TRAVEL-SICK Kidderminster Harriers will be hoping to improve on their poor away record against York City tomorrow.

Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at win-less Forest Green means the Harriers have only triumphed once – a 3-1 victory over Grays on August 22 – during 11 games on the road.

In that time, home boys Kidderminster have won six out of their nine fixtures at Aggborough, illustrating their struggle to play to their potential on unfamiliar territory.

Mark Yates’ men have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six fixtures while, at the other end of the pitch, former Salisbury striker Robbie Matthews is pressing for a starting place after featuring from the bench at Forest Green on his comeback from a groin injury.

Winger Brian Smikle is the Harriers’ joint-top scorer on four goals, along with ex-Cambridge frontman Matthew Barnes-Homer.

In midfield, Dean Bennett picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in Gloucestershire and will be suspended against the Minstermen with fit-again John Finnigan likely to stand in.

Yates is now hoping his side can improve in all departments against City.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game, he said: “It’s just players needing to take responsibility and being more confident and taking chances.

“We’ll work defensively as well because we haven’t been keeping clean sheets at the moment.

“We will be having a look at the DVD and at one or two things we can do better.

“As disappointed and frustrated as I am, though, the performance (at Forest Green) was excellent and I’d take another 34 of them because we’d be fine.

“We’ve got a run of tough games coming up and we’ve got to be up for it – we need to perform like we did against Forest Green and cut out the silly mistakes.”


Match facts

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers have made eight previous League trips, winning only once – 1-0 in a Third Division (League Two) encounter in 2001/2.

In their four Conference visits they have drawn three times, with City winning 1-0 in 2006/7 when Clayton Donaldson was on the scoresheet.

The corresponding fixture last term ended 0-0 and City’s line-up on March 28, 2009, was: Ingham, Purkiss, Pejic, Parslow, Robinson, Rusk (Greaves), Mackin (McGurk), McWilliams, Sodje, McBreen (Brown), Brodie.

Players to have appeared for both sides include goalkeeper Tim Clarke, Steve James, John Williams, Jon Newby, Andy Bishop, along with Simon Russell and Andy Ferrell.

It happened on September 26:

• 1953: A 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Crewe Alexandra left City in the lower reaches of Division Three North. The crowd was 7,115.

• 1956: Billy Hughes, Norman Wilkinson, Peter Wragg and Billy Fenton scored in a 4-3 win at Chester and City were mid-table in the Northern section.

• 1960: A 0-0 draw at home to Gillingham in front of 9,284. City were sixth in Divsion Four.

• 1970: Phil Boyer was the marksman in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at Bootham Crescent in front of 3,858 and City were seventh in the Fourth Division.

• 1978: Hereford United were beaten 1-0 at Bootham Crescent with Kevin Randall the match winner. The attendance for this Fourth Division game was 2,358 and City were in the top half of the table.

• 1989: City drew 1-1 at Burnley with Ray Warburton the marksman and they were mid-table in the Fourth Division. The crowd at Turf Moor was 7,896.

• 1998: City were ninth in Division Two (League One) following a 1-0 home victory over Bristol Rovers with Neil Tolson the scorer. The game was watched by 3,305.

Match facts compiled by David Batters