Saturday, September 8, 2001

JAN Molby applauded Kidderminster Harriers' "best Division Three display of the season" but saw an old problem sentence them to a 2-0 defeat at league leaders Rochdale on Saturday.

Big centre-back Gareth Griffiths twice met corners from veteran Tony Ford and the points were Rochdale's.

Harriers' weaknesses at set-pieces, so common last season, were exposed again, while they continue to struggle for goals at the other end.

For all the visitors' improved football, they are still trying to score more than one goal in a league game for the first time this season.

And Molby's men are yet to get a result away from home after tough visits to Darlington, Hull and now Rochdale.

But he thought they had shaken off the lethargy of the previous week's draw with Mansfield and declared: "I thought it was the best we have played in the league all season. We looked very sharp. There wasn't any suggestion of what we saw last Saturday.

"But obviously I'm disappointed at losing and with the individuals for failing to do their jobs at set-pieces.

"We have got to get the ability to try to put teams on the back foot and (Dean) Bennett had that. He caused problems in the first half.

"We had more shots on goal and headers than in any other league game this season."

However, Harriers started badly, arriving only half-an-hour before kick-off due to heavy traffic on the M6.

And after changing on the coach, they fell behind within 60 seconds when Griffiths headed home 42-year-old player-coach Ford's corner from 12 yards.

Harriers played their way back into the game though with Stewart Hadley heading over Bennett's cross and Tony Bird's free-kick scrambled away by keeper Matthew Gilks.

But in-form Harrier Stuart Brock made the first of a series of saves, blocking a close-range effort from sought-after teenager Kevin Townson on 34 minutes.

Only seven minutes into the second half, he made a fine double save from Clive Platt's cross-shot and Kieron Durkan's follow-up.

The lively Bennett wasted a good chance to equalise on 66 minutes, heading Danny Williams' centre straight at Gilks despite being unmarked.

And Rochdale sealed the points 10 minutes later when the towering Griffiths got a firm head to Ford's flag-kick at the far post.

Molby added: "The second goal was tough because I think the wind has set it up for the tallest player on the pitch. But with the first it was a free header."