Goals from Akpa Akpro and Collins give Town the win
Town: 1 Jayson Leutwiler, 2 Matt Tootle (14 Sam Patterson 46), 3 Mat Sadler (15 Mickey Demetriou 46), 4 Ryan Woods (21 Liam Lawrence 61), 5 Mark Ellis, 6 Jermaine Grandison (12 Connor Goldson 46), 7 Shaun Whalley (16 Jordan Clark 46), 8 Abu Ogogo (22 Martin Woods 61), 9 James Collins, 10 Tyrone Barnett (18 Liam McAlinden 46), 11 Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro (23 Junior Brown 61)Subs: 13 Callum Burton,19 Scott Vernon, 20 Darren McKnight
Kidderminster Harriers: Dean Snedeker (Alex Palmer 46), Jared Hodgkiss, Kelvin Langmead, Jordan Tunnicliffe (Ben O'Hanlon 85), Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, Joe Clark, Aman Verma (Keyon Reffell 83), Luke Maxwell (Reece Hales 78), Rob Taylor (Gurjit Singh 59), Reece Styche (Craig Reid 75), Adam Dawson ( Jake Green 82)
Ref: Wayne Barratt
Assistants: Dan Stokes and Darren Wilding
Fourth Official: Ryan McLlraby
Attendance: 794 (with 227 from Town)
Town take on Kidderminster Harriers in their second to last pre-season game ahead of the Sky Bet League 1 kick-off, at home to Millwall.
Micky Mellon once again has a strong squad to choose from with only Dom Smith, Mark Halstead, James Wesolowski and Nathaniel Knight-Percival ruled out with injuries and knocks.
It was the home side who had the better of the opening chances and should have been 1-0 up with less than a minute on the clock, a under hit pass from Mark Ellis was intercepted by Taylor who then thread a ball through to put Styche in on goal, he took a touch to steady himself but then luckily hit his shot well over the target. Minutes later Kiddy had another good chance, this time from a free-kick just outside the Town box, Adam Dawson was over the ball and curled a lovely ball over the wall towards the top corner but Leutwiler was quickly across his goal to tip the ball behind for a corner.
Kidderminster created another good chance with 15 minutes on the clock, Dawson showed good determination to get to the byline and then curl an inviting cross to the back post, Maxwell was there at the back post to connect but he put his header back across goal and just wide of the far post.
The first goal though went to Town with 22 minutes of the game gone, the visitors were moving the ball the Kiddy box looking for the opening, the ball came to Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro on the edge of the box and he hit in a low shot, it looked like Snedeker in the Harriers goal would collect but the shot look a wicked deflection to leave the keeper rooted to the spot as the ball went into the opposite corner.
Towns play was a little disjointed a times with the final ball or pass getting over hit or miss hit and this meant that play was flowing. Town did show a little more as the half-time whistle approached with Whalley getting more involved. First he showed good pace to get away down the right and then drive in a low ball but Snedeker was down quickly to collect. Then moments later he was in the right place when Collins teed the ball up and Whalley hit a decent half volley but his shot was deflected away from goal.
Kidderminster should have been level just before the break, a free-kick was floated into the box and Town couldn't clear, it fell to Maxwell who looped a header back in behind the Town defence to find Dawson unmarked in front of goal but somehow he didn't connect with the ball and the chance was gone.
Half-time: 1-0
The second half started with five changes to the Town line-up, on came Connor Goldson, Sam Patterson, Mickey Demetriou, Jordan Clark and Liam McAlinden with Matt Tootle, Mat Sadler, Jermaine Grandison, Shaun Whalley and Tyrone Barnett dropping to the bench.
Town had a good opening straight after the restart when a quick counter saw the ball moved into the run of James Collins on the edge of the Kiddy box, he drove in a low shot that beat Palmer in the Harriers goal but it was just wide of the far post.
Kidderminster created a good chance from a corner, the ball was swung in and cleared but only as far as Langmead, he hooked the ball back into the danger area and Tunnicliffe hit a nice volley in that was just wide of the Town goal.
With 15 minutes left Town responded to Micky Mellon's cries to keep the ball, they began to play it around and pass it looking to keep possession. This led to chances, the best when Woods threaded it into Brown on the edge of the box, he turned and drove in looking for the opening, he then played it wide to Collins who drove in a low shot on the angle towards the near post but Palmer was there to save with his legs.
Town got a second goal with just over 10 minutes remaining, they were pressing nicely and the ball was with Goldson who then set it up for Collins who calmly put his shot under Palmer and in to the goal to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
Town were creating a number of chances from corners with Ellis finding himself in the right place at the back post on a couple of occasions to get good headers in on goal. Goldson had a good chance late on when another good delivery from Lawrence found the defender in space, he connected with the ball but not cleanly and the ball went wide.
Town nearly ended the game with a third goal, the ball went out wide to McAlinden who had found space on the edge of the box, he hit a good shot in that Palmer tipped onto the post and Clark couldn't keep his calm to put the rebound home.
Full-time: 2-0