Hornchurch saw off Kidderminster Harriers 3-0 in the opening fixture of the National League regular season on Saturday. The result moves the hosts closer to the top half, while Kidderminster will be looking for a response at the next opportunity.
And here's the thing — the match was decided before most fans settled in. J. Baldwin opened the scoring in the 19th minute, then A. MacDonald turned on his own side to make it 2-0 just seven minutes later. M. Welch completed the job in the 33rd, putting Hornchurch in control early.
To be fair, Kidderminster had more of the ball, but they struggled to turn possession into anything meaningful. They racked up 110 attacks against 64, yet managed only one shot on target all afternoon. Hornchurch were sharper — seven shots on target yielded three goals, while their opponents could manage just one.
The second half brought a series of changes. Z. Brown came on for Hornchurch in the 46th minute, and later M. Welch was replaced by R. Devine in the 65th. Kidderminster brought on N. Ferguson and L. Amantchi in search of something, but the pattern held. By then the result was never really in doubt.
Discipline was tighter than expected in what was a one-sided affair. Hornchurch picked up three yellows through C. Dolan, H. Hearn and A. Yearwood, while Kidderminster's T. Wraight went off the end with a booking in stoppage time. C. Dolan's caution came at a crucial point when the hosts were still looking to see out the lead.
In the table, Hornchurch sit fourth with 12 points from six games — four wins and two defeats. Kidderminster are eighth with 11 points, having won three, drawn twice and lost once. The gap is narrow, but Saturday's result gives the home side momentum heading into the next round.