Saturday, December 15, 2001

MANAGER Jan Molby was left wondering how his Kidderminster Harriers side went from looking comfortable winners to 2-1 losers at Exeter City in Division Three.

Harriers' four-game winning run in the league came to an end after two surprising errors from one of their players of the season so far, goalkeeper Stuart Brock.

The visitors had dominated for an hour, playing some of their best passing football but missing several gilt-edged chances. They only had a well-taken 31st-minute Dean Bennett strike, his fifth goal in as many league games, to rest on.

Brock, who recently signed a two-year extension to his contract, then fluffed a clearance and missed a high ball in the box as Graeme Tomlinson and Steve Flack put Exeter in-front by the 74th minute.

Molby admitted: "I can't believe we haven't won. By half-time, it should have been all over and the points should have been ours because we had so many excellent chances.

"Exeter had just three shots on target, the two goals and an attempt which Brock saved just before the end. Individual errors in the second-half cost us the points.

"I didn't think Exeter would be good enough on the day to win it. I thought we would have to throw it away. We shouldn't be too despondent though. If we produce anything like that up at Halifax next weekend and keep our concentration, then we will take the points.

"We are definitely going in the right direction. Six weeks ago, we were in the bottom four and it looked like being a long winter."

There was controversy over the Exeter winner, a Flack header from Chris Curran's long throw that right-back Ian Clarkson hooked away as it headedtowards the net.

However, the assistant referee immediately ruled the ball had crossed the line and Clarkson admitted afterwards that he was not sure whether he had got there in time.

It was a sad way to follow such a superb first-half when the game could have been beyond the home side.

Classy midfielder Ritchie Appleby crossed for an unmarked Bo Henriksen to fire too close to goalkeeper Arjan Van Heusden within the first five minutes.

On-loan Colin Larkin missed an even easier opportunity on 14 minutes, taking too much time over his shot and allowing Van Heusden to save after Bennett had carved open the defence.

But Harriers did take the lead when Appleby laid a pass into the path of Bennett who took the ball on and tucked it past the keeper from 12 yards.

Henriksen missed again on 39 minutes, heading Clarkson's great cross wide, and Harriers continued to boss the second half.