Kidderminster Harriers 2, Bradford Park Avenue 1 (aet)
Bradford Park Avenue exited this season’s FA Cup in heartbreaking fashion after taking Conference Premier high-flyers Kidderminster to extra time in tonight’s fourth-round replay.
It was hardly the best preparation for Avenue as their team bus broke down 12 miles from the Harriers’ Aggborough ground and the players had to hail a fleet of taxis to get there.
The match finally kicked off 8.15pm after the Bradford squad had snatched a warm-up that lasted less than a quarter of an hour.
Yet despite all the pre-match stress and upset it was Avenue who dominated most of the 90 minutes.
They were twice thwarted by the woodwork as they created the better chances in normal time.
Midfielder Jordan Deacey had a good early opportunity but home keeper Danny Lewis made a sharp save.
The best chance of the first half fell to Nicky Boshell and, with just Lewis to beat, he shot across the keeper only for the ball to come back off the foot of the far post.
Deep into the second half, Alex Davidson clipped the ball goalwards after a mesmerising run but the inside of the post again came to Lewis’ rescue.
Avenue had two corners cleared by a desperate Harriers defence minutes from time and pressed forward in the four minutes of added time.
Then just two minutes into the first extra period, the home side snatched the lead when Amari Moran-Smith stabbed in from close range.
The goal had been set up by Marvin Johnson, the substitute who had been introduced by Steve Burr at the start of extra time – and he proved to be the match-winner as he netted Kidderminster’s second.
Avenue were far from dispirited and Davidson netted through a crowd of players in the second extra period but they could not find the goal that would have taken the tie to a penalty shoot-out.
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