Dorking Wanderers 0-1 Kidderminster Harriers

Dorking Wanderers 0-1 Kidderminster Harriers

National League

Tuesday 3rd October 2023

When I watched Kidderminster at Spennymoor back in February, they won! 

When I watched them again at Alfreton in the Play-Offs back in May, they also won again!

And in this game, the first time I’ve seen Kidderminster this season since their promotion back to the National League, I completed my hat-trick as they won yet again!

Clearly, I’m something of a good luck charm for the Harriers, and this was a massive and well-deserved three points for them which ought to give them a huge morale boost after a tough start to life in the National League following promotion.

The three observations I’ll draw from seeing this game are as follows:

1) How the hell are Kiddy in the relegation zone because they certainly didn’t look like a team that is going to get relegated.

2) Joe Leesley is still a very good footballer; guts, graft, pieces of quality (both from wide areas with his deliveries and then the back-heel assist where he knew exactly what he was doing) and he’s a very big player in this team.

3) Vanarama were right to include Krystian Pearce in their Team Of Midweek (deserved and proved it with a really good intervention to thwart an attack in the second half) but how the hell have they not included Joe Leesley? Someone have a word with them...

And one observation from outside... the little park next to Dorking's ground that leads to the railway stations could really do with some lighting and railings - especially with water on both sides of the footpath. You don't need to be Einstein to work out what will happen at some point!

All that said, this was a good night - particularly on a personal level as I finally completed a visit to every ground in the National League (at last), and it was a very positive one for the Harriers too because there was so much graft and spirit on show at both ends as they got the goal and then defended resolutely to limit Dorking to not very much, and earn a big three points!

Huge characteristics and exactly what you need when you’re in an early-season relegation battle, needing points to start climbing the table and ease that sense of pressure that can quickly build up.

After a scrappy first half under the floodlights in which Kiddy spent more time in Dorking's half and were probably the better team (they certainly had more possession), the breakthrough came in the 41st minute when Joe Leesley’s intricate and intelligent back-heel slipped in Bailey Hobson who smashed the ball past emphatically past Harrison Male (once at Leeds and a decent 'keeper by the way).

Thereafter, Kiddy could have had a second goal. Amari Morgan-Smith clipped the bar just shy of half-time then after the re-start, a cross-shot by Joe Leesley also clipped the bar with the ‘keeper scrambling, before Leesley (notice how his name keeps popping up) then provided a perfect set-piece for Krystian Pearce who went so close with the ball seeming to brush his head on its way wide in one of those ‘How did that not go in!’ moments - albeit to save Pearce’s blushes, the offside flag was up anyway.

Dorking didn’t offer much throughout the 90 minutes (probably a case of them having a poor game from their perspective rather than being a poor team) and trailing 1-0, they attempted to build up a head of steam and gain the momentum as time ticked away.

Nevertheless, a combination of resolute defending; Krystian Pearce stopping one chance with a brilliant piece of defending, plus Kiddy being able to rely on Christian Dibble who got in the way of a low drive in the latter stages, and also that bit of luck which was on the Harriers side (the ball bobbled around in the box momentarily in one of those anxious moments where the game was in a knife-edge deep into injury-time), meant the hosts couldn’t find an equaliser.

When the final whistle went, that feeling of relief and sense of accomplishment at finally having registered a win for the second time this season, was evident on the faces of all Kidderminster’s players. They were ‘in it together’ in this game. They battled, they fought, they rolled their sleeves up, they needed a second goal to make life easier (and had the chances to do it) which meant they had to show even more grit at the other end to prevent any late disasters, but there was a huge spirit and togetherness with how they got the win. Nobody really had a poor game!

I can’t comment on previous games which I’ve not seen but considering this is the first time I’ve watched them this season, and all the qualities/characteristics and graft that was on show, it just makes me wonder how the hell they are in the relegation zone. 

Coming up as a newly-promoted team, it’s never going to be easy or straightforward and there’s always going to be bumps and learning curves and defeats where you just have to take it on the chin, but there’s certainly teams in this division who won’t be able to show the same spirit or endeavour and roll their sleeves up in the way that Kidderminster did. 

If they can now seize the momentum, get that self-belief and confidence flowing, keep the positive vibes going and take it into Saturday’s game against Wealdstone (brilliant idea from the club to sell £10 tickets too to try and bump up the attendance and build an atmosphere), they’ll have every chance of picking up another massive three points, winning at Aggborough for the first time in the National League this season in the process, and really start bridging the gap on the teams who are a few points ahead of them and just outside the drop zone.

Again, Dorking didn’t offer much whatsoever and were second-best but what they’ve achieved to be at this level is superb. Where this story ends, whether Marc White will ever get his coaching badges - and where they’ll be in five years from now, who knows? But all credit to them - they’ve done things well, the stadium is clean and tidy, the food isn’t bad either (always a bonus), quite decent pre-match music (another very good bonus), the 4G pitch (and thus being able to rent it out during the week) can really help them connect with their community and they should be proud of their achievements from where they started to where they are now and mixing it up (and doing well) against far bigger clubs with resources they can only dream about.

As said, considering their recent form - including winning at Hartlepool last Saturday which was a brilliant result, plus the fact they’ve earned a position on the fringes of the Play-Offs, I think this was a case of them having a poor and disappointing game from their perspective (it happens) rather than being a poor team overall.

But this was Kidderminster’s night and fingers crossed that the result properly kick-starts their campaign and they can start climbing.