Late strikes see off Burscough (From Worcester News)

Late strikes see off Burscough

10:20pm Tuesday 16th December 2008

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Harriers 3
Burscough 2

LATE goals by Stefan Moore and Martin Brittain ensured that sloppy Harriers progressed into the second round of the FA Trophy on Tuesday night.

The Aggborough side will now go to Ilkeston Town, who defeated Ossett 3-2, in the cup competition on Saturday, January 10.

The hosts produced a disjointed and play looked destined for a replay, before Moore and Brittain sealed Harriers' eighth home win in a row.

Harriers manager Mark Yates handed defender Luke Jones his first start since the end of October, while winger Brian Smikle was dropped to the bench and David McDermott was promoted to the left flank for the home side.

This was the second attempt to play the game after the original fixture was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch on the previous Saturday.

The visitors, managed by former Wolverhampton forward Andy Mutch, started brightly and took the game to the sluggish hosts.

Harriers suffered a set back in the 18th minute when full-back Lee Baker had to come off with an injury to his right knee and was replaced by Michael Bowler.

Slowly but surely Harriers started to impose themselves on the game and Justin Richards met Brittain's cross with a firm header but keeper Aaron Grundy stretched out a hand to save.

Striker Matthew Barnes-Homer then saw a low shot blocked by Burscough's keeper after neat interplay with Richards.

The visiting shot-stopper then got behind a strong shot by top scorer Richards.

Burscough battled back into the game and Ryan Wade shot at keeper Adam Bartlett.

The hosts edged ahead on the stroke of half-time when Jones marked his return to the team by heading them into the lead from a corner.

Harriers though were pegged back in the 70th minute at a corner, when the unmarked Peter Heler sidefooted into the back of the net at the near post.

The visitors tried to capitalise on their ascendancy, while the home team looked disjointed.

Harriers struggled to muster an effort on target, before Richards was denied a leveller late on when his scuffed close range shot was blocked by Grundy.

But just when a replay looked on the cards, substitute Moore fired Harriers back into the lead in the 86th minute.

Richards did well to chest down a cross to the former Villa hitman, who signed on for another month at Harriers last week, and he rifled a low 15-yard effort into the bottom right hand corner.

Martin Brittain wrapped up progress into round two three minutes later, when he bent a curling effort beyond Grundy from 25-yards out.

Late on Wade pounced on more sloppy defending to grab a consolation goal for the Lancashire battlers.

Harriers: Bartlett; Baker (Bowler, 18); Ferrell; Jones; Barnes-Homer (Moore, 62); Penn; Richards; Brittain; McDermott (Smikle, 71); Riley; Lowe.

Unused substitutes: Knights; Foley.

Burscough: Grundy; Gbemie; Clancy; Moogan; Brannan (Roberts, 87); Evans; Parry; Stanford; Davies (Grogan, 57); Wade; Heler.

Unused substitutes: Grogan; Shanley; Thomas; Roberts.

Referee: D Handley (Gt Manchester). Attendance: 685 (4)