| When Dale had Tony Carss on trial during the Summer, he was asked about the different managers that he had played for. He said that Jan Molby stood out from his Swansea days, as he used to encourage his players to use every single trick in the book in their attempt to win the game. This was very evident tonight, as the Kidderminster players spent a great deal of time dropping to the floor, clutching their face, in an attempt to win favour of the referee. There was no need for this, as the referee seemed content to award them every single decision anyway.
Sour grapes? No, because the one thing that you could say about the referee is that he never any made any decisions which could have cost us the game such as sending a Dale player off or allowing / disallowing a controversial goal. But he did pander to the home side at every single opportunity. Fouls by Harriers were ignored, challenges by Dale players were deemed fouls, and throw ins and corners which should have been given to us, just resulted in being awarded to the home side.
The referee, a Mr. Mike North from Poole, who was sporting the most ridiculous moustache ever seen that looked like he had Liam Gallagher's eyebrows below his nose, actually gave us a decision with about twenty minutes to go, and got an ovation from the travelling support which seemed to go on and on. He was absolutely inept but in such a way that the home side benefitted time after time. You wouldn't mind so much if he was poor for both sides, but it was just against us. Rant over? No, he also got in the way of the ball on several occasions.
Anyway, Dale went into this game on the back of four successive away victories, and with Harriers going into the game after three home defeats on the trot, form suggested that Dale would be easy winners. If only it was easy as that, eh?
Manager Steve Parkin opted for a change round after last week's shut out. There was a return for Tony Ford MBE to the side, and there was a change of tactics to accompany this. Parkin decided on going into the game with 5-3-2 with Evans playing part of a back three with Mono and Bayliss. This meant Fordy and Todd as wing backs, and Dale were boosted by the news that Clive Platt was pronounced fit to play alongside Tony Ellis up front.
The change in tactics appeared to be working. Dale, boosted by the 500 or so who had risked the bedlam that is Birmingham in rush hour to get there, were well on top and it was one way traffic early on. Dale were by far the better side, and looked a class above the home side. All the possession was in the Harriers half, and Dale were out footballing them with ease, and it seemed a matter of time before we scored.
Dale were getting opportunities left, right and centre, and it seemed that one had to go in. Gary Jones went close when his low drive went just wide of the post. Tony Ellis came close when his overhead kick when straight at the keeper.
However, the turning point of the first half came following a piece of unsportsmanlike behaviour from the homeside. Dale were on the attack and causing them all sorts of problems. Tony Ford had the ball on the right hand side, but with one of the home players down, he opted to kick the ball out of play. Kidderminster's reply to this was to take the throw in, and kick the ball out for a throw in as close to our corner flag as possible, meaning that when we restarted the match we were on the defensive pressed into our own penalty area. Ford had no need to kick the ball out for their player, but they took full advantage of this. I wouldn't expect them to give us the ball in an attacking zone, but such a tactic was a well worked move.
Not long after this, Harriers had the first shot of the half, but that was from a header which went well wide of the post. However, this was a sign of things to come and they dominated for the last twenty minutes of the first half. This shot was followed with a low drive that was well saved by Edwards, and a running battle between Bayliss and Kidderminster's Bennett. It was good to see the Dale player's not losing their cool in one or two situations where the home side reacted.
Not long before half time, Kidderminster caused a minor panic for keeper Edwards, when a crossed ball looked to be heading goalwards, meaning Taffy had to scramble backwards and tip the ball wide.
The second half was again very open with the home side causing a few problems by taking advantage of the width of the pitch. But Dale had enough chances again to have won the game comfortably. Again we suffered from the referee, who looked to have proved that he was not just poor.
Kidderminster had a few chances but were dealt with easily by Neil Edwards who always looked well in control of his box. he looked assured and confident throughout. He saved a free header, saved on the floor, and never looked to be in doubt of conceding a goal, despites taunts about his size from the vocal home supporters. (How can they call anybody for size, when their manager Jan Molby put a jumper on for the second half, and it only came half way down his chest?)
Dale had the best chance of the second half, when a Tony Ellis drive was spilled underneath the keeper but he managed to scramble to the ball on the line before Gary Jones could get to it.
The final whistle came and brought a feeling of disappointment to the away terrace. We did have enough chances, especially early on to have left Harriers needing to have played the joker to have got anywhere near us. We played some great football at times, and there were fine individual performance from Bayliss, Mono, Jones and Platt who was still not 100%. we played the game in very difficult circumstances and would probably have had any goal we had scored disallowed by the referee for some technicality.
|
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.