Harry Ottaway got Wanderers off to the ideal start finishing from close range after four minutes, kick-starting a frenetic opening half hour of the contest where Zak Brown’s superb free kick from range brought the visitors level, only for Ryan Seager to score twice in the space of ten minutes and send Marc White’s side into the interval with a two goal advantage. A steadier second half nearly saw Wanderers hold out with the scoreline as was, but substitute Amari Morgan-Smith pulled another goal back for The Harriers with virtually the last kick of the game.

Marc White made three changes to the side defeated by Oldham last weekend; Joe Cook was given a ‘second debut’ after signing for the club permanently in midweek, forming a back three with Barry Fuller and Ed Harris as Archie Procter made way. The other two changes saw Jack Jebb and Harry Ottaway return to the starting eleven in place of Dan Gallagher and Alfie Egan, who were both named on the bench.

The Harriers had threatened with a couple of dangerous balls targeting the left back area in the very early exchanges, but it was Wanderers who opened the scoring on 4 minutes; Ottaway found by Bowerman’s low cross from the left after he drove forward, and the striker made no mistake finishing from close range.

Moving the ball quickly through central midfield to find their wide attackers, Kidderminster were not phased by the early setback and stuck to their front-foot approach, Liverpool loanee Jack Bearne bringing Lincoln into action after capitalising on a Wanderers giveaway between the defensive and attacking lines, and just before the quarter-hour mark Russell Penn’s side got themselves level. Skipper Shane Byrne rolled a free kick into the path of Zak Brown to run up and hit from 30 yards out, the midfielder managing to strike with real precision, firing the ball between Lincoln’s outstretched arm and the crossbar to find the top left corner of goal.

Within a minute of the equaliser, The Harriers almost got themselves ahead, Krystian Pearce up from from the back and flicking a corner ball on at the near post, finding Bearne on the opposite side, but he sent the ball over the bar with his first time effort.

The visiting side were made to pay for the missed opportunity not long after as Wanderers got back in front in the contest; persistent play down the attacking right leading to McManus coming away with the ball and breaking into the box, the midfielder cutting back for Seager who with back to goal impressively swivelled and struck low and clinically into the bottom left corner.

The hold up play and movement of the Wanderers strike force was proving difficult for The Harrriers rear guard to contain, as was the direct running and quick feet of Bowerman, who nearly extended the lead in spectacular fashion, getting past his man and buying space by rebounding the ball off one foot then the other, lining up a strike from 25 yards out looking destined for the top left corner, only to cannon back off the upright.

Nearing half-hour in the game, the third Wanderers goal did arrive and Bowerman was again involved, coming in off the left channel to find Seager, who just got ahead of his two defenders closely marking him to poke the ball home from several yards out, netting his second of the afternoon and 13th in all competitions this term.

Kidderminster pushed to get back in the game in the lead up to the break, producing a flurry of chances as Lincoln was called upon twice, including holding on to a free kick struck by Ashley Hemmings, Harriers top scorer Ethan Freemantle denied at the back by a timely block from Jebb.

Half time: Dorking Wanderers 3 Kidderminster Harriers 1

The fast pace of the opening forty-five showed no sign of letting up immediately after the restart; Hemmings bombing on down the left and hammering an effort wide of goal before Ottaway’s excellent aerial flick on was gathered by Bowerman, who raced down the left wing and was unlucky not to find the bottom right corner with his strike after cutting inside. Muitt was released down the opposite side shortly afterwards and drove a ball across for Bowerman, his shot was saved and Seager’s rebound deflecting narrowly wide.

Around the hour mark Lincoln made a couple of top saves and his near post; firstly tipping Owen-Evans fierce effort onto the post from the right channel before Freemantle’s bobbling strike was also met with a low stop.

The pace of the game had steadied as Wanderers were increasingly set up to counter, allowing Kidderminster more of the ball, but chances had dried up save for the closing exchanges; late attacking subs Kobe Hall and Amari Morgan-Smith combining well with the latter forcing Lincoln into punching a strike at goal away. At the very end of stoppage time, the striker turned on the acceleration to get past Gallagher and finish inside the box one-on-one against Lincoln, but the goal came too late for Harriers to force penalties, Wanderers holding out to book their place in the next round.

The draw for the fifth round of the FA Trophy will take place on Monday afternoon (Jan 16th) at 3pm on TalkSport 2. Wanderers will return to league action next Saturday as they travel up to face Gateshead in a 3pm kick off at the International Stadium.

Dan Stobbart

Dorking Wanderers (3-5-2): 1 Dan Lincoln, 22 Barry Fuller (c), 5 Ed Harris (12 Callum Kennedy 89′), 33 Joe Cook; 7 Jimmy Muitt (15 Adam Mekki 73′), 23 Jack Jebb (20 Dan Gallagher 46′), 6 Niall McManus, 10 James McShane, 30 Seb Bowerman; 24 Harry Ottaway, 9 Ryan Seager

Unused Subs: 3 BJ Taylor, 14 Jordan Cheadle, 16 Nicky Wheeler, 29 Alfie Egan

Goals: Ottaway 4′, Seager 18′, 27′

Yellow Cards: McShane 21′, Cook 40′, Gallagher 71′,

Kidderminster Harriers (4-2-3-1): 1 Tom Palmer, 12 Joe Foulkes (2 Alex Penny 46′), 5 Krystian Pearce, 16 Ben Margetson, 10 Ashley Hemmings; 14 Zak Brown, 23 Shane Byrne (c); 19 Jack Bearne, 7 Tom Owen-Evans (28 Kobe Hall 83′), 21 Joe McGlynn (9 Amari Morgan-Smith 64′); 17 Ethan Freemantle

Unused Subs: 4 Nathaniel Knight-Percival, 13 Jamie Emery, 15 Keziah Martin, 18 Kai Lissimore

Goals: Brown 13′, Morgan Smith 90+4′

Yellow Card: Morgan-Smith 78′

Referee: Jason Richardson

Attendance: 957

Sponsors Man Of The Match: Ryan Seager