King's Lynn 1, Kidderminster 5

Paddy Davitt

By PADDY DAVITT

King's Lynn 1, Kidderminster 5

Lynn crashed to an embarrassing FA Cup fourth qualifying round exit against Blue Square Premier Kidderminster today at The Walks.

Keith Webb's men can forget about another high profile run in the world famous cup competition after a one-sided rout in front of their biggest crowd of the season.

Harriers cruelly exposed Lynn's soft centre to race into a three goal interval lead. Matt Barnes-Homer lashed past Scott Howie on 27 minutes before Russell Penn slotted a close range second and Martin Brittain had the freedom of the weary Linnets' backline to fire past Howie.

Brian Smikle top poked a fourth shortly on the restart before Harriers were reduced to ten men for the final half hour following Luke Jones' rush of blood after a tangle with Michael Frew. Top scorer Justin Richards still managed to add a fifth with Lynn's punch drunk backline appealing in vain for offside. Joe Francis' diving header on 67 minutes was scant consolation on a miserable day for the Linnets compounded by Jack Defty's injury withdrawal after only five minutes with a back problem.

Lynn's latest signing Scott Mitchell failed a pre-match fitness test on a groin injury that forced him off during the midweek Blue Square North defeat to Tamworth.

Andrew Fisk replaced the midfielder in the only change to Keith Webb's starting line up. Fisk earned a straight red card in stoppage time against the Lambs but his suspension for violent conduct begins next month.

Defensive duo Simon Weaver (head) and Mark Peters (knee) again missed out after picking up injuries in the club's recent Blue Square North defeat to Farsley Celtic. Julian Joachim and Danny Bloomfield started on the bench.

Kidderminster's top scorer Richards returned to the Harriers' line up after sitting out the league defeat at leaders Kettering through injury.

Keith Lowe scrambled Frew's flicked header off his line inside the opening 30 seconds before Adam Bartlett beat away Jack Defty's point blank follow up in the high octane start demanded by Webb pre-match.

Smikle's teasing cross evaded Richards as the visitors broke out from the early siege. Jack Defty dropped to the ground in front of the dug outs during an early stoppage in play clutching his lower back after the pulsating start.

Jones hooked a sharp chance over with Lynn temporarily down to ten men. Francis replaced Jack Defty on nine minutes with Lynn's top scorer unable to continue.

Frew was re-deployed down the centre in Jack Defty's early absence with Francis resuming his normal station wide on the left.

Lowe diverted John Turner's probing deep cross away at his back post with Francis in close attendance after Frew triggered another attacking foray for the hosts.

Ben Chapman held his ground to outmuscle Smikle inside the Linnets' six yard box after a prolonged period of midfield stalemate before Francis' over hit cross was cleared from Fisk's raking pass.

Howie safely pouched Jones' skimming header in the visitors' first real sighter of the contest on 24 minutes after Brittain had picked out the Harriers' centre half.

Francis narrowly failed to charge down Bartlett's clearance with Lynn pressing their higher league opponents high up the park.

Barnes-Homer expertly swivelled Kidderminster in front - volleying past Howie from eight yards after Greg Crane's attempted header dropping invitingly for the Harriers' frontman.

Fisk inadvertently tackled midfield ally Adam Smith from the restart as Smith moved menacingly onto Frew's cut back just outside the visitors' penalty box.

Penn slotted past Howie on 30 minutes to double Kidderminster's lead after Barnes-Homer shrugged Chapman aside before his scuffed cross-cum-shot rolled into Penn's path with Howie scrambling across his goal line.

The front-running Frew's angled strike was deflected behind in the closing stages but Luke Graham's straining header dropped into Bartlett's arms.

Frew angrily dragged Penn to his feet at the opposite end after Kidderminster's goal scorer tumbled under the blond striker's challenge.

Brittain calmly fired past the exposed Howie on 40 minutes when Smikle's cross dribbled across Lynn's penalty area for the unmarked midfielder.

Barnes-Homer's flick on the run sailed wide with Lynn again back pedalling. Frew burst through on 42 minutes but Penn kicked away Turner's sliding shot as Webb's side probed for some respite.

The normally deadly Richards side footed wide with only Howie to beat in first half stoppage time from Barnes-Homer's precise cut back.

King's Lynn 0, Kidderminster 3 HT

Joachim replaced Fisk on the restart but Bartlett grasped Frew's lobbed cross on the left with the ex-Coventry striker sniffing a half chance. Smikle piled on the agony to toe poke past Howie after the Scottish stopper's weak attempted punch through a crowd scene dropped for the diminutive wide player.

Bartlett tipped over Frew's point blank header on 52 minutes when Joachim's initial strike dropped to his new strike partner.

Jones was dismissed on 54 minutes for a crazy grappling match with Frew right in front of the official after a muscular duel between the duo.

Frew then earned a caution for a crunching tackle on Lowe that saw captain Greg Crane race from the opposite half on a diplomatic mission.

Richards raced onto Smikle's through ball for the ten men before coolly firing between Howie's legs to complete the rout.

Francis earned some brief respite on 67 minutes for the hard-pressed home faithful with a diving back post header to divert home Charlie Defty's hanging cross.

Chapman snuffed out Richards with the Kidderminster top gun hunting a tenth of the campaign.

Francis teasing cross dropped to Turner whose half volley skidded into the Hospital End.

Harriers' chief Mark Yates withdrew Richards with the cup tie long won as ex-Aston Villa striker Stefan Moore was introduced for the final quarter.

Howie kicked away Moore's angled strike in the closing seconds as the home support drifted away with the small pocket of away fans in full voice.

Bartlett parried Luke Graham's close range header away in the final act of the cup tie.

King's Lynn: Howie, C Defty, Chapman, Graham, Crane, Sedgemore, Frew, Fisk (Joachim 45), J Defty (Francis 9), Smith, Turner (Bloomfield 79). Subs (not used): Camm, Kelly, Murray.

Booking: Frew

Goal: Francis (67)

Kidderminster: Bartlett, Baker, Ferrell, Creighton, Jones, Barnes-Homer, Penn (Bennett 51), Richards (Moore 73), Smikle, Brittain (Riley 57), Lowe. Subs (not used): Knights, Coleman, McDermott, Bowler.

Booking: Penn

Sending off: Jones

Goals: Barnes-Homer (27), Penn (30), Brittain (40), Smikle (49), Richards (62)

Added on time: 2 mins / 3 mins

Referee: GJ Sutton (Lincs)

Attendance: 1,460