Pre-season kicked off for Harriers on Saturday as close to 2,000 fans watched as a strong West Bromwich Albion side recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory in a decent game at Aggborough Stadium.
Both sides moved the ball around well early on, playing on a near-perfect Aggborough pitch in some real midday heat.
Harriers had an early chance to scare after winger Dave Hankin and on-trial forward Paul Connor combined well but Albion's Scott Carson was alive to the danger. It was the visitors who took the lead with around ten minutes on the clock, Ishmael Miller timing the arrival of the ball in the box perfectly before coolly lifting it over Danny Lewis and into the back of the home net.
Leading the team out on his first start for the club, Keith Briggs had Harriers' first opportunity of the afternoon as he shot wide of Carson's target from around 20 yards. The hosts when some way closer to an equaliser on 27 minutes as Hankin's free-kick delivery saw Mark Albrighton force the goalkeeper into a neat stop.
Albion's Simon Cox should probably have done better with less than ten to go til the break as he scuffed a curling effort some way wide of the target, Hankin trying his luck for the hosts seven minutes later.
Three minutes after the re-start Harriers almost pulled level after Albion stopper Luke Daniels found himself caught out - on trial Matty Blair looked to take advantage but could only curl his effort wide of the far post.
The early stages of the second period saw possession more equally divided with Harriers matching Albion in most areas of the pitch; though the visitors stung the hands of second-half home goalkeeper Andrew Stevens on the hour mark as George Thorne drove goalwards.
The second goal was even closer for West Brom six minutes later but Roman Bednar could only nod the ball onto the bar from six yards - typically he decided not to be beaten and within a further minute their man had his goal, driving from the edge of the area past Stevens who had little chance.
2-0 became 3-0 with around 17 minutes left on the clock - Abdoulaye Meite rose highest in the area to power home a decent cross with a fine header past Stevens to the delight of more than 1,000 Albion fans.
So Harriers begin pre-season with defeat to quality opposition - the performances of the likes of new-boys Vaughan and Hankin to name a few, though, will give boss Steve Burr plenty to smile about as the warm-ups continue at Solihull Moors on Tuesday night (7:45pm).
Harriers - 1st half: Danny Lewis, Lee Vaughan, Mike Williams (pictured), Tom Sharpe, Tom Shaw, Mark Albrighton, Dave Hankin, Keith Briggs, Paul Connor, David McDermott, Jack Byrne.
Harriers - 2nd half: Andrew Stevens, Josh Quaynor, Michael Briscoe, Mike Williams, Lee Vaughan (Hayward 78), Kyle Hadley Matty Blair, Chris McPhee, Kevin Holsgrove, Nathan Hayward, Callum Gittens,
Albion - 1st half: Scott Carson, Joe Mattock, Jonas Alsson, Pablo Ibanez, Yousouf Mulumbu, Simon Cox, Ishmael Miller, Chris Brunt, Reuben Reid, Luke Moore, Gianni Zuiverloon.
Albion - 2nd half: Luke Daniels, Steven Reid, Abdoulaye Meite, Gabriel Tamas, Leon Barnett, George Thorne, Graham Dorrans, James Morrison, Jerome Thomas, Roman Bednar, Giles Barnes.
Attendance: 1,950.
