Express & Star

Kidderminster 1 Southport 4 - Report

High-flying Kidderminster Harriers nose-dived to a shock 4-1 defeat against National League North strugglers Southport at windy Aggborough.

Published

Stunned Harriers were guilty of a nightmare first half performance and found themselves trailing 4-0 at the interval.

Although they stemmed the flow after the break they were unable to prevent the delighted Sandgrounders from lifting themselves off the foot of the table with only their second victory of the season.

Kidderminster, who surrendered their unbeaten home record in their previous match at Aggborough when they lost 2-1 against lowly FC United of Manchester, were unchanged from the side which triumphed 4-0 at Leamington earlier in the week.

Harriers, who won 3-0 at home and away to Southport last season, made a grim start by falling behind after only three minutes when Jack Sampson scored with a deflected long range effort which hit the back of the net after striking the inside of a post.

The hosts responded with a promising raid which led to highly rated Ed Williams sending over a low cross which Liam Edwards lifted off the toe of Dan Bradley as he prepared to line up a shot from six yards out.

Jordan Richards then worried Harriers with a free kick which was beaten out by Hall before the danger was cleared.

Southport stunned the hosts again by making it 2-0 in the 22nd minute when a cross by Richards picked out Jason Gilchrist who scored with an unchallenged header.

The visitors, with the wind at their backs, continued to push forward and stormed into a 3-0 when Sampson scored with a 33rd minute header following a long throw-in to the near post.

It became 4-0 a couple of minutes later when Dion Charles netted with a deflected shot which looped over Hall before dropping into the net.

After such a miserable first half display, Harriers made three substitutions at the start of the second period with Sam Austin, Joe Ironside and Kane Richards taking over from Lee Vaughan, Ryan Johnson and Bradley.

The changes started to improve the situation and during the early stages Ironside had a header gathered by goalkeeper Dan Hanford before Declan Weeks fired over from a free kick. A similar fate befell a shot from Billy Daniels

Harriers finally managed to find the net in the 68th minute when Williams set up the opportunity for captain Jimmy O’Connor to score with a neat backheel in the 68th minute.

Southport were denied a further goal in the closing stages when Hall managed to block a shot from Charles.

Kidderminster: Hall; O’Connor, Horsfall, Johnson (Ironside, 46); Vaughan (Austin, 46), Weeks, Daniels, Williams, Taylor; Bradley (Richards, 46), Chambers. Subs not used: Baxendale, Digie.

Southport: Hanford; Richards, Winnard, Edwards, Ogle; Charles, Morgan, Wood, Bauress; Gilchrist (Homson-Smith, 81), Sampson. Subs not used: Green, Mueller, Priestley, Tibbets.

Referee: Lewis Smith (Lancs).

Attendance: 1,513 (63 away fans).