Scarborough Athletic beaten 3-0 on the road at high-flying Kidderminster Harriers
Despite making a bright start, Boro were well beaten by full-timers Kidderminster Harriers, who boosted their play-off hopes with a 3-0 win to climb to fifth place, on a bright and sunny day in the West Midlands.
The experienced hosts dominated much of the game, and some clinical finishing secured three points, but Boro battled gamely, and showed glimpses of the intricate passing football they are capable of, but only tested home keeper Christian Dibble once, writes Steve Adamson.
Boro twice went close in the opening 90 seconds, a Harry Green shot was blocked by Kam Kandola, and an Alex Purver corner dropped to Will Thornton, whose shot was deflected wide by Caleb Richards.
Harriers then took charge, Afghan international Maz Kouhyar raced through on goal, but Ryan Whitley beat away his shot, Ash Hemmings scuffed a shot into the chest of Whitley, a Kandola strike was blocked by Dom Tear, and a superb tackle from Purver halted a charge forward from Kouhyar.
A neat passing move from Boro, involving Steve Walker, Alex Wiles and Jack Waldron culminated in Green sending the ball into the area towards Tear, but Reiss McNally cleared.
Mackenzie Maltby blocked a Kouhyar strike, then on 34 minutes a Reece Devine cross from the left found Zak Brown on the six-yard line, but Whitley did well to parry his fierce shot, and Thornton scrambled the loose ball clear before Morgan-Smith could finish.
Boro’s only shot on target saw Waldron head forward to Tear, who fed Reed to his left, and his shot was pushed away by Dibble, but Harriers broke forward and opened the scoring when a Zak Brown through-ball was neatly slotted into the bottom right-corner by Ash Hemmings, to register his 21st goal of the season. Hemmings then blazed over just before the interval.
Kidderminster were on top for much of the second half, Morgan-Smith headed on to Kouhyar, who fired over, and a 25-yarder from Hemmings forced a good diving save from Whitley, before they doubled their lead with a fabulous goal, a Devine cross was despatched into the bottom left corner by a superb left-foot volley from skipper Morgan-Smith.
Boro tried to fight back, Waldron’s throw into the box was headed on by Thornton to Tear, whose shot was blocked by Kyle Morrison, a mazy dribble past three defenders by Green ended when he was tackled by McNally, and Wiles and Purver battled hard in midfield.
Boro’s best move of the game came on 64 minutes when Waldron and Tear linked up on the right, the latter passing to Green, whose clever back-heel sent Wiles racing into the area, and the Boro player crashed into keeper Dibble, after appearing to be pushed in the back, but penalty appeals were waved away.
Kieran Weledji twice tackled Hemmings as he charged forward for the home side, and Waldron cut out a through-ball towards Devine.
Alex Brown, back from injury, blazed a shot over for Boro, then Tear was tackled by McNally, and Luca Colville flicked on to Green, whose shot was blocked by Kandola, but Harriers went 3-0 up late on, when a Worrall cross from the right was slammed past Whitley by Kouhyar. In the last minute a Frank Mulhern strike was blocked by David Davis.
KIDDERMINSTER - Dibble, Richards, Devine, McNally, Worrall (Reynolds 83), Z.Brown (Davis 83), Morrison, Kandola, Morgan-Smith (c) (Lutz 83), Hemmings (Downing 85), Kouhyar, unused sub- Palmer.
BORO - Whitley, Waldron, Reed (Duckworth 70), Maltby (Mulhern 70), Thornton (c) (Weledji 53), Purver, Green, Tear, Bennett (Colville 53), Wiles, Walker (A. Brown 53).
REFEREE - Luis Griffiths
GOALS - Ash Hemmings 42, Amari Morgan-Smith 50, Maziar Kouhyar 82
GOAL ATTEMPTS - KIDDERMINSTER 14 (7 on target) BORO 7 (1 on target)
CORNERS - KIDDERMINSTER 9 BORO 5
OFFSIDES - KIDDERMINSTER 2 BORO 1
YELLOW CARD - Mackenzie Maltby (Boro)
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Wiles
ATTENDANCE - 2,571 (88 away).