KIDDERMINSTER return to the scene of a crime in the FA Trophy on Saturday, but manager Dave Hockaday believes the A451 is the road to redemption for his club.
Fans considered the Harriers performance at Northern Premier League neighbours Stourbridge in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup criminal – a 3-0 embarrassment in a season of struggle.
Things have picked up since the October 24 mauling, with two wins from four league games – but Hockaday argues that it couldn’t have got much worse.
The National League strugglers may still be sat at the bottom of the table, but Hockaday says their Trophy visit back to where it all went so horribly wrong seven weeks ago is a chance to illustrate their development.
Stability
He said: “That match was in my second week at the club, I’d just got there really. It showed to me what we needed to do, and how much work was required to turn this around.
“It was a day that whatever could go wrong went wrong. Our keeper was at fault for three goals possibly, and on the back of that game players left. It’s the moment where we started to sort ourselves out. It couldn’t have got much worse.
“I can see massive green shoots of recovery. When I came in we had not won in a long, long time and now we are seeing an honest bunch of players benefitting from more stability behind the scenes.”
Corinthian-Casuals’ reward for Juevan Spencer’s 94th-minute winner which downed 2005 and 2006 winners Grays Athletic last Wednesday night is a home game with Hungerford Town, while Cheltenham Town’s hopes of a landlords vs tenants tie with Gloucester City were crushed after the Tigers went down 1-0 in a home replay to Chelmsford City.
Two National League heavyweights collide – Tranmere Rovers host last year’s beaten finalists Wrexham, while Braintree Town and Bromley meet at Cressing Road.
AFC Telford’s miserable National League North season could be revived with a home win over Chester, while Worcester City aim to take their excellent FA Cup form to Dino Maamria’s Southport.
Barrow, victors over Maamria’s former club Stevenage in 2010, travel to Sutton Coldfield Town while Southern League high-flyers Leamington go to another club with cup pedigree, Altrincham.
Welling, will have to be on their guard at Ryman North Tilbury while National League South title chasers Oxford City and Ebbsfleet United lock horns.
