Saturday, April 30, 2005

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers' home faithful said goodbye to the Football League with an embarrassing mauling at the hands of Grimsby.

Yet another Aggborough botch job summed up Harriers' season as they leaked goals like a sieve at one end and wasted their chances at the other.

Their relegation back to the Nationwide Conference from Coca-Cola League Two after a five-year spell in the big time was confirmed with an abject display.

And Harriers would in fact be rock-bottom but for Cambridge United's 10-point deduction in the week due to going into administration.

When they are beaten as easily as on Saturday, no-one can really have any complaints over relegation and many of the players on show will be lucky to get a Conference game next season.

Watkiss admitted: "It typifies the season. We defend poorly when we need to defend and then we waste chances when they come up.

"They probably had six chances and scored four. We had 11 or 12 and score one. That's why we have just been relegated. It's a very poor and disappointing way to end the season. We wanted to go out with some pride.

"You think you've given yourself a chance with a goal straight after half-time but then we conceded within a minute. It tells you all about us as a group of players and as a team."

It cannot be emphasised enough what a big task Watkiss has to sort out the mess in time for the Conference countdown, especially with Harriers' finances in a perilous state.

Watkiss said: "The club now, and the players, are at a crossroads and it can go one of two ways -- the positive route or just drift into oblivion and disappear.

"There are going to be issues that have to be sorted out pretty quickly. I am still waiting to see what my budget is for next season and would like it sooner rather than later."

And Harriers' out-of-contract players have done themselves few favours in the last month or more with no wins in six games. They visit Northampton for their final game on Saturday.

The Harriers manager added: "Some of the players' confidence is completely shot. It's very difficult to lose week-in-week-out and not be affected by it.

"You have to have the strength of character and be able to dig deep to come back from it."

Watkiss saw little character from his team against Grimsby though as two goals in the first 13 minutes effectively blew them away.

Only eight minutes had gone when big centre-half Rob Jones was allowed to head home Ronnie Bull's routine free-kick from eight yards.

Michael Reddy raced away to confidently poke home a quick second goal after beating defender Wayne Hatswell to the ball on the half-way line.

Harriers were simply awful but striker Mark Rawle was not short of effort and he struck the bar from 20 yards on 34 minutes with 'keeper Tony Williams well beaten.

Watkiss dragged off the ineffective Billy Jones and Chris Beardsley at the interval with Steve Burton, in his first game since November 12, and Gary Birch thrown into the arena. And Birch made an immediate impact with a classy 12-yard volley from Dean Keates' free-kick to narrow the gap.

However, Grimsby took just a single minute to march away and grab a decisive third goal.

Harriers were dozing again defensively as Reddy roared down the left and crossed for Andy Parkinson to head home from close range.

Although the hosts were more lively in attack with Rawle blazing a great chance over, Birch forcing Williams into a good save and Simon Russell hitting the post, they still could not defend.

And when Mark Jackson failed to clear on 78 minutes, Reddy blazed home an unstoppable fourth goal.

Harriers: Danby 5; Chambers 6, Jackson 5, Hatswell 5, Jones 5 (Burton 46, 6); Russell 6 (Sturrock 84), Cozic 5, Keates 6, McGrath 5; *Rawle 7, Beardsley 5 (Birch 46, 6). Subs not used: Lewis, Weaver.

Attendance: 2,340.