Kiddy the Visitors as Pools look to bounce back

By Albatross
November 29 2002

Pools are looking to bounce back following their late loss to Southend in the Cup as league action comes to the Vic for the first time in four weeks. Kidderminster are the visitors, and they'll feel they have a point to prove as well.....

At the end of October, Kiddy were our closest challengers in Division 3, but a poor month so far - not helped by a postponement - mean that they have fallen back a little and sit in 9th - although three points in their game in hand would lift them back to 4th.

The curse of Manager of the Month has struck, and recent results haven't gone their way; their lone win so far this month came in the LDV Trophy with a golden goal win over Swindon, while in the league they have lost at home to Carlisle, drawn at Torquay and seen their game at home to Oxford postponed. Like Pools they played an FA Cup Replay this week, losing 2-1 at Rushden.

Harriers surprised a few people last season and played in a tight, well-organised fashion; the departure of Jan Molby has seen little change to that - although they have scored just 25 goals in 18 league games, their defence has also been miserly, conceding just 19 goals - only Pools, Rushden and Oxford have better records on that front. Leading scorers for them this season have been Dane Bo Henriksen with eight, and on-loan John Melligan with seven. Other players who might well be threats are Drewe Broughton and former Poolie Sam Shilton, who has been in good form recently.

Kidderminster have been playing 3-5-2 recently, after initially experimenting with 4-3-3, and one thing that hopefully will have been noted by Mike Newell is their vulnerability down the flanks. One recent report from a Kiddy Fan on the web comments that this is how most of the goals they have conceded recently have gone in, and if Paul Smith is given time on the ball he should be able to make the most of his opportunities to put a good cross in.

Kiddy are not to be taken lightly though; even despite their current loss of form their away record is second only to Pools and like us they have also lost just once on their travels.

For Pools there seem to be two main concerns. One is Eifion Williams; the on-form striker went off at half time against Southend feeling distinctly groggy following an incident in the first half, but hopefully he will be fit to start. The other is the more general problem of who to play on the right; Clarke and Arnison have failed to impress there in the last couple of games, and there has to be a strong case for giving Steven Istead a start - especially given Kiddy's apparent weaknesses to wide players.

After Tuesday's late capitulation it's important that Pools get back to business in the league with a win, and there can be no doubt that the players will want to make amends. Kidderminster seem to be struggling with a few injuries, look vulnerable to 4-4-2 and so I'm going for a 3-1 win to Pools, Williams, Richardson and Tinkler to get the goals.