Gravesend 1, Harriers 2

PERHAPS Harriers should consider selling "away" season tickets because Stuart Watkiss's men are certainly better value on the road than at Aggborough, writes Mat Kendrick.

The eight points they have gleaned on their travels might not seem that much more impressive than the seven they have secured in front of their own fans.

But in terms of performances, Kidderminster have been in a different league away from Aggborough - at least before Tuesday night's Crawley defeat, that is.

Boss Watkiss has joked about driving his players around on a coach before home games in a desperate bid to replicate their travelling form on their own patch.

A different type of coaching, however, and a change of tactics are needed if Harriers are to end their frustrating home hoodoo.

At Stonebridge Road, Watkiss threw caution to the wind, employing an adventurous 4-3-3 line up with genuine width in the shape of Michael Blackwood and Simon Russell.

And it paid dividends as Kidderminster emerged from a scrappy opening 20 minutes to take the initiative and get their noses in front - before a desperate rearguard action protected the three points.

Iyseden Christie led the way with his fifth goal in five games and it was a typical strike from the Harriers number nine who showed power and panache to work space in the box.

After twisting and turning down the left on 25 minutes, a lucky break saw Christie receive the ball back from Blackwood and he made no mistake with a simple finish from six yards out.

By then Harriers had already enjoyed the better of the game with Christie failing to keep his header down from a Hatswell cross.

Blackwood also shot tamely into Craig Holloway's arms after a probing ball by Terry Fleming, who saw a shot of his own cleared off the line following the best move of the second half.

Gravesend left it until a minute after they had fallen behind to test John Danby with the Kidderminster keeper smothering bravely at the feet of Andy Drury.

But Danby eclipsed that stop with a breathtaking save just before the break, sticking out his right hand to swat away a Charlie MacDonald header that looked for all the world a certain goal.

After being heavily criticised for a couple of recent blunders, that moment of goalkeeping magic will hopefully boost Danby's confidence and see him rediscover his best form.

Despite holding the lead and just about edging the battle, Harriers' work was far from done and it took a second half of total concentration and commitment to finally see off the Kent men.

The return of Simon Heslop and an improved Laurie Wilson in place of knee-injury victims Martin O'Connor and Wayne Graves worked well with both youngsters giving their all.

But it was Kidderminster's old timers across the back four that helped Harriers across the finishing line following a late onslaught by Liam Daish's team.

After hitting the woodwork twice against Forest Green Rovers, the much-maligned Wayne Hatswell finally found the target when his left foot strike flew through a crowd of legs to put Harriers 2-0 up on 57 minutes.

But Hatswell and Co were soon on the defensive when MacDonald grabbed a goal back on 62 minutes to set up a tense finish.

The Harriers defence of last season would surely have wilted under such intense pressure, but Hatswell, Daryl Burgess and Mark Jackson dealt with everything Gravesend hurled at them, while right back Wayne Evans also had one of his better games of the season.