MATT Gadsby's patience appears to be paying off as he celebrated his longest run in the Kidderminster Harriers team with his first senior strike.

The versatile defender or midfielder has been given a new role protecting the back four with Danny Williams.

And Gadsby's displays have helped the 24-year-old keep his place for the last three games.

Boss Jan Molby believes he gives Harriers extra physical presence and strength in the midfield to aid their current scrap at the bottom of the table.

After scoring his first goal in 79 games, Gadsby declared: "It was brilliant to score.

"John Williams did wonders down the line, took on his man, cut inside and pulled it back.

"I was more or less on my own and I didn't have to hit it hard. I just guided it into the corner.

"More importantly, we needed a win at Rochdale and it didn't matter who scored.

"The confidence is up anyway but we just need to get a few results together.

"We can go into next week at home to Torquay and really go forward from here."

The ex-Walsall and Mansfield player admitted Harriers had been under-achieving.

Gadsby said: "It was a massive result for us on Saturday. We are in the wrong half of the division.

"With the players we've got we should be mid-table or top half of the table easily but we have had some disappointing results."

He felt Harriers board had made the right decision in replacing Ian Britton with Molby in late October.

Gadsby added: "We needed something new as we weren't getting the right results.

"The lads were down but with Jan and Gary Barnett coming in it has lifted things."

Molby was happy with the player who Britton signed on a free transfer in the summer.

The Harriers director of football said: "Matt has never scored a goal before so that's nice for him.

"He has been given an extended run in the side because he impressed me in training and I thought it was time to give him a chance.

"He has got plenty of energy, is a good physical size, he is doing well and crowned it with what was a great goal."

Molby continued: "It was a bit tricky how we were going to play on Saturday.

"We have played the last couple of home games with a 4-3-3 system but I just felt on Saturday, with the situation we are in, we needed to be a bit more defensively minded.

"But I thought the 4-5-1 worked well because in that system we had people who could go forward.

"John Williams in the first half and Dean Bennett throughout the game were a constant thorn in their side.

"I like what I have seen from Dean. In the five games I have been back here, apart from the Doncaster game, he has played very well and is slightly a better player and more mature than the last time I was here."