Saturday: AFC Fylde (A)

Match preview as we head to Mill Farm to take on AFC Fylde…

By Matty Paddock - 24/09/2021

Posted 5 years ago

RUSS Penn expects Harriers to come up against a ‘wounded animal’ in table-topping AFC Fylde in National League North on Saturday.

The Coasters occupy the summit of the early standings after a solid start to their campaign.

Fylde have seen off Guiseley, Boston, Hereford, Southport and Bradford (Park Avenue) this season, with only Kettering able to take points off them so far in a 1-1 draw.

Despite a relatively imperious start to the ‘domestic’ campaign, they did suffer a first defeat of the term in midweek.

After an FA Cup clash against Spennymoor Town ended all square at Mill Farm, Jim Bentley’s charges were, by his own admission, decidedly second best in the reply and went down 2-1.

That left Penn knowing exactly what to expect on Saturday, with Harriers readying themselves for any potential backlash.

Looking ahead to the journey, he told our YouTube channel: “They’re all tough games at this level, but even more so going to the top of the league, away from home and unbeaten.

“It’s a great game for us and a great test, and we’re really looking forward to it.

“It’s a good surface, a good stadium and two good teams.

“They lost against Spennymoor in midweek, and they’ll be like a wounded animal coming into Saturday because they won’t like losing their first game.

“We want to be in and around them this season and to do that, we’ve got to be up and at it.”

Harriers will be without Mark Carrington on Saturday as the midfielder serves the last of a three-match ban for his sending off against Guiseley.

Cliff Moyo is continuing to work hard on rehabilitation following his serious Achilles injury back in the summer and is progressing nicely.

Penn did confirm that defender Nathan Cameron is back in full training and will be available for selection at Mill Farm, with striker Ethan Freemantle returning to the bench last weekend after his own spell out.

AFC Fylde have requested that as many supporters as possible purchase their tickets in advance of the game.

Much like home games at Aggborough, it is possible to purchase your ticket at the venue, but this is likely to involve some additional queuing which could prove problematic if demand is high.

To avoid any delays, Harriers fans can buy online via the Fylde website.

Kick-off at AFC Fylde is 3:00pm.

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