After comfortably disposing of Sheffield Wednesday with a 4-1 win at Brunton Park in the first round, Carlisle's reward was an away trip to Kidderminster to take on a young Harriers side who had already come through four rounds, and actually four home ties on their way to the second stage of the FA Youth Cup. United for the game missing two players through injury with Jack Lynch (groin) and Alex Salmon (ankle) both sidelined.
Carlisle started quite brightly and in the second minute Dave Symington stuck in a cross from the left which Mark Beck (pictured), under pressure from Jack Bryan, headed loopingly over the top from eight yards out. Three minutes later and Jamie Clarey pulled a low cut-back in from the right, with Brandon Gwinnutt running onto it only to see his right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area deflect away off the legs of Tyrone Williams.
With eight minutes on the clock it was then Josh Todd looking to find the net for the Cumbrians but, on a loose ball, his right-footed 20-yard half-volley disappeared away over the top of Harriers goalkeeper Luke Thompson's crossbar. Three minutes later and it was the home side almost scoring following a Todd foul on Stefan Popovic over in the far corner, the free-kick coming in goalwards from left-back Ashley Checketts flying over the top of Jordan Parker, with Brad Staunch having to head off the line and behind at the Blues far-post.
Kidderminster skipper Paul Hurrell then stuck the resultant corner in, with Parker's punch away from goal falling to Checketts just outside the penalty area, Checketts then going past Clarey as the United man hung a leg out. It looked like a free-kick from my view as Checketts went down to the floor but to few complaints from the Harriers referee Thomas Harty awarded Carlisle a free-kick for diving as he also booked Checketts in the process.
The Blues were then looking to press back in the 18th minute when Symington stuck a cross in from the left but on the bounce Thompson was easily able to take in Clarey's eight-yard header at the back-stick. Parker though in the Carlisle goal certainly having to make a save five minutes later when Declan Kirby fed Popavic for a right-footed drive from 18 yards out in the right-hand channel.
It was all Kidderminster now and with 26 minutes gone Richaee Derby put right-winger Popavic clean through, but with Parker racing from his goal Popavic could only send his right-footed half-volley from the edge of the United box across goal and inches wide of the right-hand post when all of us expected the net to bulge. Two minutes later Derby trying to get the goal himself but his right-footed shot from 20 yards out deflected away off Cumbrians centre-half Dillon Morse.
Carlisle came back a little though and on 29 minutes Symington thumped in a 25-yard right-footed drive which Thompson held at the second attempt, then five minutes later Gwinnutt's corner in dropped to Lance McGlen six yards out at the back-post but his low toe-poke towards goal deflected away off the boot of Checketts. The last chance of the first-half coming to Checketts himself in the 36th minute when his left-footed effort from distance flew across goal and well wide of Parker's left-hand upright.
After a quiet start to the second period it was Carlisle who had the first shooting opportunity in the 53rd minute following a Kirby foul on Brad Potts just to the right of the Harriers 'D', Potts himself stepping up to take the set-piece only to smack it away miles high and wide with his right boot. It was United once more just after the hour mark when Beck sent a left-footed shot wide from 22 yards out, then in the 63rd minute Symington's right-footed effort from distance only produced a similar result for the Blues.
Shortly afterwards and it was the home side looking to get something going once more but right-back Ashley Parsons-Smith's 25-yard right-footed strike proved to be an easy one for Parker to take. Symington then for Carlisle in the 66th minute, after yet another poor pass out from the back by Bryan had conceded possession for the Harriers, seeing his right-footed shot from 25 yards out fly wide of Thompson's right-hand post.
What would prove to the only goal of the game then came in the 68th minute following a Williams foul on Beck 35 yards out in the left-hand channel, Todd from there curling a nice ball over to the back-post from which Beck glanced a downward header into the net from eight yards out. The home side then looked to respond sixty seconds later but Kirby was only able to thump his right-footed shot from 25 yards out straight into the grateful gloves of Parker.
With 70 minutes on the clock Gwinnutt fouled Hurrell 35 yards out from the United goal, but fortunately for the Blues the resultant free-kick swung in by Daniel Summerfield was comfortably headed away by Staunch. Harriers boss Jerry Gill then making his first change in personnel two minutes later when he brought on Dominic Strevens for Popavic, with Carlisle manager Eric Kinder then in the 74th minute doing the same as he replaced Clarey with Pat Brough down the left.
It was then Strevens straight into the game two minutes later when he set up Derby for a neat touch and right-footed shot on the turn from 15 yards out which was held by Parker away to his left. Kidderminster then making another substitution in the 81st minute when pre-match dangerman Ollie Long, who showed little all game to be honest giving his scoring record this season, was replaced down the left flank by Jack Rogers.
The clock was certainly ticking down slowly from a Carlisle perspective although in the 83rd minute they did have a chance to extend their lead when Beck headed down for Potts 20 yards out, Potts though only able to shoot left-footed across goal and well wide of Thompson's left-hand post. The Harriers then making their third and final substitution with 86 minutes gone when Ben Mantom came on for the impressive but now injured, in a tackle with Gwinnutt, Checketts.
The second yellow card of the game from referee Harty then came sixty seconds later when Kirby was booked for a late challenge on Todd. The Blues then missing a great chance to put the tie to bed a minute into stoppage time when Potts and Symington got away on the break two-on-one against a pushed up Kidderminster defence from an earlier corner. Symington though, from the Potts pass to him, pushing his right-footed shot from 15 yards wide of Thompson but also past the left-hand upright.
United however, particularly through some clever hold-up play by schoolboy Brough and the swap of Kyle Dempsey for Gwinnutt able to easily see out a surprisingly short three minutes of stoppage time to earn a third round tie away to Fulham. Rest assured though, the young Blues will have to play far, far better than they did this evening if they are to cause an FA Youth Cup shock at Motspur Park against the Premier League Cottagers.
Kidderminster line-up :
Luke Thompson, Ashley Parsons-Smith, Ashley Checketts (Ben Mantom 86), Daniel Summerfield, Jack Bryan, Tyrone Williams, Stefan Popavic (Dominic Strevens 72), Declan Kirby, Richaee Derby, Paul Hurrell (c), Ollie Long (Jack Rogers 81).
Unused substitutes :
Maldini Costa and Wisdom Machangani.
United line-up :
Jordan Parker, Lance McGlen (c), Dale Minor, Josh Todd, Brad Staunch, Dillon Morse, Jamie Clarey (Pat Brough 74), Brandon Gwinnutt (Kyle Dempsey 90), Mark Beck, Brad Potts, David Symington.
Unused substitutes :
Craig Rule (GK), Tom Berwick and Dan Jones.
Referee - Thomas Harty (Wolverhampton).
Assistants - Colin Nahor (Wolverhampton) and Phil Reade (Wednesfield).
Attendance - 264.
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