Kidderminster Harriers 1 Stevenage Borough 5 (From Worcester News)

Kidderminster Harriers 1 Stevenage Borough 5

6:20pm Sunday 14th March 2010 in

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EVEN with the second leg of this FA Trophy semi-final to come Harriers’ hopes of making Wembley are as good as over after suffering a crushing defeat.

The Blue Square Premier leaders were just too good for Steve Burr’s shell-shocked men who will not be relishing the second leg at Broadhall Way.

After conceding an early goal Harriers managed to get back on terms through Gavin Caines but couldn’t knock their visitors off their stride. Borough quickly regained the lead, and were 3-1 by half-time and piled on the misery with two more goals in the second half.

Stevenage took the lead against the run of play after 25-minutes.

David Bridges rose highest to head powerfully past Ross Atkins in to the top left corner of the net from Michael Bostwick’s deep right-wing cross.

Harriers responded well and the lead only lasted four minutes when a quick corner caught Stevenage napping.

Darryl Knights found Gavin Caines in space on the edge of the box and the centre-back drilled a right-footed strike past an unsighted Chris Day in the Stevenage goal.

The visitors went on to give Harriers a lesson in ruthless finishing making the most of some defensive lapses.

Yemi Odubade bundled home from inside the six-yard box on 37-minutes to make the score 2-1 when Mitchell Cole caught the Harriers defence sleeping following a hopeful crossfield ball.

Stevenage made it 3-1 two minutes later when Bridges headed in his second goal from Joel Bryom’s corner.

Harriers failed to create many clear-cut chances in the second half and fell further behind on 71-minutes.

Chris Beardsley followed up with a low diving header passed a prone Atkins when Andy Drury’s looping headed effort came back off the crossbar.

The scoring was completed with five-minutes to go when Beardsley stole possession from Harriers’ Martin Riley and finished neatly into the bottom left corner.

Harriers: Atkins, Courtney, Baker, Caines, Riley, McPhee, Bennett, Knights, Smikle, Bignot (Lawrie 73), Boyes (Matthews 60). Subs not used: Singh, Hayward, Sharpe.

Stevenage: Day, Laird, Ashton, Odubade, Byrom (Drury 63), Roberts, Bridges (Vincenti 84), Beardsley, Cole (Albrighton 46), Bostwick, Henry. Subs not used: Bayes, Sills.

Referee: Andy Woolmer.

Attendance: 2,433.