KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 1
BARROW AFC 1
THAT winning feeling continues to elude Barrow AFC boss Adam Murray as his side was held to a draw at his former club, Kidderminster Harriers.
Murray wasn’t exactly given a warm reception on his return to Aggborough Stadium, the scene of where he guided Kiddy to promotion to the National League last season before he joined the Bluebirds.
His hopes of a successful return will have been raised when Innes Cameron put the visitors in front, but a header from Lewis Walker cancelled out the lead just before half-time.
The point gained doubled Barrow’s tally from five games, but they end their first month of the season stuck second-from-bottom in the table.
Murray made four changes from his line-up against Yeovil – when Barrow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory – as MJ Williams returned in midfield to captain the side, with Olly Crankshaw, Keaton Ward and Innes Cameron also coming in.
Scott Smith, Thierry Latty-Fairweather, Alex Reid and Rekeem Harper were the players who dropped to the bench.
It was a ball inside by Crankshaw that led to the Bluebirds’ first chance of the game in the 11th minute as Ward, on his first start, saw his shot across goal turned behind by Kidderminster goalkeeper Jack Wint.
It had been a bright start, and it got its reward after 15 minutes when Cameron was left unmarked from Ward’s free kick and buried his third goal of the season with a free header.
Crankshaw’s afternoon came to a premature end thanks to a poor tackle by Lewis Walker – whose brother, Tyler, played for the Bluebirds last season – with Latty-Fairweather replacing him just before the half-hour.
Typical of Barrow’s season so far, the hosts equalised with their first chance after 43 minutes when Reece Devine hung up a cross from the left that was headed in by Lewis Walker.
The Bluebirds were then inches away from ending a first half they had largely controlled behind when a brilliant strike from outside the box by Max Brogan smashed against the inside of the far post and stayed out.
They managed to restore some order early in the second half, with Wint having to make a vital intervention to prevent Paul Kalambayi getting on the end of George Walker’s knock-down from Danny Amos’ free kick.
But then came another scare as substitute Ethan Moore laid the ball off for Callum Stewart who came close to putting the hosts in front as his effort was deflected just wide.
Ward came close to restoring Barrow’s lead – and grabbing his second goal in two games – when his low drive from the edge of the area was well saved by Wint.
From the resulting corner, George Walker’s header was also kept out by Wint before Paul Kalambayi’s scrambled follow-up was cleared off the line by former Bluebird Angus MacDonald.
Back came Kidderminster again as Stewart ran through on goal and tried to round Winterbottom who stood his ground and made an important block.
Hearts were in mouths in stoppage time when Marcel Oakley seemed to bundle over Devine inside the area, but the referee waved away home appeals as it finished all square in Worcestershire.
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