Lacklustre Harriers taste defeat at Stockport (From Worcester News)

Lacklustre Harriers taste defeat at Stockport

5:01pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in News

Stockport 2
Harriers 1

HARRIERS paid the price for a lacklustre display as they slipped to defeat at relegation-battling Stockport County on Saturday.

The Aggborough outfit were well below the high standards they have set in the last three months as a mixture of wayward defending and toothless attacking took its toll.

They had looked in charge until the 21st minute, when Sean McConville took advantage of poor defending to fire the hosts ahead.

Daniel Rowe doubled County's lead in the 55th muinute and despite Nick Wright replying immediately to cut the gap, the away side struggled to find their normal attacking rhythm.

Harriers started brightly and Lee Hendrie almost handed them the lead nearly straight from the kick-off, with a low drilled shot goalwards but County's 18-year-old keeper Ian Ormson dived to his right and got a hand to it.

The away side looked capable of slicing open their low on confidence opponents at will and Wright was just offside as he raced onto Kyle Storer's pass.

Jamille Matt then dashed into County's box but was blocked by some desperate defending.

The hosts had threatened rarely but took advantage of some poor Harriers defending in the 21st minute. A long goal-kick was flicked on and McConville reacted quicker than a hesitant defence to slot a right-footed shot past Tony Breeden.

The goal invigorated the home side and left Harriers jittery and they suffered a setback on the half hour mark when right-back Tom Sharpe sustained an injury. With no defenders on the bench, he was replaced by winger Dave Hankin in an unfamilliar position.

Late in the first half, the away side forced several corners while Wright saw an ambitious shot fly over the bar.

Burr took action to inject some threat into his team at the start of the second half, with Anthony Malbon replacing the out of sorts Dan Bradley.

But they found themselves 2-0 10 minutes into the second period when an unchallenged Rowe fired a low 20-yard effort into the bottom left corner.

The away side responded immediately, when Wright's shot deflected wickedly off Danny O'Donnell and caught out Ormson to get Harriers back into the game.

Despite the goal, the away team struggled to find their recent form. County substitute Martin Gritton could have added to their woes but headed wide from a Andy Halls cross.

McConville then blasted over Harriers' bar after a raid down the right flank.

Harriers's best chance of finding a leveller came in the 84th minute but Hendrie fluffed his lines. Jamille Matt raced to the byline and pulled the ball back but with just the keeper to beat, the ex-Aston Villa man fired well over the bar.

With the hosts happy to soak up the pressure and hit Harriers on the break, Breeden produced a fine save late on to deny substitute Jon Nolan.

In the end, Harriers couldn't muster a late rally and suffered defeat.

Harriers: Breeden; Williams; Jones; Wright (McQuilkin, 67); Sharpe (Hankin, 34); Gittings; Matt; Demetriou; Storer; Bradley (Malbon, 46); Hendrie.

Unused substitutes: Guinan; Lyness.

Stockport: Ormson; Holden; O'Donnell; DL Rowe; McConville (Cole, 89); Halls; Mainwaring (Nolan, 72); Elliott (Gritton, 57); Piergianni; Turnbull; Connor.

Unused substitutes: DM Rowe.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson. Attendance: 3,728.