Twenty five years on from the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives, Kidderminster Harriers entertained Welling United as they did on that fateful day.

As happened on that day, Kidderminster claimed the three points at the Aggborough Stadium.

Although Welling had the first opportunity, Harry Beautyman firing a free kick well over, Kidderminster soon assumed control.

Aamari’i Bell ballooned a header onto the roof of the net before former Ebbsfleet United striker twice came close.

First his effort was turned away by a diving Lee Butcher, then he fired just over from the edge of the penalty area.

Butcher was called into action again, saving from Adrian Cieslewicj at the near post and both Beautyman and Blaine Hudson made important saves.

Jack Byrne shot over before Butcher made a miraculous save to keep the scoreline blank. Jamie Grimes shot sent him diving across the goal but the shot was diverted by a massive deflection only for Butcher to lift a foot and kick knock the ball away.

Having somehow gone in level at the break, Welling started the second period in lively fashion.

Joe Healy rasped a shot narrowly wide then Danny Lewis had to be out quickly to save Ross Lafayette’s goalbound shot with his feet after Welling’s leading scorer had been played in by Toby Ajala.

Kidderminster took advantage of a full bench to make changes that freshened their team to put further pressure on the Wings.

It almost paid immediate dividends when substitute Amari Morgan-Smith was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area, an offence only seen by an assistant referee but awarded as a penalty anyway.

Morgan-Smith stepped up but Butcher guessed correctly and made another outstanding save.

Jack Byrne headed wide when not picked up from a far post corner but in the 77^th minute, the hosts made their pressure tell with a goal from Gash..

Two half blocks resulted in the ball coming out to Gash ten yards out and he gave Butcher no chance with a crisp finish.

Five minutes later, any chance Welling had of getting something out of the game were extinguished when Nathan Blissett headed home acrobatically from Gash’s  cross.

Josh Wakefield’s late effort was not far beyond the far post and Tobi Sho-Silva headed at Lewis in injury time but Welling did not create enough throughout the ninety to warrant anything from the match.

 

Kidderminster Harriers: Lewis, Vaughan, Demetriou (Gittings 74), Miller, Dunkley, Byrne, Gash, Wright (Blissett 52), Grimes, O’Keefe,  Cieslewicz (Morgan-Smith 55).

Unused substitutes: Verma, Vaughan.

Welling United: Butcher, Fazakerley, Obersteller, Wakefield, Taylor, Hudson, Beautyman, Ajala (Bender 56),  Sho-Silva, Lafayette, Healy.

Unused substitutes: Turner, Karagiannis, Day.

Referee: Adam Bromley

Attendance: 1,882

Welling star man: Lee Butcher

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.