Exeter City 1, Kidderminster 0. 

14th November 1992
FA Cup 1st Round

Early goal heartbreak as Harriers caught cold

Kidderminster Harriers were facing an uphill task from the moment Steve Moran gave Exeter an eighth-minute lead at St James's Park. Exeter exploited Harriers' nervous start with Moran converting his sides third of a trio of excel- lent chances created within the first eight minutes.

EXETER CITY: Miller; Hiley, Cook, Bond, Brown, Whiston, Collins, Kelly, Jepson, Muran, Hodge. Subs: Dolan, Harris.

KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS: Steadman; Benton, McGrath, Weir, Brindley, Forsyth, Deakin, Grainger, Davies, Palmer, Hanson. Subs: Wilcox, Hadley.

Releree: Mr KA Cooper (Swindon).

Ex-Preston centre forward Jepson tore the Kid- derminster defence to shreds with a fine run before timing his pass to perfection, allowing Moran to slide his shot beneath the advancing Steadman. It was a breakthrough that had looked likely with the visitors under pressure from the outset against their Second Division opponents. Steadman was forced to make a brilliant point-blank save from a Jepson volley in the sixth minute. And then Moran steered a 20-yard drive straight at the Kidderminster keeper following another fine pass from the impressive Jepson. Exeter threatened with almost every attack and Kidderminster skipper McGrath was booked for bringing down Hodge inches outside his penalty box in the 12th minute. Exeter were trying to exploit right-winger Hodge's dominance of Kidderminster skipper McGrath. And Hodges speed almost paid dividends in the 18th minute when he cut inside but rifled a firm drive straight at Steadman. Harriers were building tidily through midfield, with Forsyth and Grainger winning a fair amount of possession without providing the killer final ball. Grainger came the closest to producing a de- fence-splitting pass in the 24th minute but Palmer was unable to reach a ball delivered between Exeter centre-backs Whiston and Brown. Palmer was also involved in Harriers' next enter- prising move, probably their best of the match in the 30th minute. Sloppy Exeter defending allowing Palmer and Davies time and space to create a hint of danger, but once again the ex-Albion striker's final ball let his side down. Davies became the second Harriers player to be booked when he was shown the yellow card for decent in the 36th minute. And with the game becoming increasingly scrappy, Kelly was also cautioned for a late chal- lenge on the hard-working Deakin.
Half-time:
Exeter City 1-0 Kidderminster Harriers

Harriers skipper McGrath was lucky to escape a red card following his 48th minute body-check on winger Hodge. McGrath, already booked in the first half, was let off with a stern lecture from referee Cooper after he was again beaten by the speed of Hodge. Harriers surged courageously for an equaliser and Palmer, their liveliest attacker, carved out a fine shooting opportunity in the 50th minute. Cutting inside from the right, Palmer let fly from 20 yards but then watched his left-footed effort flash narrowly wide of the post. Harriers should have drawn level in the 61st minute when Forsyth incredibly scooped a shot over the top from five yards in front of an open goal. Exeter keeper Miller completely missed a firmly driven centre which Davies flicked on at the near post. But Forsyth somehow missed with a goal begging to the dismay of Harriers' 300-strong away following. Exeter were living dangerously on their one-goal lead and Davies came within a yard of the equal- iser in the 67th minute when he headed Benton's cross too high, after Miller was again troubled by a cross. Harriers continued to dominate possession but their woeful finishing belied some useful approach work.

Originally published in the Sports Argus 

Match Summary 

Steve Moran's seventh minute strike was enough to guide City into the second round of the FA Cup and a meeting at St. James Park with Swansea City on December 5th. A combination of bad luck and good goalkeeping by Darren Steadman restricted City to that one goal and although the scoreline was close they never looked in any real danger of surrendering that lead. The goal came when Kevin Miller's long kick was knocked down by John Hodge to Ronnie Jepson who slipped a great pass through to Moran who shot home from close range. Jepson,who was outstanding for City, was denied by Steadman on a couple of occa- sions but he reserved the save of the game for Moran when he somehow blocked the City striker's point blank shot.