Saturday, October 23, 1999

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers manager Jan Molby watched his side beat Kettering Town 1-0 in Saturday's Nationwide Conference clash at Aggborough and then declared: "That was our worst home performance so far this season."

Eighth-in-the-table Harriers clinch-ed victory thanks to a 54th minute header from Mark Druce.

It was a precious goal for Kidderminster who had missed the opportunity of going in front on the stroke of half time when Ian Foster failed to convert a penalty.

Molby said afterwards: "It was close. Kettering had a couple of half chances in the first half but they didn't have any in the second. Although, having said that, we didn't play well at all.

"But you have to be positive if you can dig out a result like that when you are not playing well.

"I didn't think the penalty miss had any major bearing on what went on for the rest of the game. We had a little bit of a spell for ten minutes when we got our goal and that was the only time we really played.

"We are getting closer to the leading pack in the league, but we know we aren't going to keep winning matches if we turn out performances like that.

"That was our worst home performance, but it gave us another three points."

Kidderminster's keeper Tim Clarke agreed that Molby's men had not been at their best although the result made it five wins in their last six home games.

He commented: "We said in the dressing room that we can play a lot better. But sometimes you can play better in games and actually lose.

"But even though we didn't play well, winning 1-0 suited us down to the ground.

"If we can win our homes matches and pick up points away that's going to do us justice and get us up the league and put us in with a chance at the end of the season."

Although never at their best, Kidderminster were grateful to get back onto the winning trail after their dismal 2-0 FA Cup fourth qualifying round defeat at Welling United the previous Saturday.

Shortly after Kettering had had defender Paul Cox stretchered off with a head injury in the 21st minute, Harriers almost went ahead with a close ran-ge header from Dean Bennett.

Paul Webb was not far off the mark with a long range effort, before Craig Norman and Lee Hudson missed out on headed opportunities for Kettering.

Three minutes into stoppage time in the first half Kidderminster had the cha-nce to go ahead, but leading scorer Foster hammered his penalty kick against the post.

It had been awarded when Colin Vowden pushed Steve Pope as he move in on a free kick from Webb.

It was Druce, however, who finally proved to be the mat-ch winner when he stooped to head a Les Hines cross past keeper Adam Sollitt.

It was his third goal of the season.

In injury time Vowden went close to snatching an equaliser, but in the end Kettering left Aggborough still searching for their first away league victory of the campaign.

Kidderminster are without a match this Saturday and are next in action a week tonight when they travel to meet Hednesford in the Conference.