HARRIERS 3, Canvey Island 2

SHOULD there ever be a remake of Escape to Victory, Terry Fleming, Taiwo Atieno and Iyseden Christie could replace Pele, Bobby Moore and Sylvester Stallone after dramatically helping Harriers rescue a thrilling win from the jaws of defeat, writes Mat Kendrick.

"We didn't get out of jail, we got out of Alcatraz!" insisted boss Stuart Watkiss and boy was he right.

A sub-standard Harriers performance looked to be petering out into a frustrating 1-1 draw before one of the most exciting conclusions to a game seen at Aggborough for quite some time.

The last three minutes were breathtaking stuff and ought to have carried a government health warning - but more of that later. By then Kidderminster were level pegging having done their usual trick of gifting the visitors a head start.

Wayne Hatswell, who has earned rave reviews recently for rediscovering his best form, slipped back to the dark old days of last season when a mix up with John Danby on five minutes presented Kezie Ibe with a chance that he gratefully accepted.

It took Harriers fully 41 minutes to register their first effort at goal with Atieno letting fly with a half volley which dipped just wide - minutes after Canvey's Lee Boylan had fired over with a similar effort.

But from their first incisive move of the game Kidderminster clawed their way back, Simon Heslop releasing Fleming for a super surge which saw him round the keeper and roll the ball in on 42 minutes.

It was nip and tuck after the break with Harriers playing marginally better and Canvey continuing to match everything the hosts could throw at them.

Christie had a goal disallowed and dragged a cross-shot wide while a Hatswell header forced a good save from Richard McKinney, although the whistle-happy ref had already blown for an infringement.

At the other end Stuart Bimson let fly with a low drive which drew a smart stop from Danby.

But it was in the final few minutes that the match really exploded into life.

Harriers' failure to find a way through a stubborn Canvey backline looked to have cost them dear when the Essex men launched another dangerous counter attack on 87 minutes.

Wayne Evans, who was lucky to survive a first half scare when his poor back header almost let in Ibe, was not so fortunate when he blatantly fouled the marauding Boylan in the box.

The Canvey midfielder picked himself up and dusted himself down to fire what he thought would be the winning penalty past the despairing dive of Danby with just three minutes left.

But this is Harriers, a team who had already fallen behind in each of their previous home matches against Woking and Southport, only to salvage something at the death.

It was third time lucky when, with 90 minutes up, Christie burst onto Lee Thompson's clever through ball and rounded McKinney.

With the goal at his mercy, Christie was unceremoniously bundled to the ground by the Canvey keeper to win his third penalty in as many home matches with McKinney given his marching orders.

Atieno, who has developed a knack of existing on the periphery of games before weighing in with a vital goal, duly obliged once again with a spot kick which flew past substitute stopper Ashley Harrison.

So Harrison's first touch was to retrieve the ball from the net, as was his second as Harriers went on to win in thrilling fashion.

Some three minutes into injury time and with Canvey on the attack, the ball broke to Laurie Wilson who was positivity personified as he raced forward and slipped a pass to Christie whose deflected shot flew into the roof of the net to open his Harriers account.

Watkiss was fuming at his side for their below-par performance and he had a point. But in terms of entertainment, Friday night was all right.