ROCHDALE 0, HARRIERS 1

A NEW manager can often bring an about-turn in results and Jan Molby seems to be having that kind of impact at Kidderminster Harriers.

Two Division Three wins, including Saturday's impressive 1-0 victory at Rochdale, and a draw in four games have lifted them four points away from the bottom two.

Molby's experience and past knowledge of the club, along with the efforts of his right-hand man Gary Barnett, has surely played a major part in this mini-revival.

The Dane believes Harriers players are enjoying their football again and fans will have certainly taken pleasure from the weekend performance as well.

Harriers started with a 4-5-1 formation but defensive it was not as the fast-breaking Dean Bennett, John Williams and Sean Parrish always ensured lone forward Andy White had plenty of support.

The red-hot form of Bennett and Williams has spurred Harriers on recently along with the added physical attacking presence of White and the no-nonsense defensive work of skipper Wayne Hatswell.

They have now gone three games without conceding a goal on their travels and deserved to win by more than Matt Gadsby's 35th-minute decider at Spotland.

Fellow relegation battlers Rochdale were not helped by an injury to Michael Simpkins which forced them to play with 10 men for the last 25 minutes as all three substitutes had been used.

Fending off a shaky first 15 minutes and the aerial threat of big home defender Gareth Griffiths, Harriers were only denied more goals by the agility of keeper Neil Edwards.

They had a couple of early let-offs when keeper Stuart Brock denied striker Kevin Townson with some discomfort on seven minutes.

England youth international Townson then just failed to connect with Leo Bertos' low cross from close range but Rochdale's top scorer was then contained by Harriers' effective offside trap.

The efforts of strong midfield men Danny Williams and Matt Gadsby helped Harriers wrestle control of the match.

White's forceful left-wing run and pull-back on 24 minutes deserved better but Parrish fired a good chance over from 15 yards.

Four minutes later, Harriers struggled against 6ft 4ins Griffiths who nodded Bertos' corner goalwards only for full-back Craig Hinton to scramble the ball off the line.

But Griffiths was Rochdale's only real hope, especially when they later lost influential loan midfielder Gary Jones through injury just before half-time.

Before then, Harriers began to threaten more and more with the tireless Bennett nearly surprising Edwards who pushed a low 35-yarder onto his post.

The visitors found the net soon after when J Williams skinned two defenders on the right with impressive ease and provided the perfect centre for Gadsby to slot home his first Football League goal from 12 yards.

D Williams volleyed over with two minutes of the first period left after Edwards failed to collect a good corner from eye-catching loan left-back Steve Burton.

Crucially, Rochdale's former West Brom boss Alan Buckley made two more interval changes following Jones' injury with one of them a tactical switch.

It seemed like it might pay off when Griffiths won another header from Patrick McCourt's flag-kick but Brock was again equal to the challenge with a diving save.

Edwards, surely one of the shorter keepers in Division Three, had to make a fine stop at the other end on 59 minutes to deny goal-hungry Gadsby from 20 yards after the midfielder had connected with White's lay-off.

White, whose work up front in his three games has deserved a goal, then connected crisply with a J Williams pass but the ball flew straight at keeper Edwards.

Rochdale's skillful McCourt had a quiet game but the Northern Ireland international did display some dazzling footwork to force one parry from Brock on 63 minutes.

But the exit of Simpkins, one of Buckley's half-time substitutions, effectively ended the contest for the home side who had been short on attacking ideas for much of the game.

Bo Henriksen, introduced for White, released J Williams with a sublime pass and the dangerous wideman struck a firm drive just wide.

Henriksen nearly added a second for Harriers three minutes from the end only to see Edwards push his chip onto the bar and over after the Dane wriggled free of the defence.

His return to fitness is just one of many reasons to be positive at Aggborough as the festive season approaches.

ROCHDALE: Edwards; Evans, Griffiths, Burgess (Simpkins 46), Grand; Bertos, Jones (Beech 45), McClare, McCourt; McEvilly (Antoine-Curier 46), Townson. Subs not used: Gilks, Doughty.

HARRIERS: Brock 7; Hinton 7, Smith 7, HATSWELL 9, Burton 8; D Williams 8, Gadsby 7; J Williams 8, Bennett 8, Parrish 7; White 7 (Henriksen 66, 7). Subs not used: Danby, Ayres, Lewis, Betts. ATTENDANCE: 2,498.

SHOTS ON: Rochdale 5, Harriers 6.

SHOTS OFF: Rochdale 5, Harriers 6.

CORNERS: Rochdale 9, Harriers 9.

GOALS: Gadsby 35.

YELLOW CARDS: Rochdale 2 (Bertos, Griffiths), Harriers 1 (Hatswell).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Wayne Hatswell. Proving a vital signing for Harriers. Dominant in the air and leads the defence in an uncompromising fashion.