Kidderminster 1 Wolverhampton 1It sums up the travails of life in the third division that Kidderminster's chairman was not unhappy to see his club robbed of a famous victory on Saturday. Pragmatism must necessarily come before romance for Colin Youngjohns.
Though Kidderminster's pocket was picked by Alex Rae's late equaliser, it will again be filled by the lucrative return at Molineux. "To have won would have been unbelievable," said Youngjohns. "We have taken on Wolves' first team and almost beaten them. But even then, if we'd got through, we couldn't have had anything better than Wolves away. So we win all the way down the line."
For 13 agonising minutes Kidderminster fans could believe their place in the fourth round was secure. Youngjohns is plotting what to do with the windfall the replay will generate. He reckons a 25,000 gate will generate a minimum of £100,000 in unbudgeted revenue, a televised fixture providing yet more. And the man who made it possible, the former Coventry striker John Williams, who came on to make the breakthrough his side had threatened, may also benefit.
"I'm playing week-to-week on a non-contract basis but the manager said if I do well there will be something for me, so that's what I've got to pin my hopes on," Williams said.
Youngjohns confirmed any surplus after the refurbishments would be given to the director of football, Jan Molby. Molby richly deserves the boost. Having returned to Aggborough after an unsuccessful spell at Hull, the former Liverpool midfielder has transformed the fortunes of what was a struggling club, producing a run of only three defeats in 13 matches.
The Dane has made no secret of his ambition to manage at a higher level and Youngjohns knows the future is uncertain. "The danger is that now Jan is being successful with us again he will be tempted away once more," he said. "It's annoying to me, but there's nothing you can do about it; it's what a club like ours has to put up with."
Molby has imprinted an effective passing style on his charges, an impudence which seemed to bewilder Wolves. With Wayne Hatswell and Craig Hinton forming an impenetrable barrier in central defence the full-backs, Adie Smith and Scott Stamps, had licence to roam, with Smith's crosses often troubling Wolves. The neat passing of Dean Bennett and the rapport between the debutant Jesper Christiansen and his fellow Dane Bo Henriksen - a player Molby has likened to Johan Cruyff, because he chain-smokes - also irritated Wolves.
But it was not until Williams came on that the Harriers swooped. First he rounded the goalkeeper Michael Oakes, though his cross could not find Christiansen. Then he latched on to a half-clearance to slam in a shot from eight yards.
When Wolves finally stirred, Rae found the net from the edge of a crowded area. At least Youngjohns still had cause to smile.
Replay Tuesday, January 13th
KIDDERMINSTER: Brock, Smith, Hinton, Hatswell, Stamps, Bennett, Parrish, Ward, Danny Williams (Gadsby 45), Christiansen, Henriksen (John Williams 74). Subs Not Used: Danby, Rickards, White. Booked: Stamps, Smith. Goal: John Williams 77.
WOLVERHAMPTON: Oakes, Irwin, Craddock, Clyde, Naylor, Newton, Rae, Cameron, Kennedy (Silas 78), Miller (Ganea 72), Iversen. Subs Not Used: Luzhny, Gudjonsson, Ikeme. Booked: Irwin, Craddock, Cameron. Goal: Rae 89.
Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).
