York 1
Harriers 1
Harriers lose penalty shoot out 13-12

BATTLING Harriers suffered penalty heartache in the FA Trophy at KitKat Crescent on Wednesday night after losing a marathon shoot out.

After neither side could find a winner during a frenetic 120 minutes, there were an amazing 25 consecutive spot-kicks converted.

The run came to an end when goal-scorer Justin Richards saw his second one of the night saved by keeper Michael Ingham.

The result was harsh on Harriers, who had battled gamely and defended competently but found themselves trailing to Daniel McBreen's second half opener.

Richards had been the hero for Harriers as he produced a wonder goal to bag a deserved leveller.

Manager Mark Yates made two changes to the side, bringing back the fit again Mark Creighton in central defence, while Luke Jones was left on the bench.

Darryl Knights was sacrificed for a more conservative 4-4-2 formation, which meant Martin Brittain was restored to the right wing.

After the original fixture ended 1-1, Harriers were eager to book a quarter-final spot in the Trophy against the winners of Crawley and Havant and Waterlooville.

The home side started brightly and confident hitman Richard Brodie looked the most likely home player to score.

He saw a low 20-yard effort saved by keeper Adam Bartlett in the opening minute.

Harriers had to weather three corners in quick succession, with Brodie seeing his fierce effort flying over the bar.

Brittain was the visitor's most dangerous looking player and he saw a typical swerving cross dropped by Ingham but defender Kyle Critchell snuffed out the danger when he held off David McDermott.

After defending resolutely for the first 20 minutes, Harriers started to grow in confidence and tested York's solidity.

Matthew Barnes-Homer raced down the right and delivered a low cross for Richards but Mark Greaves' well-timed sliding interception killed the chance off.

Former Harrier Simon Russell, who left the club for York in August, replaced Greaves in the 24th minute and looked busy for the hosts.

Richards fired a thumping first-time effort just wide moments later after good work by his strike-partner to control Brittain's cross.

But York still looked the most dangerous and Adam Boyes shot wide from 12-yards out after the visiting defence failed to cut out Andy McWilliams' delivery.

Harriers' goal continued to have a charmed life in the 44th minute when Levi Mackin's 30-yard effort flashed a fraction off target.

The visitors were also under pressure at the start of the second half.

Lee Baker did well to track back and intercept McWilliams' low shot after he had beaten the keeper.

Yates decided to make a double substitution in the 62nd minute to give his side cutting edge, replacing David McDermott on the left with the pacey Brian Smikle, while Stefan Moore replaced striker Barnes-Homer.

Harriers' hopes of progressing in the Trophy were hit hard when striker McBreen fired York ahead in the 73rd minute.The striker hit the bar with a header but kept a cool head to slot home the follow-up beyond Adam Bartlett.

Bartlett did well to push Brodie's low 20-yard effort behind as York looked to kill the game off.

Minutes later Bartlett thwarted Russell when he got behind his fierce effort from close range.

Harriers were back in contention in the 78th minute when Richards' cut in from the left and curled a shot past the keeper.

Both teams went for a late winner in a frenetic end to normal time.

Smikle saw a shot blocked by Simon Rusk after Keith Lowe's cross had caused chaos in the home side's defence.

At the other end Bartlett was in defiant mood, denying Adam Boyes.

Brodie headed off target with the goal at his mercy, before Harriers' keeper ensured extra-time by denying Boyes, after he had strode towards goals unmolested in the final minute of normal time.

In the first period of extra-time Harriers looked the more lively and tried to apply pressure on tiring York. Creighton saw a looping header hit the bar from a corner.

At the other end, Bartlett made a comfortable save from Brodie.

Brittain came close to breaking the deadlock in the 105th minute but his 30-yard free-kick was pushed acrobatically behind by the diving Ingham.

Moore came close with a strong effort that flew wide of a post, while Brittain scuffed a shot as Harriers pressed in the second half.

York substitute Onome Sodje posed a threat to Harriers and he had a good chance to win the game for the hosts in the 120th minute when he lashed in a fierce shot, but Bartlett was equal to it and ensured the tie would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

Both sides were determined to not go out of the competition and produced a string of high quality penalties.

After both sets of players had converted from the spot, they had to start again and it was Richards who became the first not to score when he failed to steer his shot far enough to the right and Ingham smothered his effort.

Harriers: Bartlett 8; Baker 7 (Knights, 78); Creighton 7; Riley 7; Lowe 7; McDermott 6 (Smikle, 62); Ferrell 6; Bennett 6; Brittain 8; Richards 7; Barnes-Homer 7 (Moore, 62).

Unused substitutes: Jones; Coleman.

York: Ingham; Robinson; Parslow; Greaves (Russell, 24); McBreen; Rusk; Brodie; Mackin; Boyes (Sodje, 105); McWilliams (Radcliffe, 92); Critchell.

Unused substitutes: Mimms; Shepherd.

Referee: Paul Curry. Attendance: 683 (34)