Saturday: Harriers v Ashton

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HARRIERS meet Ashton United in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday with both sides eyeing a place in the First Round. 

The fourth and final qualifying stage is this weekend, with Harriers hosting the Northern Premier League side in DY10.

Both clubs will be determined to get through Saturday’s hurdle and claim their place in Sunday’s First Round draw, Harriers keen to replicate the kind of Cup form that saw them make national headlines a couple of years ago.

It’ll be no easy task against an Ashton side high on confidence.

Looking ahead, Assistant Manager Jimmy O’Connor said:  “We at Kidderminster know more than most how important the Cup is.

“It’s a great way to build momentum and excitement around the club [but] Ashton have got good, experienced players at levels above and are doing really well this season.

“They’ll have a lot of players who know a lot about us as well.

“It will be a tough game.”

Home form may not have been a solid base to build on for Harriers in recent months, but last weekend’s victory over Wealdstone was crucial in that regard.

Now O’Connor wants the Reds to go again and use that home advantage to their favour.

He added: “When you get a cup draw, the first thing you want is a home draw because you can end up with some nightmare ones.

“We’re at Aggborough. We won our last game and want to build on that and make it two to build that momentum.

“Whether it’s in the league or the cup, we want to win the next game.”

Harriers have won their last two league games, but on Saturday go up against a truly in-form Ashton side who’ve won 12 of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

That includes a winning streak of all of their last seven matches, with FA Cup wins in previous rounds within that.

Harriers will run the rule over their vast walking wounded ahead of the weekend.

Jack Lambert, Matt Preston, Shane Byrne, Nat Knight-Percival, Joe Leesley, Reiss McNally have all either missed recent matches or – in Leesley’s case – withdrawn from action in the win over Wealdstone.

Saturday is the first ever FA Cup meeting between these two sides.

Harriers and Ashton have met before, though – twice they met in the 1980-81 Staffordshire Senior Cup, silverware Harriers went on to lift.

The pair also collided in National League North in 2018-19, with Harriers picking up a 1-0 win away from home, and playing out a 3-3 thriller at Aggborough.

Kick off on Saturday is at 3:00pm.

MATCH TICKETS

As with all home matches at Aggborough, advance purchase of match tickets is strongly recommended to help minimise queues and also to make a saving.

Don’t forget, prices have been reduced across the board for this weekend’s match. View the full price structure.

Prices rise by £5 for any ticket purchased in person at the box office on the day of the match. To avoid this, buy online, any time, up to 15 minutes after kick off – even if this is once you arrive at the ground.

Any supporters needing assistance with purchasing online can contact us before a match day on 01562 823 931.

AGGBOROUGH IS CASHLESS

Please remember, Aggborough Stadium and all of its outlets are cashless – we cannot accept cash as payment under any circumstances.

YOUR MATCH DAY PROGRAMME

Issue 10 of the The Harrier is your perfect accompaniment to Saturday’s FA Cup tie, and only a limited number have been produced, so don’t  miss yours!

There’s Case Files with on-loan midfield man Barry Maguire, a review of last weekend’s home win over Wealdstone and plenty more besides.

Buy your copy from around the ground or in the Club Shop. To make sure of your copy, or to get one if you can’t make it to the ground, you can purchase online for FREE UK mainland delivery.

Get your copy today.

NO SMOKING

Aggborough Stadium is a strictly no smoking venue – this means smoking, including the use of vapes and e-cigarettes, is prohibited anywhere within the stadium.

FAT EDDIE’S – PRE-MATCH FOOD

Don’t miss Fat Eddie’s Smokehouse on Saturday – they’re our special guests for the day and will be stationed next to the Harriers Arms.

You can sample their incredible menu, featuring their trademark smoked brisket stake, burgers, jerk chicken, dirty fries, vegan options and plenty more.

Get it from 12pm on Saturday, before it’s all gone!

LIVE MATCH STREAMING

As an FA Cup fixture, Saturday’s game will not available for live streaming via NLTV.

SUPPORTER CONDUCT

Harriers again strongly supports The National League and Football Association in delivering their antisocial conduct message.

Please review the following information before visiting Aggborough.

Specifically, we would like to remind supporters that the club will not tolerate supporter misconduct of any kind. This includes but is not limited to:

• Discriminatory behaviour. This means conduct or language that is aggravated by ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, faith, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or disability.
• Entering the field of play or its immediate surrounding area without permission
• The throwing of missiles towards the pitch, technical area or dugout
• The possession or use of pyrotechnics such as flares or smoke bombs

Please support Kidderminster Harriers responsibility. Should you be concerned by any of the above conduct you may witness, please report it to your nearest steward, to the Club Office or Safety Officer or by e-mail to security@harriers.co.uk

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