Kidderminster Harriers 2 Worcester City 1

AN own goal from Sam Oji handed Kidderminster Harriers all three points and Lee Hughes was sent off as battling Worcester City finished another full-blooded derby with 10 men.

Junior English gave City the lead on 23 minutes but Harriers dominated possession and turned the screw in the second half.

James McQuilkin scored the equaliser on the hour mark before Oji headed in Sam Austin’s fizzing cross with 11 minutes to go.

Tempers then flared towards the death as Lee Hughes saw red against his former club after appearing to kick out at Elton Ngwatala.

With skipper Danny Jackman ruled out with a back problem, Ebby Nelson-Addy came into the midfield and Oji, who was sent off in the 0-0 draw at Bromsgrove’s Victoria Ground, was handed the captain’s armband.

Worcester had to dig deep to claim a point in their last encounter on Boxing Day and they were quickly on the back foot at Aggborough.

With four minutes on the clock, Arthur Gnahoua clipped the outside of the post with a curling left-foot shot from the edge of the area.

Connor Hughes was brought back into the City side but the winger lasted just 20 minutes after picking up an injury.

The hosts knocked the ball around well in the early stages but City went in front.

After Cieron Keane dug out a cross from the left, Lee Hughes flicked the ball on to English who chested it down and sent a low shot into the bottom corner.

Harriers responded well though as they quickly won a free-kick which Gnahoua fired wide and Mani Dieseruvwe scooped over from the resultant corner.

Kidderminster got an even better chance on the half-hour mark when Ngwatala found Tyrell Waite with a superb pass that cut open City’s defence but the attacker blasted high and wide.

Worcester defended superbly and looked dangerous on the break as Keane fired wide after his free-kick struck the wall.

Harriers had a penalty appeal turned down when McQuilkin went down after a challenge from Keane.

And they had another good opportunity before the break when Tyrone Williams chipped the ball to the back post but Gnahoua's shot failed to trouble keeper Ethan Ross.

Austin came on at half-time and made an instant impact as he shot narrowly wide after pouncing on a mistake from Keane before hitting his own team-mate with a goal-bound strike.

And Harriers' pressure told on 60 minutes when Zaine Francis-Angol burst down the left and sent the ball across the six-yard area for McQuilkin to score.

With the match level, Harriers had the momentum and City were forced into desperate defending as Graham Hutchison made a brave block to deny Ngwatala.

But after a sustained period of pressure Kidderminster went ahead as Austin put in a dangerous delivery which Oji diverted past Ross.

Harriers had chances to score a third as Austin headed straight into the arms of Ross before the City keeper did well to thwart substitute Daryll Knights who had been sent clean through.

And City’s frustration boiled over at the death as Lee Hughes was dismissed after lashing out at Ngwatala.