Cambridge 1 Harriers 3

Mat Kendrick reports from the Abbey Stadium

"PERHAPS, that's where we've been going wrong all season - playing with 11!" deadpanned Stuart Watkiss after 10-man Kidderminster gave their survival hopes an almighty boost.

The Aggborough boss might have had his tongue firmly in his cheek as he basked in an against-the-odds victory at the Abbey Stadium, but he had a point -- and Harriers had all three.

For after Tom Bennett's 25th minute sending off for two bookable offences, Watkiss's troops finally played like a team whose livelihoods depended on it. It might have been a siege mentality that kicked in, or the fear that defeat would leave them back at the bottom of the pile and stranded in the relegation mire.

But despite being at a numerical disadvantage for almost three-quarters of the match, Kidderminster stood up to be counted.

The fact that at 3.30pm they looked dead and buried and staring their 13th away defeat of the season in the face made the victory all the sweeter.

By the time Bennett foolishly got himself red-carded for his second rash challenge on Adam Tann, Harriers were already on the ropes.

Journeyman striker Martin Carruthers, making his Cambridge debut on loan from Lincoln, fired two warning shots within the first quarter of an hour.

His first, a header from Stuart Bimson's cross, produced a diving save from John Danby, while it took a combination of Danby and Simon Weaver to deny him after a poor back header from Billy Jones minutes later.

Once again Harriers were inevitably punished for starting slowly on 15 minutes when Shane Tudor opened the scoring.The former Wolves reserve caused problems for the visitors' defence throughout the game and from a Cambridge point of view his goal was well worked and clinically executed.

For Harriers it was another frustrating example of their habit of switching off as Carruthers was allowed time and space to head Justin Walker's cross to the unmarked Tudor to volley home from eight yards.

It looked to be heading towards a familiar tale of woe and Harriers breathed a sigh of relief when Carruthers headed wide a decent chance to double the scoring just after Bennett's dismissal.

But sometimes it needs something out of nothing to get a team back on track and Chris Beardsley certainly provided that with his brilliant individual equaliser on 30 minutes.The former Mansfield youngster has waited patiently for his first start since arriving from Doncaster in December, but he rewarded his manager's patience with an impressive performance.

Although there seemed to be little danger when he collected the ball near the right touchline, he cut in brilliantly and beat a couple of players before squeezing a neat finish past John Ruddy.

That lifted Harriers and they should have taken the lead moments later when the goalscorer teed up Wayne Hatswell but the skipper's rising shot skimmed the bar and drifted to safety.

As the first half began to flow from end, Carruthers dwelt too long on another chance and Simon Russell skied an effort after working himself into a good shooting position. After the break it was mostly Steve Thompson's U's who threatened as they capitalised on having the extra man.

From their best chance Luke Guttridge rattled the woodwork as Cambridge went in search of the win that would lift them off the foot of the Football League.

But Harriers showed that they were made of sterner stuff when their two young fullbacks combined to put them in front on 61 minutes with Johnny Mullins heading in his first league goal from a sublime right wing cross from Jones. From then on it was backs to the walls defending from Kidderminster as an Andy Duncan header forced a flying save from Danby who also pounced on a Carruthers effort.

But Harriers battled on and the result that lifts them to within touching distance of Shrewsbury and Rushden was complete when Gary Birch opened his account for the club on 86 minutes.

Blair Sturrock produced the perfect response to Watkiss's decision to drop him when he stepped from the bench to set up the goal with a sublime run and cross to the back post.

Although the ball was crying out to be hit by the perfectly placed Ian Foster, he cut it back for Birch to roll in a neat finish to send the Aggborough away army of 303 fans home happy.

With their only two wins on the road coming in the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge, Kidderminster now have to continue their eductaion in League Two's school of hard knocks at high-flying Scunthorpe next weekend or Saturday's result could be academic.

CAMBRIDGE: Ruddy, Duncan, Tann (Quinton 83), Tudor, Chillingworth, Walker, Guttridge, D Gleeson (Goodhind 30), Bimson (Turner 67), Rea, Carruthers. Subs not used: Webb, Newey.

HARRIERS: Danby, Mullins, Jones, Weaver, Hatswell, Russell (Foster 65), McGrath, Keates, Bennett, Birch, Beardsley (Sturrock 76). Subs not used: Lewis, J Gleeson, Burton.

REFEREE: C Penton (Sussex)

ATTENDANCE: 3,948 (away fans 303).