Basement side Kidderminster Harriers make their first ever trip to Meadow Park this Saturday. Wood will welcome the tie after seeing their trip to Southport called off last weekend. That day Kiddy lost 1-0 at Aldershot Town, their 7th consecutive defeat in the League. They have won just two games this season, the last coming in November when they took maximum points in the reverse tie, recording a 2-0 win. A fortnight before that they beat Woking 1-0, also at home.
The Harriers have drawn on 8 occasions this season, one of those against Wood at Aggborough, when it needed a spectacular thirty yard free kick from Conor Clifford to level proceedings midway through the second half.
Like Wood, the Harriers have struggled in front of goal, having scored just one less goal than the side who currently have double the number of points, yet still occupy a relegation spot. Harriers have just appointed their 3rd Manager of this current campaign in the shape of Colin Gordon. Gordon, a former striker at Swindon Town, Reading, Birmingham City and Leicester City amongst others also presided over four games early in the season as caretaker manager in between the sacking of Gary Whild and the appointment of Dave Hockaday, who has also since been shown the door.
Gordon has no other managerial experience and to date has overseen just two further games, both of which ended in narrow 1-0 defeats.
The Harriers have been part of the top tier of non League Football since gaining promotion to the Alliance Premier League back in 1983, save for the 5 seasons they spent in the Football League, beginning back in the 1999-2000 season. In fact Harriers should have been promoted 5 seasons earlier, but over zealous legislation owing to the Bradford City fire meant even though their wooden stand was demolished and a new cantilever option was in place in time, they were made to wait for glory. It was to be Jan Molby who finally oversaw the rise to League Football.
Thereafter Harriers took part in the first ever competitive club game at the new Wembley Stadium in May 2007, losing 3-2 in the F A Trophy Final to Stevenage Borough in front of 53,262 fans.
More recently in the 2012-23 season after not winning for the opening ten matches of their Conference Premier campaign, they embarked upon an incredible run, winning twenty two out their next twenty six games, earning the accolade as the most in form team in the whole of Europe.
Sadly this season a similar feat may be necessary to ensure The Harriers maintain their long association with the now named National League. If Harriers were to beat Wood, it would be the first time they have won a League match on the road in over a year, a staggering statistic that stretches back to January 20th, 2015.
With Wood also dicing with survival, this makes Saturday’s game in no uncertain terms a must win event for both teams. Both sides have bolstered their striking options of late. Gordon has secured the loan signing of 21 year old Harry White who arrives from Barnsley, whilst Luke Garrard has revamped his forward line with the arrivals of Jordan Chiedozie, Jamie Lucas and Delano Sam-Yorke, in recent weeks.
Boreham Wood v Kidderminster Harriers.
Saturday 6th February, kick off 3pm.
