Monday, August 28, 2000

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers stormed into third place in the Third Division with a 2-0 smash-and-grab victory over Brighton at Withdean yesterday.

Two breakaway goals during the second-half from Ian Foster and Dean Bennett gave Harriers their first away win of the season.

Harriers adopted the same 4-2-3-1 formation which served them so well in their recent 1-1 Worthington Cup draw at Walsall and it certainly came up trumps again!

Foster, operating on the left side of midfield, broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute before Bennett knocked another nail in Brighton's coffin with a well taken goal after 67 minutes.

Afterwards Foster: " I am not left-footed and I don't like playing midfield, but I do like playing. I'm not going to knock on the gaffer's door and say I don't want to play, so you have just got to give it 100 per cent and it's worked for us.

The former Hereford United campaigner, who has been suffering from a hamstring injury, added: " It is frustrating, I supposed, if I'm not fully fit and I'm not playing up front, but Tony Bird and Stewart Hadley are playing ever so well, so there's no complaints.

" After four games I was desperate to score and luckily it's finally arrived. I just put my head down, stuck it and it went in."

" It's a great result. We went to Walsall with exactly the same system and we did well to come away from there with a draw and now we've come to Brighton and deserved the win."

Nathan Jones and Paul Brooker also went close for the Seagulls, but Harriers were able to keep them in check, although they suffered a setback in the 42nd minute when defender Scott Stamps went off with a knee injury.

Brighton finally fell victim to a quick-fire breakaway. Goalkeeper Stuart Brock's accurate throw found Bird who poked the ball past Danny Cullip before sending over a perfect cross for unmarked Foster to fire home.

Harriers then put the game out of Brighton's reach when a pass by Ian Bogie found Bennett who coolly fired home an angled shot.

Kidderminster: Brock 8, Clarkson 7, Stamps 6 (Smith 42, 6), Hinton 9, Bennett 8, Horne 7, Bird 7, Foster 7 (Webb, 71 7), Shail 7, Bogie 7, Hadley 7, Subs (not used): Murphy, Ducros, Corbett. Attendance: 6,274.