were lively and I thought we were the better side. We could have taken it to extra time."

"Our season starts on Saturday now. We are out of the cups and we have to concentrate on the league. We are handily placed and we have to push on, to what we were doing four or five weeks ago."

Kidderminster: Brock 7, Williams 6 (Foster 74), Hinton 7, Parrish 6, Broughton 7, Shilton 6 (Bennett 69, 6), Ayres 6, Joy 5 (Bishop, 74), Flynn 7, Melligan 8, Coleman 6. Subs not used: Danby, Doyle.

Attendance: 1,541.