PRE-SEASON FIXTURE
Tuesday July 25th, 7.00pm
KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 2
Krystian Pearce 65
Ashley Hemmings 77
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Sam Hoskins 5
Mitch Pinnock 20
Attendance: 840 (82 Cobblers fans)
Kidderminster: Christian Dibble, Alex Penny, Caleb Richards, Nat Knight-Percival, Krystian Pearce, Kieran Phillips, Joe Leesley, Amari Morgan-Smith, Zak Brown, Kai Lissimore, Shane Byrne
Subs: Tom Palmer, Josh Bishop, Ashley Hemmings, Jack Lambert, Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gerry McDonagh, Matt Preston, Ethan Freemantle, Samson Hewett, Kobe Hall, Ben Maginness
Cobblers: Trialist A, Jack Sowerby, Sam Sherring, Sam Hoskins, Louis Appere, Mitch Pinnock, Manny Monthe, Ali Koiki, Shaun McWilliams, Akin Odimayo, Trialist B
Subs: Trialist D, Aaron McGowan, Ben Fox, Patrick Brough, Max Dyche, James Dadge, Jacob Scott, Reuben Wyatt, Trialist C
Northampton Town travelled to Aggborough to play Kidderminster Harriers for their penultimate pre-season fixture.
Ali Koiki and Akin Odimayo both started the game as they continued their return from injury while Aaron McGowan and Ben Fox were also included in the squad.
The home side, who were promoted back to the National League last season, contained a host of former EFL players in their squad, among them Nat Knight-Percival, Krystian Pearce, Amari Morgan-Smith and Ashley Hemmings.
The Cobblers trialist keeper tipped away an early Joe Leesley corner, but Northampton Town had a fifth minute lead, last season’s top scorer Sam Hoskins neatly tucking home a low cross from Akin Odimayo at the near post.
The open beginning to the game continued with Morgan-Smith curling a shot in to the arms of the Cobblers keeper from distance, before Louis Appere forced a good low save from home stopper Christian Dibble on sixteen minutes, the striker winning the ball back before stinging the palms of the former Wrexham man.
Mitch Pinnock doubled the lead on twenty minutes, curling home directly from a free kick that was just outside the area, and that ensured the Cobblers led 2-0 at the end of a first half that had been played in a competitive spirit.
Aaron McGowan was amongst a host of players introduced at half time, before Morgan-Smith headed wide of the post on the hour mark as the hosts looked to halve the deficit.
Ben Fox continued his path to fitness as he came on for Shaun McWilliams with sixty minutes played, while three minutes later Sam Sherring headed wide from a corner.
Zak Brown was denied by a good save from the Cobblers keeper while from the resulting corner Kidderminster pulled a 65th minute goal back via the head of Krystian Pearce.
Ashley Hemmings curled home an equaliser via a slight deflection on 77 minutes to ensure the game ended 2-2.
KIDDERMINSTER MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 2
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (3) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 2
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (4) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
