KIDDERMINSTER Harriers will be without star man Russ Penn and skipper Mark Creighton for tomorrow’s FA Trophy home clash with York City.

Highly-rated midfielder Penn, who was on the verge of signing for League One neighbours Walsall in the summer, suffered knee ligament damage at the weekend, while commanding defender Creighton injured his hamstring during the warm-up for Tuesday night’s Blue Square Premier meeting with Histon at Aggborough.

Former Shrewsbury defender Luke Jones and 20-year-old midfielder David McDermott filled in for Creighton and Penn during a 2-0 victory over the Harriers’ promotion rivals and are likely to retain their places against the Minstermen.

But new signing Craig Armstrong – a former Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder – is ineligible having already played for Burton in the Trophy during a loan stay from Cheltenham. Lee Baker is expected to replace him at left-back.

Tuesday’s victory was fifth-placed Kidderminster’s ninth from their last 11 matches in front of their own fans, with a 2-0 reverse to Weymouth a fortnight ago representing the only defeat during that sequence.

In total, Kidderminster have won 13 of their 17 league and cup games at Aggborough, keeping ten clean sheets in the process, with Barrow the other side to taste success there during a 1-0 triumph on October 4.

Only runaway leaders Burton can match Kidderminster’s tally of 11 Blue Square Premier home victories but Mark Yates’ men have conceded fewer goals than any other side at their own stadium, letting in just nine in 15 fixtures.

At the other end of the pitch, Justin Richards is Harriers’ leading marksman on 12 goals, but he has not hit the target in seven games since netting in the 2-0 victory over Mansfield on December 9.

Richards’ striking partner Matthew Barnes-Homer ended a seven-match drought of his own by bagging both goals against Histon.

Former City striker Chris Beardsley has returned to Kettering after a month on loan at Aggborough, where he failed to dislodge Richards and Barnes-Homer from the starting line-up and was limited to just three substitute outings.

But Adam Bartlett – a former KitKat Crescent trialist – will be keeping goal for the home side.

Midfielder Brian Smickle is set to be the only surviving member of the Kidderminster team that lost the 2007 Trophy final – the first club match played at the new Wembley stadium – named in the home squad tomorrow, but is likely to be on the bench.


Match facts

THIS is York City’s first cup visit to Aggborough, but in eight league visits (Football League and Conference) they have lost on seven occasions.

Their only success on this ground was in 2001/2 when they won a Division Three (League Two) encounter 2-1.

It happened on January 31

1953: City lost 1-0 at Barrow. It was the fifth game without a win and they were fourth in Division Three North.

1959: A 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace and City dropped out of the top four of Division Four for the first time that season. The attendance at Selhurst Park was 16,175.

1970: Barry Jackson played his 539th and last senior game – a club record – in a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Notts County in front of 3,482. Bobby Sibbald scored from the penalty spot and City were below mid-table in Division Four.

1975: A crowd of 10,552 at Bootham Crescent saw City beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 and move up to 15th in Division Two (Championship). The marksmen were Barry Lyons (2) and Ian Butler.

1977: A 4-4 draw at Tranmere Rovers with two goals from Gordon Staniforth. George Hope and an opponent were the other scorers and City were in the bottom four of Division Three (League One).

1984: John Byrne was the marksman in a 1-0 home win over Chesterfield watched by 4,782. It was the ninth game without defeat (eight wins and one draw) and City topped Division Four.

1998: City crashed to a 7-2 defeat at Burnley with Alan Pouton and Tony Barras on target. Following seven games without a win, City had slipped to tenth in Division Two (League One).

David Batters