Ironside 62; Ngwatala 65
Key Moments
- Reds dig deep for another home win
- Second half goals do the damage
- Ironside and Ngwatala on target
- Lambs shut out for an important clean sheet
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HARRIERS confirmed their place in the play-offs with a routine and professional 2-0 win over Tamworth at Aggborough.
Second half goals from Joe Ironside and Elton Ngwatala were enough to secure a victory against a battling Tamworth side who had started the game brightly.
Verma, Kettle and Knights had all had half sniffs of goal for the Lambs before a big save from Brandon Hall, on nine minutes, denied Darryl Knights.
Harriers did edge more into the game after that and, around the half-hour mark, Austin forcing a save with a shot that was tipped over and Sonupé going close after latching on to an Ngwatala pass.
Two fine saves from Hall past the 36th minute kept Harriers at parity as he thwarted Angus down low, and a Luke Jones header with a tip over the target, and that allowed the home side to build some momentum of their own. From there, they finished strongly with Croasdale forcing a near-post save from Stevens before Austin again struck over after a strong run.
Straight after the restart O'Connor almost netted in sensational style after chesting the ball down in the area and firing at Stevens, before Tamworth's Verma planted a header over just shy of the hour.
The reds stole ahead in ruthless fashion with two goals in three minutes. First, Sonupé's ball was met by Croasdale at the near post and turned beyond Stevens by Ironside, before Ngwatala turned sharply in the area to fire into the net on his 100th appearance for the club.
Yet a minute later, Tamworth ought to have pulled one back when they had a brace of key chances - Horsfall on hand to clear away after Angus looked to shoot, and Hall again doing superbly to smother an effort from sub Asante.
The visitors tried with final flurries through Verma and others to reduce the deficit, but Harriers held on to comfortably see out the win, with sub Brown having a sight of goal up at the other end, Stevens saving in the final minute.
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Kidderminster Harriers
Tamworth
Kidderminster Harriers
Substitutes
Tamworth
Substitutes
ELTON Ngwatala has called on Harriers to do their bit to help the team in their quest for more National League North points against Tamworth this weekend.
The Lambs visit Aggborough for what is a key clash with implications at both ends of the table.
Harriers need points to make sure of a play-off spot, while the visitors’ need for more towards their tally at the foot of the division is every bit as urgent.
It all points towards a tough afternoon at the office, and possibly a different kind of footballing test for Harriers, who swept aside Stockport County 3-1 in midweek.
Speaking to our official YouTube channel, Frenchman Ngwatala knows that it will take both sides of the game for Harriers to get something at the weekend – and urged the Aggborough faithful to help where they can.
Looking ahead to the challenge against Mike Fowler’s men, he commented: “Sometimes you have to do the dirty stuff before you can play your football, and I think you have to find the balance sometimes.
“I think now, every player in the squad is really focused and every player knows their job and we are really determined now.
“We’ve won three games in a row, so we want to carry on with that.
“It will be a tough game at home, but we need our fans to stand together with us as one to win the game.
"...we need our fans to stand together with us as one to win the game." Elton Ngwatala
“That makes a lot of difference – if you’re tired in the last ten minutes but the fans can push you on, you want to run more and more.”
Tamworth will arrive in Worcestershire looking to bounce back from defeat to FC United of Manchester last weekend.
Ngwatala went on to add: “It’s a different kind of game but, at this stage of the season, every game is difficult.
“Every team coming to Kidderminster expects to do something, so you have to be prepared for that.”
Harriers will be without Lee Vaughan for the final time this weekend. The defender serves the third of a three-match suspension for his sending off in the game against Boston United.
The reds, otherwise, have a strong complement from which to choose this weekend, with Joel Taylor (illness) the only major concern as we speak.
Kick-off at Aggborough on Saturday is at 3:00pm.
WATCH: Elton Ngwatala’s full pre-match video interview, courtesy of our YouTube channel, by clicking the video tab above.
BUY: Match tickets in advance for the weekend by using the link on the top right of the page. Once online sales end you can still pay cash on the turnstiles.
READ: Our 5 Things guide to the Tamworth game featuring more build-up.
RENEW: Your Season Ticket for the 2018/19 season and make a big saving – you have four weeks before prices increase!
Elton Ngwatala pre-match
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