Kidderminster Harriers Supporters Team

A Mark Vaughan brace and a Lewis Pountney free-kick was enough to make sure that the Harriers fans claimed what may turn out to be the result of the season.

On a crisp and bright Saturday morning as the Harriers Senior team were preparing to take on the Football League Trophy champions Luton Town, the Fans Team were also taking on a challenge of their own in the shape of Boing FC, the West Bromwich Albion Supporters Team.

The World Net champions arrived at Cookley playing fields as clear favourites having not lost a game in 3 years but were soon on the back foot as a Midfield quartet of Lewis Pountney, Chris Smith, Sean Merryweather and Pete Lewis began to dominate. It looked as though the visitors may have offered too much respect to the Harriers as a 4-5-1 formation offered no threat to the home defence and sure enough the Black Country outfit found themselves 1 goal down inside 20 minutes when Pete Lewis’s un-defendable cross was bundled home by Mark Vaughan inside the 6-yard -box.

This seemed to spur the Visitors on and for the next 10 minutes they had what turned out to be their best spell of pressure but the well organised home defence stood firm and the Harriers extended the lead when Lewis Pountney drilled in a 25 yard free kick into the bottom corner of the net. The away side almost pulled one back when a header from 6 yards out just skimmed the cross-bar but the half ended 2-0 to the home side.

Boing FC didn’t go 3 years without defeat for no reason and were not about to be taken lightly. The visitors took to the field with a more attack minded formation and were throwing bodies forward and soon won a penalty when the home Skipper Chris Lacey was adjudged to have fouled the Baggies centre forward inside the area. The spot-kick was easily despatched and the score was 2-1 with 40 minutes still on the clock. Most teams at this point would have buckled under pressure but the home side again extended the lead when a long throw from Dave Pountney was flicked on at the near post by Dave Goode and Mark Vaughan was at hand to grab his second goal of the game on 65 minutes.

Harriers however didn’t get to enjoy a 2 goal cushion for long as the referee pointed to the spot again when the colossal centre half, Dave Goode, was also penalised inside the area. Again the penalty was drilled home and even the home support would be forgiven for thinking that the Harriers would capitulate at 3-2 with 10 minutes to go. However some stout defending and sheer hard work from the Midfield ensured the score line didn’t change and the humbled Baggies left Worcestershire empty handed.

A great result for Kidderminster Harriers Supporters and one that really underlines the hard work that goes into raising the Profile of Kidderminster Harriers on a national level. It may have been a local fixture but many a head would have been turned in the world of Fans Team football.

Match report courtesy of Mark Connolly

Team - Brett Caufield, Mark Connolly, Chris Lacey, Dave Pountney, Ian Danby, Ash Jarvis, Wayne Allen, Ollie Sewell, Richard Millington, Lewis Pountney, Dave Goode, Marc Vaughan, Sean Merryweather, Chris Smith, Nathan Fox and Pete Lewis.

Scorers - Marc Vaughan 2 and Lewis Pountney

Man of the match - Dave Goode