Fleetwood Town 3
Harriers 1
FA Cup fourth qualifying round replay

HARRIERS were left counting the cost of Lee Baker’s sending off as they suffered a humbling FA Cup defeat in Tuesday night’s replay.

The defender’s 16th minute dismissal for a full-blooded challenge on full-back Shaun Beeley was the key moment on a night, where nothing went the Aggborough side’s way in the North West.

The Blue Square Premier side never recovered from the setback and their opponents, flying high a level below in the Conference North, were inspired by Gareth Seddon’s predatory brace.

Manager Mark Yates branded the former West Bromwich Albion’s sending off early on as rash.

“I’m gutted and so is the dressing room,” commented a reflective Mark Yates after the match.

“I have to give Fleetwood some credit, they’ve done brilliant over both legs.

“I thought for 15 minutes we started really well and should have been in front.

“The big turning point in the game was the sending off. It was stupid by Lee Baker , I don’t what’s happened. He was favourite to win the ball and he’s gone over the top and it’s a clear red card.

“Fleetwood threw everything at us and I thought we coped with it quite well until the second goal went in.”

Baker’s sending off, Harriers’ fourth dismissal in seven matches, came after they had bossed the opening exchanges.

Matthew Barnes-Homer had came close in the fourth minute but his goal-bound effort had been blocked by Beeley.

But the game was turned on its head when Baker went in for a 50-50 ball strongly with Beeley and was shown a straight red card by referee Dean Mohareb.

The left-back’s absence was felt in the build-up to Fleetwood’s first goal, when Jamie Mullan crossed from the wing and Seddon’s header forced a fine stop from keeper Dean Coleman, before the hitman prodded home the rebound.

Rattled by the sending off and goal, Harriers continued to live dangerously, with the impressive Gavin Caines denying Tom Cahill moments later.

But Harriers’ resistance was broken six minutes into the second half, when midfielder Nathan Pond met Jamie Milligan’s corner with a powerful header to double the Blue Square North side’s advantage.

Seddon then rubbed salt into savaged Harriers wounds in the 77th minute by diverting the ball past Coleman.

Harriers’ hopes of meeting Northampton in the first round had been ended but Caines, who had been pushed up front in an attempt to add some muscle to their lightweight forward line, grabbed a consolation goal late on when his deflected shot beat keeper Danny Hurst.

The Worcestershire side, without the suspended pair of Chris McPhee and Robbie Matthews, were left ruing the affect of another red card, which cost them the magic of the FA Cup and the £12,500 prize money.

Harriers: Coleman 6; Baker 3; Courtney 7; Caines 8; Riley 6; Bennett 6; McDermott 6 (Hayward, 70); Smikle; Knights (Hadley, 70); Barnes-Homer; Farrell (Dolman, 53). Unused substitutes: Finnigan; Singh; Sharpe; Costello.

Fleetwood: Hurst; Beeley; Wright; Taylor; McNulty; Pond ; Clancy; Milligan; Cahill; Seddon; McGuire (Mullan, 17). Unused substitutes: Wilde; Grundy; Connors; Dodgson; John Hills; Rogan.

Referee: Dean Mohareb. Attendance: 1,698