Saturday, February 21, 2004

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers finally found their scoring boots to edge three points clear of the relegation zone with a precious win at Aggborough on Saturday.

Ian Foster broke the deadlock in the second half to end Harriers' frustrating run of 374 minutes without a goal in the Nationwide League Division Three.

His fellow front-runner Jesper Christiansen grabbed a second shortly afterwards to collect his first goal in ten outings since arriving at Aggborough from Danish side Odense.

Harriers chief Jan Molby, a former Swans boss, was delighted with the outcome which gave his side their first win in 2004 after a grim sequence of seven league games without victory.

The Dane is now preparing for Friday's trip to table-topping Doncaster Rovers, and says: "I know they had another excellent result on Saturday, but we'll certainly take heart from this performance.

"Let's hope it's the turning point. Why we have gone on this run is difficult to say but it was an improved performance and three good points."

Fifth-from-bottom Harriers, whose build-up to the game included two days training at the National Sports Centre at Lilleshall, looked uncertain during the first half in which they failed to seriously test experienced 'keeper Roger Freestone.

Indeed, mid-table Swansea looked the more likely side to open the scoring, particularly on a couple of occasions when Andy Robinson fired in awkward free kicks which were well saved by 'keeper Stuart Brock.

The second half, however, was a different story with Harriers starting to get a grip on the Swans whose hopes of securing a play-off spot are looking bleak following a run of six league games without a win.

Foster had a shot on the turn well stopped by Freestone before the moment finally arrived for Harriers fans to cheer a long awaited goal.

It came in the 59th minute when an uncharacteristic blunder by Freestone enabled Foster to nip in and knock the ball into an empty net for his first goal since returning to Aggborough recently on loan from Chester.

Seven minutes later Christiansen headed home a pin-point cross from Scott Rickards to seal Harriers' first league win since beating Bristol Rovers 1-0 at home on December 28.

Molby said: "There have been one or two things that have slightly gone against us in one or two of the games and it's fair to say we had a little bit of luck with the first goal.

"But that was Foster's reward for chasing the pass and once the keeper had made the mistake he was there to put it in.

"You have to say from the goal onwards it was like a massive weight off the players' shoulders. It was free-flowing again and good football.

"We were discussing in the first half how scared we looked. We didn't want to play and get it down and pass. We played 47 minutes in the first half with the wind and we hadn't had a shot on target.

"But that was all down to the fact that we were simply scared. I'm glad to say, though, that after the goal there was a massive, massive change.

"We were up at Lilleshall earlier in the week. I know one or two people thought it was a punishment but it wasn't. We were there on a good surface, worked hard and took that into the first half. The fact we eventually got our goals and our rewards we are delighted with.

"If we play like we did in the last half an hour then I'm sure there's going to be one or two points for us to pick up between now and the end of the season."

For Molby the result was extra special as it was the first time in four attempts as a manager that he had masterminded a win over the Swans since leaving the Vetch Field in 1997.

He said: "It had been twice here with Kidderminster we'd never beaten them and then there was a 1-1 draw when I was at Hull, so it was a great win in such an important match."