Saturday, March 4, 2000

IAN Foster began Saturday's match against Stevenage Borough as a substitute and ended up a hero as Kidderminster Harriers maintained their two points lead at the top of the Nationwide Conference table with a dramatic 3-1 win at Aggborough.

The former Hereford United campaigner scored one and was then involved in Harriers other two goals as they stretched their impressive unbeaten home league run to 12 matches, including 11 victories.

Kidderminster however were never at their best, particularly up front, and looked in trouble until roaring back with three goals in the last 13 minutes.

Defensively-solid Stevenage had taken the lead after 19 minutes through hot-shot Carl Alford and looked like hitting Harriers promotion hopes, particularly with second-placed Rushden & Diamonds winning 1-0 at Kingstonian.

A double substitution, however, proved to be the key to success for manager Jan Molby's men who will be aiming to maintain their title push tomorrow night when the visit Doncaster Rovers.

With his side struggling to find a way through the visitors rear-guard Molby drafted on Foster and recent on-loan signing Richard Burgess in the 67th minute in place of Thomas Skovbjerg and Mark Druce.

It was a switch which paid rich dividends as Kidderminster went on to complete the 'double' over Stevenage who lost 2-0 at home to the Aggborough outfit on September 4.

After Saturday's fight-back defender Ian Clarkson admitted Harriers had managed to get themselves out of jail.

The former Birmingham City captain said: "I suppose we did play our get out of jail card in so much that it took a long time to score, but we deserved it. We kept plugging away at them.

"Foster's injection of pace helped us but Druce had worked tirelessly.

"In fact, all the boys worked very hard. When it's 1-0 you do start getting a bit more anxious but it's important to keep trying to play and do the right things.

"It was important that we didn't go 2-0 down."

Kidderminster made their customary slow start and paid the price for not stamping their authority on the game when Alford notched his 24th Conference goal of the season by turning in a low hard cross from Lee Harvey.

Harriers best chance of getting back on level terms before half time fell to Stewart Hadley, but his shot lacked power and Stevenage keeper Chris Taylor was able to make a crucial save.

After the break Kidderminster continued to find it hard to negotiate a way through the visitors defence, sparking Molby into introducing Foster and Burgess.

Leading scorer Foster had been surprisingly relegated to the substitute's bench enabling Druce to make his first appearance in the starting line-up since December 11.

Ten minutes after the changes Kidderminster made it 1-1 when a splendid through ball by Mike Marsh found Foster who scored his 14th goal of the season with a perfectly placed angled shot past Taylor.

Harriers forged into a 2-1 lead in the 85th minute when an attempted clearance by Stevenage's mark Smith ended up in his own net despite desperate attempts to save by Taylor who was un-der pressure from Foster.

Then, in stoppage time, Kidderminster made certain of victory when Foster produced the cross for Hadley to notch his eighth goal of the campaign.

For Molby and his men, however, it was a display they will need to improve on when the meet Doncaster tomorrow at the same time that rivals Rushden entertain Yeovil Town.