RUSHDEN 3 HARRIERS 1

IAN Britton's Kidderminster Harriers were given an early reminder that it's what happens in the two penalty boxes during a game that really matters.

Saturday's 3-1 defeat at rivals Rushden and Diamonds boiled down to problems with finishing, defending and discipline.

Better these problems occur now after only three games of the season so manager Britton can work on sorting them out.

Harriers often played prettier football than the home side but Rushden's was the effective style.

As much as it may pain your average Kidderminster fan to admit it, the Northamptonshire side seem a good bet for the top three come the end of the season.

While once Harriers beat them to the Conference title, they are more likely to play second fiddle more than two years later.

Rushden's cutting edge was built around Jamaican international Onandi Lowe, a real handful who failed to score but proved a major thorn in the side.

Central defenders Craig Hinton and Abdou Sall never looked comfortable with Lowe.

In fact, Sall took an unfortunate kick to the head from his fellow giant close to half-time and ended up in hospital with concussion.

The impressive Danny Williams and Sean Parrish ensured Harriers had their spells of pressure but midfield colleagues Sean Flynn and Dean Bennett may wish to forget this one.

And forward Drewe Broughton, sent off close to the hour, certainly will want to.

It was Flynn who gifted Rushden a 15th-minute lead when he inexplicably headed Daniel Talbot's awkward inswinging right-wing corner into his own net at the far post.

But Rushden probably deserved the luck after keeper Stuart Brock had saved well from Lowe and then tipped over a flag-kick from Paul Hall.

In between, Stuart Gray let fly with a low 20-yarder that rebounded off the keeper's left-hand post.

Harriers could have equalised skipper Flynn's own goal almost immediately but Bennett, released by Bo Henriksen, wastefully shot wide.

Parrish forced Billy Turley into a save from 25 yards and later his cross was headed back by Drewe Broughton for Flynn to flick into the hands of the Rushden number one.

Hinton's headache at the back became far worse on 35 minutes when Lowe, in the process of crashing a shot off-target, caught him with a stray arm.

The Harriers defender was left with a broken nose and Sall was also to suffer not long after.

Meanwhile, Parrish was only denied an equaliser by an alert Paul Underwood challenge after swapping passes with Henriksen.

Referee Chris Foy's yellow-card collection began to mount up seven minutes into the second half.

Foy added Rushden teenager John Dempster's name to that of Duane Darby, Barry Hunter, Scott Stamps, Danny Williams and Broughton.

Harriers were keen to force the issue with substitute Lee Ayres close with an acrobatic overhead kick and Parrish firing just wide.

But their task became all the more harder when Broughton caught Barry Hunter in an aerial challenge to be handed his second yellow card.

He had earlier been cautioned for a rash late challenge on Dempster.

Rushden made quick use of the advantage when an attack was only ended by Williams' challenge on Darby in the area.

Foy ruled it was a foul and Gray calmly drove the penalty into the centre of the goal on 64 minutes.

Brock's brilliance saved Harriers further heartache as he tipped a vicious Darby drive over and then turned Stuart Wardley's volley against the bar.

Grateful Harriers were spurred on by their keeper and Williams pulled a goal back with a firm 20-yard bottom-corner drive after a free-kick on 77 minutes.

However, their chance to level minutes later was lost when Henriksen found space on the right of the box but drove in a wasteful low cross-shot.

Rushden showed them how to do it 10 minutes from time when Lowe beat Ayres and crossed for an easy Darby tap-in.

Harriers' players will have hopefully learnt a lesson from this defeat but should by no means be disillusioned by it.

RUSHDEN: Turley; Sambrook, Dempster, Hunter, Underwood; Hall, Wardley (Mills 79), Gray, Talbot (Burgess 57); Lowe, Darby (Partridge 86). Subs: Mustafa, Sollitt.

HARRIERS: Brock 8; Smith 6, Sall 5 (Ayres 45, 6), Hinton 6, Stamps 6; Bennett 5 (Foster 66, 6), Flynn 5, WILLIAMS 8, Parrish 7; Henriksen 7, Broughton 5. Subs: Danby, Ducros, Joy.

ATTENDANCE: 3,329.

SHOTS ON: Rushden 7, Harriers 4.

SHOTS OFF: Rushden 3, Harriers 5.

CORNERS: Rushden 7, Harriers 2.

GOALS: Flynn (og) 15, Gray (pen) 64, Williams 77, Darby 80.

BOOKINGS: Rushden 3 (Darby, Hunter, Dempster), Harriers 3 (Stamps, Williams, Smith).

RED CARDS: Rushden 0, Harriers 1 (Broughton).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Danny Williams. His second goal in a Harriers shirt rewarded Williams' constant efforts in midfield. Another tireless display. Not far behind were Stuart Brock whose shot-stopping was excellent and non-stop midfielder Sean Parrish.