HARRIERS 1 SOUTHEND 0

FANS could not have been blamed for falling asleep during the first hour or so of Tuesday's match but they would have missed a rip-roaring finale.

A dull Division Three encounter with Southend suddenly burst into life as shots rained in at both goals from all angles.

On-loan midfielder John Melligan bagged the vital strike with a cool lob on 76 minutes, while experienced keeper Fraser Digby kept out a visiting side stunned into action.

This was a crucial three points for Harriers as though the play-off race remains amazingly tight, the fixtures will not be getting any easier.

Harriers could ill afford to slip up against Southend who had been on the end of two previous defeats at Aggborough.

With a 2-0 victory at Roots Hall in September, boss Ian Britton knew the Essex side would be perfectly beatable and that they were.

But it took a long drawn-out battle with little good football before the evening's entertainment finally got going.

Harriers reverted back to their successful 3-5-2 formation after struggling with a 4-4-2 system on Saturday.

Though the lively Melligan twice fired off target after sparkling runs lit up a poor first half, the best chance fell to the recalled Drewe Broughton.

The big striker, who won more than his fair share of aerial battles, nodded over on 35 minutes from Adie Smith's accurate right-wing cross.

An average Southend did little of note with top scorer Tes Bramble blazing over from the edge of the area after a useful burst.

Harriers' three-man defence looked much more composed with loan signing Wes Morgan particularly impressive.

A sluggish start to the second half at least saw both sides attempting to test their opposing keepers more often.

Southend's Steve Kelly nodded one header straight at Digby and Sean Flynn's low 30-yard drive whizzed past the post at the other end.

Harriers finally picked up the pace and looked fully capable of causing the visitors' defence plenty of problems.

Darryl Flahavan clawed away a Smith cross-shot on 63 minutes before an unmarked Flynn headed Melligan's corner too close to the keeper.

Broughton nodded over the bar and Melligan's shot from Williams' precise through-pass ended up travelling in a similar direction.

Harriers have often relied on Bo Henriksen and Melligan for their moments of inspiration in front of goal this season.

And this time it was the loan man from Wolves who lobbed Flahavan smartly after breaking onto Broughton's important flick-on.

Then it was the turn of Digby to prove his worth to the team with two excellent saves.

Firstly, he scrambled to his right and diverted an awkward 25-yarder from Daniel Marney around his post on 77 minutes.

Then the former Manchester United apprentice pushed away Bramble's vicious 30-yard volley four minutes from time.

Moments later, Digby was beaten but sub Sean Parrish was on the line to block Leon Cort's header and Marney hooked the rebound over the bar.

Melligan also forced Flahavan into further action with a flick header and 20-yard drive.

A pulsating end left Harriers eighth in the table and level on points with four play-off chasing rivals, Scunthorpe, Oxford, Lincoln and Torquay.

HARRIERS: Digby 8; Morgan 7, Scott 7, Hinton 7; A Smith 6 (Coleman 84), MELLIGAN 8, Williams 7, Flynn 7, Shilton 6 (Bishop 84); Broughton 7, Henriksen 6 (Parrish 84). Subs not used: Brock, Foster.

SOUTHEND: Flahavan; Sutch, Cort, Kelly, Searle; Bramble, Maher, J Smith (Thurgood 76), Clark (Jenkins 82); Foley, Rawle (Marney 36). Subs not used: Gay, Beard.

ATTENDANCE: 2,006.

SHOTS ON: Harriers 7, Southend 6.

SHOTS OFF: Harriers 11, Southend 9.

CORNERS: Harriers 8, Southend 8.

GOALS: Melligan 76.

YELLOW CARDS: Harriers 1 (Henriksen), Southend 2 (Bramble, Kelly).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: John Melligan. An excellent display behind the two strikers and looked the most likely to make something exciting happen in a dull game which exploded into life in the later stages. Grabbed the crucial winner.