Cambridge United 1(1) v (1)3 Kidderminster Harriers

A battling performance of grit and determination allowed ten-man Harriers to come from behind to win the battle of the basement clubs, closing the gap to safety to just three points.

As expected Stuart Watkiss handed a first start to Chris Beardsley in attack with Blair Sturrock dropping down to the bench, apart from that the team was the same as the one that lost to Oxford in the previous game.  The home team gave a debut to Martin Carruthers signed on loan from Lincoln two days before the game.

Carruthers was to prove a thorn in Harriers' side in the early stages of the game as the home team were the first to settle.  The new striker made a break through the middle of the Harriers defence only to be denied by John Danby who saved well at his feet and as the bal ran free a scramble ensued but Harriers were able to get it clear.  The respite was short-lived, however, as the home side took the lead after 15 minutes; the ball was crossed deep from the right to the far post where Carruthers got up well to head back across goal for Shane Tudor to lash it into the roof of the net.  The tension of the situation led to a number of heavy challenges from both sides and Tom Bennett found his name in the referees notebook after a quarter of an hour; the day got worse for Harriers ten minutes later when Bennett put another heavy tackle in on Adam Tann and was shown a second yellow card and became the seventh Harrier to take an early bath this season.  Watkiss reshuffled his troops and dropped Gary Birch back into Bennett's spot leaving Beardsley alone in attack.

The lively Tudor created another good chance for United just before the half hour mark getting past Billy Jones to the byline and crossing to the far post for Carruthers but the latter headed wide.  Harriers got themselves back into the game soon after; the ball was played long out of defence for Beardsley to chase, he cut in to the penalty area and with support slow in arriving decided to go it alone drilling a low shot past John Ruddy and inside the near post.  With their tails up from the equaliser Harriers went close to taking the lead; Beardsley, again, knocked the ball down into the path of Wayne Hatswell who saw his shot hit the bar and go over into the stand behind the goal.

At the other end Tudor saw a 20-yard free kick beat the wall only to be pushed away for a corner by Danby when it seemed destined for the top corner of the net.  Before the break good play by Simon Russell almost carved out a second Harriers goal, ghosting in behind his marker he picked up a pass from Johnny Mullins and turned and fired a shot wide of the far post.

After the break Harriers continued to play with conviction and seemed to have more luck than of late.  Luke Guttridge hit the bar and Carruthers' follow-up shot was blocked by Simon Weaver who managed to throw himself in the way at the expense of a corner.  From the corner Harriers only half-cleared and Simon Rea, a one-time Harriers target, set up an unmarked Carruthers who headed wide.

Harriers took the lead after an hour; a Jones corner from the right was punched clear by Ruddy, but fell back to the Harriers full back, his cross to the far post was met by the head of Mullins who greeted his first professional goal with a suitable celebration that lasted at least 50 yards.  A tense ending to the game was set up now as Harriers faced a late bout of pressure; United man-of-the-match Tudor was the creator of another good chance as they pressed for an equaliser, his corner from the right was headed goalwards by Andy Duncan but Danby held on to it.

With just four minutes remaining Harriers scored a third goal to ease the pressure and seal the victory.  Substitute Sturrock won the ball and headed off down the left wing, presumably to waste time, but instead cut inside beating three defenders and crossed to the far post where Ian Foster could have taken a shot but chose to roll the ball into the path of Birch who tucked it into the bottom corner  for his first goal in a Harriers shirt.