TORQUAY 1 HARRIERS 4

EVEN a bout of New Year tiredness could not stop Kidderminster Harriers after a big win at Torquay United on Saturday.

Boss Jan Molby thought his men were looking rather jaded yet they still did more than enough to hammer struggling opponents on a bad pitch.

It was Harriers' seventh win in their last eight Division Three games and they have recorded many of those victories in style.

Their tremendous turn-around continues to push them towards the play-off zone with former Conference rivals Cheltenham and Rushden and Diamonds ironically among the competition.

Eleven goals have flown past Rochdale, Hull and Torquay in the last three matches as Harriers have oozed pace and style.

Their run of top-draw displays will surely come to an end at some point but fans should milk them for all their worth while they are here.

Molby will also be delighted with the competition for places at Aggborough with the reserves impressing and fringe players doing the business.

Pacey Ian Foster, among three substitutes in an inspired switch 24 minutes from time, stepped off the bench on Saturday to fire two goals and look a real menace to the Devon side.

It was great timing as injuries are beginning to hit Harriers with flying forward Colin Larkin (hamstring) following giant defender Abdou Sall (groin) onto Jimmy Conway's treatment table.

They warmed up for the big clash with Luton by taking an early lead at Plainmoor.

Larkin had already wasted a cross after beating the offside trap when he broke again down the wing in the seventh minute.

His pin-point centre was met at the far post by unmarked Dane Bo Henriksen whose bullet-like header gave home keeper Kevin Dearden no chance as it hit the bottom corner of the net.

Torquay soon hit back, however, when transfer-listed striker Eifion Williams was tumbled down on the edge of the Harriers penalty area just three minutes later.

Jason Fowler dispatched the free kick, low and hard through Harriers' five-man wall.

In an action-packed first half, the visitors held the upper hand and it needed a brilliant save by Dearden to keep out Larkin's shot.

Three players had lined up to put the finishing touch to Richie Appleby's cross from the right.

Dearden then made saves in the 25th and 26th minutes to stop Dean Bennett adding to his tally of seven successive league goals as Harriers poured forward at will.

Andy Ducros also went close after a solo run from the half-way line in the 33rd minute.

Just as Torquay seemed to be getting to their feet, Appleby scored in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

The midfielder latched on to a poor header by home full-back Matt Hockley before cutting in from the right and firing the ball under Dearden.

Henriksen went close in the 50th minute before chipping an exquisite ball into Foster's path in the 72nd minute.

The substitute raced onto the ball and beat Dearden as he came out to the edge of the box with his first touch.

The home keeper kept out Foster's next close range effort two minutes later and made a point-blank save to deny Henriksen in the 83rd minute.

Torquay substitute Chris Brandon should have scored in the 89th minute when he went through one-on-one with Stuart Brock.

Brandon was left to rue the miss a minute later as Foster crashed the ball home from six yards after Drewe Broughton's two efforts had been charged down by Torquay's beleaguered defenders.

Satisfied boss Jan Molby said: "Although we played nowhere near our best we could have been talking about scoring seven or eight goals.

"We have this amazing ability to create chances and score goals which is a great thing to have when you are not playing your best."

TORQUAY: Dearden; Holmes, Woods, Hankin, Hockley; Goodridge (Graham 55), Fowler, Russell, Hill; Logan (Brandon 74), Williams (Preece 82). Subs not used: Northmore, Douglin.

HARRIERS: Brock 7; Clarkson 7 (Ayres 66, 7), Williams 7, Hinton 7, Stamps 7; Appleby 7, Blake 7, Bennett 7; Ducros 7 (Broughton 66, 7), Henriksen 8, Larkin 7 (FOSTER 66, 9). Subs not used: Murphy, Shilton.

ATTENDANCE: 2,129.

SHOTS ON: Torquay 3 Harriers 10.

SHOTS OFF: Torquay 9 Harriers 5.

CORNERS: Torquay 4 Harriers 9.

YELLOW CARDS: Torquay 2 (Woods, Hill), Harriers 0.

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Ian Foster. A spectacular entrance onto the Plainmoor stage with two quick goals to crown Harriers' victory. Did his chances of a recall no harm.