A look back at Saturday’s defeat to Southend at Aggborough….
By Matty Paddock - 23/12/2023
Posted 2 years ago
ASHLEY Hemmings’ ninth goal of the season wasn’t enough to prevent a defeat at Aggborough as Harriers went down to Southend United.
After the Reds slipped behind early, a thunderous finish from Hemmings levelled matters, only for United to re-take their lead.
Southend had goalkeeper Collin Andeng Ndi to thank for their points come the end – he denied Amari Morgan-Smith with a superb treble of saves late on, one in particular being a truly remarkable stop.
It had been a fairly front-foot start for Harriers as Gold Omotayo and Ashley Hemmings combined for the latter to see a header saved by Ndi, but it was the away fans celebrating first when Oli Coker finished a corner at the far post to put the Shrimpers in front.
On 21 minutes, Ryan McLean went close to an equaliser when his shot was well blocked by a defender, with Harriers securing parity six minutes later when Hemmings took on a ball headed by Shane Byrne before slamming it past Ndi and into the roof of the net.
Southend would be back in front before the half-time whistle, however, as a routine corner delivery was headed home by Captain Nathan Ralph despite the attentions of a number of red shirts.
Christian Dibble saved well from Brooklyn Kabongolo early in the second half but, in truth, goal-mouth chances at either end were at a premium until the game’s dying stages.
Southend might well argue the game should have been dead and buried when substitute Henry Sandat beat the offside trap before chipping the ball beyond Dibble a little too deftly, sending it wide.
Nonetheless, either side of that, Ndi more than earned his money from another substitute in Morgan-Smith. The first of the saves was the best, a downward header on its way into the bottom corner before Ndi swept a hand from behind the line to scoop the ball out at the last moment.
The Harriers hit-men then tried again from the following corner but was kept out by the first of two good parries – Ndi punching that one up, before standing tall to deny Morgan-Smith in the fourth minute of added time.
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