Gravesend & Northfleet 1-3 Kidderminster Harriers - Daish: We're a victim of our own success

The Fleet’s third home defeat of the season sees them drop from third in the table to sixth - two points adrift of the play-off places.

After the euphoria of becoming the first side to take maximum points from Oxford United at Stonebridge Road two weeks ago, the Fleet were brought back down to earth today.

Two stunning free-kick’s from Johnny Harkness and a goal from James Constable did the damage and Peter Hawkins’ first goal of the season, late in the game, proved to be just a consolation for the Kent side.

With many games involving Kent sides called off due to waterlogged pitches, a poor crowd of 1,160 watched this game.

The match was played on an excellent playing surface and with blue December skies above, there was the need to use the floodlights from the off.

But it was Kidderminster Harriers that shone early on and they almost opened the scoring inside 23 seconds when the impressive Michael Blackwood drove his shot just past the far post.

The Kent side also went close following their first corner of the game.

Jon Keeling, awarded the man-of-the-match award, sent over a left-footed corner, which was knocked down by Rob Quinn and Onome Sodje, who scored the only goal against Oxford, stroked his 16-yard shot through a crowd of players and just past the left post.

But Harriers scored two goals in as many minutes to stun the Stonebridge Road faithful.

Fleet midfielder Danny Slatter was penalised for bringing down Constable in a central position some thirty yards from his goal.

Kidderminster had five players surrounding the ball but Harkness curled a stunning left-footed free-kick over the five man wall and beyond Lance Cronin.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to double their lead when Constable stroked the ball past Cronin following Blackwood’s low centre from the left.

Southampton born visiting goalkeeper Scott Bevan was called into action when he plucked Ross Smith’s towering header out of the air following a cross from former Canvey Island star Keeling.

Bevan made an even better save on the half-hour mark when he blocked Sacha Opinel’s angled low drive after the Frenchman was played in by striker Charlie MacDonald.

Bevan was never going to beaten by attempts from Sodje, Slatter and MacDonald later in the first half.

The Fleet created the first chance of the second half when Sodje, MacDonald, Stacy Long and Quinn combined to carve open a chance for Slatter, whose left-footed shot from 25-yards brought a comfortable save from Bevan.

Harriers twice hit the top of both posts in quick succession following their first corner of the game after 51 minutes, through Fleet defender Ross Smith and Constable.

But Harkness’ second left-footed curling free-kick wrapped up the points six minutes later.

The former Northern Ireland youth international noticed a gap at Cronin’s near post and unleashed a low curler which found that corner from his 25-yard free kick on the right hand side.

Daish had earlier made a double substitution and Mark De Bolla and Luke Moore, who both came off the bench, combined but Slatter’s shot rose high above the Plough End stand.

De Bolla’s free-kick was met by a looping header from Smith, which dropped onto the roof of the net.

Harriers’ skipper, Russell Penn, sent Blackwood on his way down the left but his low angled drive flashed just past a diving Cronin’s near post.

De Bolla’s 30-yard free kick produced a flying save from Bevan, tipping the ball around his near post before the Fleet netted a consolation with three minutes remaining when Hawkins nipped in front of MacDonald to poke Moore’s low deflected cross inside the near post.

Daish, however, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game that his side will have to match visiting team’s work-rate .

Daish:  We're a victim of our own success
Photo: www.gnfc.co.uk

He said: “Before today’s game we were third in the league and sides are going to come here and match us for effort.

“I thought our delivery today from set pieces wasn’t from a side that is third in the league.

“We have to make teams defend more from dead ball situations and take on board that sides are going to work and close us down extremely hard.

“Every game is massive and teams are coming here looking to get closer to us and get stronger, win tackles, they run harder like we did against Oxford because they’re top of the league.

“It’s something we’ve got to learn from, be a little bit braver on the ball, keep the ball better. The forwards have to work harder to create a little bit of space because defenders are now getting tighter.”

Daish knows his side must bounce back from this defeat when they travel to Stevenage Borough next weekend.

He said: “We’re a little bit of a victim of their (own) success really because Kidderminster are not going to come here play open football and stand of us so we’ve got to be a little bit better when we have the ball, I.e. deliveries from corners, free-kick’s and hurt teams that way and put them on the back foot a lot better.

“I don’t think it’s a wake up call. We haven’t got carried away with it. We’ve got up to a good position, we’ve done well and we’ve bounced back from poor results.

“We’ve got a young side, it’s sort of limited with the way of changing things but it’s good to see Mark De Bolla get back into it.

“He is one of them to put balls into areas for people like Charlie (MacDonald) to get onto.

“It’s good to see Luke Moore back on. He looked lively so I’ve got a couple of options there.

“Of course we’re disappointed with the result but it can happen and now we’ll go to Stevenage and we’ll have another go at it because I know these set of players and I know they’ll bounce back and we’ll have plenty to play for.”