Late revival not enough for Quakers
By Ray Simpson
![Late revival not enough for Quakers](/storage/8201/conversions/10th-August-Darlington-v-Kidderminster-graphic-large.jpg)
Beaten in opening game of the season
Darlington 1 Kidderminster 2
Scorer: Morgan-Smith 21 mins, 0-1. Kouhyar 82 mins, 0-2, Hatfield 88 mins, 1-2
Attendance 1817
A late revival wasn't enough for Quakers as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Kidderminster.
Quakers will feel unfortunate not to collect a point, as they had some good possession and good chances, especially in the first half.
Here are the goals from the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PyyxYaVJ1A
Kidderminster got an early corner on the left, but the inswinger was headed away at the near post by Jack Maskell.
Quakers threatened down the right with a ball by Elliot Forbes for Cameron Salkeld, but he was flagged offside.
Quakers got their first corner off a poor back pass, but the Kidderminster defence got the ball away.
Quakers had their first real chance on 11 minutes when they won the ball outside their own penalty area, and the ball was played to Cedric Main, who held off two defenders to get into the box and from a tight angle saw his right foot effort saved by Dibble.
Good work by Jarrett Rivers on the left set up Ben Hedley to cross into the middle, but Dibble came off his line and held the cross.
Forbes won Quakers’ second corner on 18 minutes, and they nearly scored from it. Rivers floated the corner towards the penalty spot where Maskell headed towards goal, and the ball was blocked a couple of yards out.
But Kidderminster took the lead on 21minutes when Maz Kouhyar crossed from the left to the far post where Amari Morgan-Smith headed past Pete Jameson
Main made another good run on 26 minutes down the right, and he set up Maskell whose right foot shot was blocked.
Quaker nearly levelled on 29 minutes when Hedley crossed from the left, Maskell got in between two defenders to head towards goal, but Dibble saved well.
However, the visitors nearly made it 2-0 on 33 minutes when Richards crossed from the left for Zak Brown to volley over the top from six yards.
Just on half time, Jameson came off his line to punch away a right wing free kick.
Quakers had a penalty shout turned down when Hedley crossed for Maskell to head down and Main went down when he was challenged by Dibble, but the referee waved play on.
Half time 0-1
At the start of the second half, Hedley crossed from the left for Main to swivel quickly inside the area, but the ball ran through for Dibble.
Summerfield whipped a free kick into the Darlington area, but Jameson came off his line and punched the ball away.
Main cleverly worked himself some space outside the Kidderminster penalty area, but his shot was charged down.
At the other end, Morgan-Smith dribbled through on the left and fired just over the top.
After Quakers brought Salkeld off for Matty Cornish, Maskell made a good powerful run but his final ball was just too far for Cornish.
But Kidderminster nearly got a second, a glancing header from a corner that Cornish cleared off the line.
Andrew Nelson came on for Rivers, and his first action was a run down the left and then a low cross into the middle for Maskell to turn and have a shot blocked by a defender.
Cornish forced Dibble into action with a 25 yarder that the keeper pushed into the air and held on to.
Cornish then won the ball in midfield and set up Maskell to run on, but unfortunately he fired straight at Dibble.
But Kidderminster went further ahead on 82 minutes when they won the ball on the halfway line, and the ball was threaded through for Kouhyar to take in his stride and beat Jameson with a low shot
Jameson then made a good point blank save to stop sub Seb Thompson from making it 3-0.
But Quakers got a goal back on 88 minutes when Hatfield was fouled a few yards outside the box, and he picked himself and curled the ball over the wall and past the keeper.
Quakers threw everything at Kiddie, and Nelson squeezed a shot through from the edge of the box that was saved by Dibble.
Team: Jameson, Griffiths, Lees, Barrow, Hedley, Forbes (sub Flint 84), Hatfield, Salkeld (sub Cornish 63) Rivers (sub Nelson 66), Main, Mansell
Subs: McGrath, Payne
Kidderminster
Dibble, Penny, Richards, Donning, Summerfield, Cadogan, Foulkes, Brown, Kouhyar, Morgan-Smith, Hemmings,
Subs: Palmer, McNally, Thompson, Beresford, Davis