ASHLEY Hemmings converted an injury time penalty to secure Harriers a crucial point in a 1-1 draw at Boreham Wood in the National League.

The Aggborough top scorer took his tally for the season to ten with an ice cool finish from 12 yards to prevent the visitors falling to another poor defeat.

In the wake of another defeat at Aggborough on Boxing Day at the hands of Southend United, Russ Penn opted to switch things around with three changes – Amari Morgan-Smith among them as he partnered Gold Omotayo up front.

At the back there was a reintroduction to the eleven of Alex Penny and Caleb Richards. Reiss McNally and Ryan McLean dropped to the bench alongside Hemmings who overcame a late fitness test to be involved.

The first half proved to be a virtual non event in terms of key chances – Boreham Wood also keen to keep things tight after a 6-0 thumping of their own on Boxing Day.

Of the few chances the game did produce, the hosts had the closest of them. Erico Sousa fired over the bar for the hosts when seemingly placed to do a lot better, while Charles Clayton went within a whisker of putting his team in front on 14 minutes when his curling effort bent just wide of Christian Dibble’s upright.

The only sight of goal in the first period for Harriers came in its dying stages, Jack Lambert volleying wide through a crowd of bodies after Richards nodded a cross into his path.

Boreham Wood started brightly after the restart and were duly rewarded. Matt Robinson and Mo Sagaf had already forced Dibble into important, low saves, but the corner that followed the latter saw Billy Sass-Davies head the ball down and into the top corner.

Penn made a double change on the hour to try and address the situation, Hemmings and McLean back in the action as Matt Preston and Omotayo made way.

Sadly for the men from Worcestershire, those switches had next to no immediate impact. The game was bereft of any further chances until ten minutes from time when Lambert’s low shot was held by Nathan Ashmore.

Boreham Wood looked have done enough to see out their win but, two minutes into added time, a marauding run from Krystian Pearce was crudely ended in the penalty area by Robinson to the award of a penalty. Hemmings stepped up to send Ashmore the wrong way and send the Harriers fans home with a share of the spoils.

Harriers head back to Aggborough to see out 2023 with the visit of Boreham Wood for the return fixture on Saturday, 30th December. Kick off is at 3:00pm.