Bury 4(2) v (0)0 Kidderminster Harriers

A wholly unacceptable performance from Harriers saw them slump to their third consecutive League defeat, handing Bury an easy three points in the process.

Micky Mellon returned to the starting line-up in place of Simon Russell who dropped back down to the bench in the only change to the Harriers line-up; Bury included former Harriers trialist Paul Scott in their line-up.

The home team had the best of the opening exchanges and were on top for the first 20 minutes without there being much action in or around either goalmouth.  The first real goalscoring chance fell to the home team; Brian Barry-Murphy's free kick was headed over the bar by Wayne Hatswell for a corner and from the resultant kick Barry-Murphy found Chris Porter at the far post who headed straight at John Danby.  Moments later hesitancy in the Harriers defence allowed the ball through on the Bury right but when it reached David Nugent he blazed his shot over the bar.

The game then fell into another spell of inactivity with the play being partuiclarly dull and with neither side able to establish themselves and then the home team took the lead just after the half hour mark.  David Flitcroft played the ball through the centre towards Nugent who had made a good run behind the Harriers backline, although Danby came out well to try and block him he was able to take the ball around the keeper and slot it in from a narrow angle.  Another Barry-Murphy corner before the break was missed by both Nugent and Porter as it flashed across the goalmouth.  Harriers had a chance with a free kick that was pumped forward that Jesper Christiansen kncked down by Simon Brown to Dean Keates who fired over.  In stoppage time Bury doubled their lead; Steve Burton lunged into a challeng on the halfway line that he completely missed allowing Barry-Murphy a clear run on goal, when he got to the edge of the penalty area he rolled the ball square to Proter who rifled it under Danby.

With a mountain to climb at the start of the second half Harriers showed no sign of improvement and fell further behind just before the hour.  Harriers broke up a Bury attack but Burton's pass was intercepted and the ball was played into the penalty area for Flitcroft who slotted it into the bottom corner at the near post.  Richie Appleby, on for the ineffective Brown, went close to reducing the arrears with a free-kick that Glyn Garner did well to tip over for a corner.  Bury dealt with the corner and were soon on the counter-attack, Nugent was able to run form deep with the Harriers defence backing off him without making a challenge and drew Danby out of his goal before knocking the ball square to Porter who had an easy tap-in to complete the scoring.

With a quarter of an hour remaining, the home team were reduced to ten men when David Flitcroft was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Stuart Roberts but the extra man didn't really help Harriers who were well out of the game by this time.  Four minutes from the end an Appleby cross was turned goalwards by Bury substitute Colin Woodthorpe and pounced on by Roberts who balzed his shot wide from inside the six-yard box.  To rub more salt into Harriers' wounds, in the last minute Micky Mellon was show a second yellow card and given his marching orders.