Saturday, September 4, 1999.

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers boss Jan Molby may have been reluctant to say too much after Saturday's 2-0 Nationwide Conference victory at Stevenage Borough.

But his side did more than enough talking as runaway leaders Stevenage were halted firmly in their tracks by a resilient and aggressive Kidderminster outfit.

Molby was demoted to the director's box for the second-half following a public spat with referee Mr Clingo as the teams left the field at the break.

But despite the disruptions caused by the referee, who red-carded a man from each side, Harriers always looked in control and held their nerve for a morale boosting win.

Stevenage began at a blistering pace, but after two speedy moves in less than a minute had left new keeper Tim Clarke ready for action, the Conference leaders suddenly looked out of sorts.

Clarke, signed from Scunthorpe prior to the clash, had little to do as Harriers pressed, Andrew Brownrigg guiding a free header over the bar from a Paul Webb cross, while Ian Foster put home keeper Chris Taylor under pressure following a poor backpass and saw his clearance cannon of the back of the Kidderminster number 10 and just loft over the crossbar.

Webb fired a free-kick into the arms of Taylor, and the game looked to be heading towards the break as a stalemate when all hell broke loose a minute from the interval.

Carl Alford sent Stevenage front man Junior Samuels clear with a neat touch, and although the striker looked to have fallen before the challenge from keeper Clarke, referee Clingo waved the red card, awarding a free-kick on the edge of the box.

Substitute keeper Stuart Brock came on for Thomas Skovbjerg and made a save from the resulting free kick, but after Stevenage had piled on the pressure with no reward at the whistle, Molby made his feelings known as he marched towards referee Clingo, flanked by two stewards.

The Harriers boss didn't appear in the dug out after the break, but the 10 men certainly dug the visitors out of a hole as they took the lead on the hour, Dean Bennett heading in at the far post, across the face of goal, after a cross from the left by Foster.

As the booking count for both sides mounted, referee Clingo then incensed the home support when he sent off Michael Love, somewhat harshly, for two yellow cards in the space of a minute.

The departure appeared to leave the previously unbeaten side even more shellshocked, and their defence was split again from the left on 78 minutes, Bennett the provider this time as his cross found Brownrigg who guided the ball home.

Harriers assistant manager Gary Barnett said: "Every player has got to be satisfied with his performance. They gave their maximum work rate and they used their heads.

"We know we have match winners and we know we have got players with good ability in the side, but we have got to give them a chance by keeping a clean sheet.

"There were a few questions asked of them last week with the goals we have conceded. But we have got flair players who worked very hard by going back in and making tackles and we got the hard grafters making nice passes and setting us going forward which was a good blend.

"We went and pressured them high up the field which worked well for us, but we are under no illusions. Every game is totally different. This was a game which possibly suited us because we could get it down and pass it. It was a lovely surface and Stevenage allowed us to play."

Harriers: Clarke 7, Brownrigg 8, Stamps 8 (Hinton 89), Webb 7, Pope 7, Smith 7, Bennett 8, Skovbjerg 7 (Brock 44, 7), Druce 7 (Hadley 65), Foster 8, Cunnington 7. Subs not used: Weir, Barnett.

Star man: Andy Brownrigg.

Attendance: 2,894